‘What a gentleman ... he was the best’: Paul Vautin’s emotional tribute to the man that changed his life

Paul Vautin was a young first grader in 1978 when he ran onto a pass from Gary Prickett and raced into a new world, creating the ‘Fatty’ rugby league fans know and love today. Vautin farewell’s one of the game’s true gentlemen.

Paul Vautin remembers Gary Prickett - the man who changed his life.

Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin has paid an emotional tribute to the man who threw the pass that changed his life.

In the Wests Panthers Brisbane side of 1978 there were two hard-working red-haired forwards - Paul Vautin and Gary Prickett, a former schoolteacher who died late last week.

Vautin’s admiration for Prickett remains boundless and he was disappointed to hear the news while away travelling overseas.

“What a wonderful man he was,’’ Vautin said. “I admired him so much as a player and teammate.

“A tackling machine who didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘stop.’ He just went and went and went.’’

Vautin and Prickett came together in one often-recalled, life changing moment in a Brisbane knockout semi-final in 1978 against a Valleys side including Wally Lewis which became Vautin’s passport to Sydney rugby league and a life of league and television stardom.

Queensland hooker Gary Prickett sadly died last week.

Paul Vautin playing for Wests in 1978.

Prickett passed to Vautin, in his first year of first grade, who won the princely sum of $200 for the try of the season when he steamed on to the pass then ran 75m past Valleys captain Ross Strudwick and diving fullback Alan Mills to score as commentator George Doniger screamed “go son, go.’’

“He threw me that perfect pass right on to my chest (which) helped me to get to Sydney to play for Manly.

“And off the field what a gentleman. The best. I first saw him playing under-18s at West Mitchelton with Norm Carr and John Ribot.’’

“And he drove the team hard. Always into us. ‘Keep going. Don’t stop. C’mon young fella. Come with me’.’’

In Vautin’s biography “Fatty’’, Mike Colman wrote “had Prickett passed to someone else or gone himself there would still be a Paul Vautin but he would probably still be working for the Commonwealth Bank in Brisbane, maybe coaching Wests reserve grade in his spare time.

“But there would not be a Fatty. No Lowes ads or television contracts. He would not have a radio spot or have books written about him. All if not for that pass.’’

Colman’s point was that Vautin could never have had the multi-media career he did had he been simply a star of the local Brisbane competition and not moved to Sydney.

The pass that change Fatty Vautin's life.

Wayne Bennett, who was sitting the grandstand, said the try was the first time Vautin’s playing ability made a deep impression on him.

At the time of his try Vautin was on the princely sum of $100 a year with Wests. Cronulla rang a few days later and offered him $6000 before he signed for a similar sum for Manly after their boss Ken Arthurson was sent a tape which started with Vautin’s try of the season.

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