Paul “Fatty” Vautin speaks about his Footy Show axing and why Wally Lewis is still The King
Paul “Fatty’’ Vautin has opened up about his Footy Show axing, and about the time Viv Richards pulled him up to talk about “that catch”. Read his interview with ROBERT CRADDOCK in today’s Sunday Session.
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Paul “Fatty’’ Vautin will always be regarded as the man who helped to fashion and forge Queensland’s State of Origin spirit.
In the return of the Sunday Session, Vautin speaks to Robert Craddock about why Wally Lewis is still the king, how he was hurt but pragmatic about the end of his Footy Show career, how common decency can solve the behavioural crisis and how the pressure of a swinging a golf club can make a man freeze.
RC: There’s been rumours around you’ve won a famous fan from the other side of the world. Who is it?
PV: A funny thing happened in a Japanese Restaurant in Sydney. A guy I knew said he had someone who wanted to meet me and I went over and couldn’t believe it when it was Viv Richards and he said “Fatty Vautin ... what about that f------ catch (referring to his famous one-hander in a testimonial match for Allan Border).’’
Were you shocked?
I was like a nervous little schoolboy. It was unbelievable. I had a beer with him and I got a photo which I still cherish.
Ben Ikin made his debut against the professional golfers this month at the Queensland PGA. He turned to you for advice after your four NSW Open appearances. What did you tell him?
We are pretty thick. He is just a great fellow. I told him I you will have high expectations but you won’t meet them. Because of the pressure you just won’t break 80 (he made 81 and 85) and he said “oh really.’’ He may have had a couple of bad days but he can really play. He hits it 50m past me and I am off five.
How nervous were you when you when you played the NSW Open?
It’s like you have never played before. On the first tee I could not take the club back. I’d shot two under a fortnight before but when I was introduced 50 people were watching and I stood over the ball for a minute and a half and I couldn’t move. Anthony Painter said I could take the club back whenever I wanted and I said “I can’t.’’ I made an 8 on the first hole.
What about your axing from the Channel Nine Footy Show (which later folded) after all those years. Did that hurt?
Yes, it actually hurt a lot. I loved every single show. We got into a 24th year and I loved the two hours of off the cuff live television sitting among friends. I haven’t spoken about it and I won’t yet but you would be really surprised how it happened. One day I will talk about it. The demise of the show hurt as well but you know what – that’s life, especially in the media game which can be quite fickle. But I am really enjoying commentating now and connecting with grass roots and club people I haven’t seen for years.
But all things considered you seemed satisfied with the journey?
I was very fortunate, especially since I had everything against me. I played for Manly who everyone hated, and Queensland who they also hated down there as well and I had red hair. I mean – hello.
What about the grubby player behaviour? Does it turn you off the game?
It’s been terrible. The game has been bashed from pillar to post. Players need to learn if you think something sounds like a bad idea it is a bad idea. Common decency mate. That’s all we are looking for. You wake up every day saying “I hope there is nothing in the papers today.’’ That’s what it got to and it’s why the game had to be pro-active.
You once said that for all the times you played with Wally Lewis you only really fully appreciated him when someone gave you a DVD set of Origin in the 80s and you watched the lot. What did you notice?
Look, we met when we were 13 and played against each other and we would say “get the long haired lout’’ and they would said “get the guy with the red roof.’’ We played so much together. I knew he was great but until I watched all those Origin games I did not realise he was a man ahead of his time.
Such as?
There were plenty of examples in Origin but also we played a Test in 1988 against Great Britain and they put a kick down and I ran it back on the first tackle and he said “hang there Fatty on that side and I will put you through a hole in three tackles.’’ I had no idea what he was on about. So they went two different ways he called, drew two players and put me through a massive hole. Mate he was incredible.
Is he still the best of the best?
Yes. The one and only. There will never be a better player. But I also have to say Andrew Johns was amazing. Incredible. Every single game I saw him play for Newcastle he was in their top two players.
What about the great coaching swap between Wayne Bennett and Anthony Seibold. How will that go?
I bumped into Wayne before a game last year and had the best half an hour I had for a long time. We talked about the old days and Wests versus Souths. His memory is unbelievable. I don’t know what happened but it seemed the Broncos just fell out of love with him. It was a nasty little divorce but it looks as if both parties has moved on and whenever I see Wayne he is smiling so it could work out well for both of them.
You were not a big man – what do make of today’s muscle men?
They are literally monsters. In my first game at Manly I weighed 82kgs. I ran hard because that was all I had. Before a game last year I was with Andrew Johns on the sidelines and I said “I cannot believe I actually played this game – look at the size of these blokes.’ Des Hasler told me one day the g-forces in which they hit today – with two men in a tackle with 16 stone (101kgs) men hitting 32 stone (202kgs) of solid mass is like two buses hitting each other at 100kph.
Do you think modern players have become disconnected with the real world?
I don’t know but I would have loved to have played today with the wide open spaces and the 10m but I just would not have wanted to go to training every day. I honestly don’t know how players fill their day in. I don’t know what they make them do.
How much did you train?
We trained Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and a lot of people went a long way on that. I know they can all bench press 150kgs these days but I can’t remember Wally Lewis lifting a weight in his life and he wasn’t too bad.
It’s been four decades since you went to Padua College in Brisbane but when you think of those two words what football image do you see?
I see Father Alban Mitchell who had actually played AFL for South Melbourne in the early 50s. I used to love kicking a football and he taught me how to do torpedoes and drop punts. We would stay back after footy training and I would kick for an extra half an hour.
Ikin was part of the 1995 Queensland team you coached to a shock victory over NSW and it seemed that made you all like brothers.
There is a bond. Obviously I am very close with Trevor Gillmeister because I played with him but when I see them at Origin games it is as if I saw them yesterday. What those players did was incredible.
Originally published as Paul “Fatty” Vautin speaks about his Footy Show axing and why Wally Lewis is still The King
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