It’s hard to know what to say when farewelling a legend of your business, but that’s what we’re doing today with the news that Paul Vautin has made his mind up to retire from television.
“I’m 65, and I’ve run out of petrol,” Vautin said. “When I think about my life I have to say it’s all been a surprise; the television career, my football career. I remember thinking as a 15- or 16-year-old redheaded, freckly kid that I didn’t know what I was gonna do with my life, and then when I look at what I’ve done, I’m still surprised.”
The man affectionately known as “Fatty” pulled the pin on his 33-year career in television a couple of weeks ago, telling Channel Nine executives that his time was up. He all but made his mind up towards the end of the season, but wanted to be sure. We had a discussion about that after the grand final, and he didn’t want to be that person who quit and then came back.
“I still love Nine, and all the great people there, and I still love the game, I really do – it gave me everything,” he said. “The players are unbelievable, but there are things about it now that irritate me, like the six again and dropouts that are contested. I don’t want to become that cranky old guy who complains about a sport that made him what he is.
“I can’t believe how fortunate I’ve been to play the game at the level I did. I thought when I came to Sydney I’d have a few years in reserve grade and then probably go home. Instead, I got to play with some of the greats of the game who I now get to call friends. And then to think that I somehow had a career in media that went for as long as it did. I’m just so grateful for all the people and my family who have helped me along the way.”
Paul Vautin with long-time colleague and mate Peter SterlingCredit: Getty
Vautin remembers driving home from Roosters training at Henson Park in 1991, his final year as a player.
“I got a phone call from someone saying that it was Gary Burns from Channel Nine,” Vautin recalled. “And he wanted me to do a spot on the Midday Show with Andrew Ettingshausen. I said, ‘Righty oh, Wally, good one, you got me’, and I hung up.”
The Wally is Wally Lewis, who made a habit of ringing Vautin and pretending he was a journalist.
“The only thing was this time it was actually Gary Burns,” Vautin said. “He rang back and said, ‘All right, will you ring me back – here’s my number, just to know that it’s me’. So I did, and I apologised. And after I did that segment he asked me if I wanted to appear every Friday with Ray Martin and Simon O’Donnell on the Midday Show, and things just went from there.
“I got to call games with the great Ray Warren, which was just a dream come true, because in my career I just wanted to hear Ray call my name once – then I got to work alongside him. And that’s where my association with Peter Sterling started. We became great mates, and there’s never been a better commentator than Sterlo. He got me out of trouble on TV so many times.
“I remember the first time I had to commentate with those guys and they were so professional. When it came to my turn to speak I had no idea, so I just tried to be myself and luckily enough for me that worked.”
That has been the key to Vautin’s incredible success: he’s never tried to be anyone else.
“I don’t really have an opinion of myself,” he said. “I guess the approach I took was I just went out and did it and had fun at the same time. I got to work with the best commentators, like the great [Phil] ‘Gus’ Gould, Joey [Andrew Johns] – he could see the game three minutes ahead of anybody else – and of the current mob, Cameron Smith, who is just as good as any of them.
“When it came to The Footy Show, I just took the same approach: I didn’t want to think I was smarter than anyone else or funnier. I just got on there and had fun and we had some great years. When I think of that time, I just get a giant smile on my face.
“To sit alongside the likes of Sterlo, Steve Roach, Matty Johns, the ‘Chief’ Paul Harragon, and to work with guys like Darryl Brohman and Mario Fenech, it was just great, and we had some golden years.
“Fatty” with fellow Footy Show panel members Laurie Daley, Paul Harragon and Matthew Johns.
“What really gives me joy though, is running into people to this day who say nice things about what we did. It makes me quite emotional when I meet people, and it happens often, who say to me, ‘That show brought my family together’.
“I remember meeting a guy recently who thanked me for the relationship that he and his dad had because they bonded over watching The Footy Show. And when you hear things like that, that it brought families together, and kept them together, that’s better than anything.”
Vautin’s bosses have been glowing. Acting Nine Entertainment chief executive Matt Stanton said: “Paul Vautin is a true icon of Australian television and a much loved member of the Nine family. After an outstanding playing career, he forged a stellar path here at Nine, and we’re truly proud and thankful for what he has achieved.”
Nine director of sport Brent Williams said: “Fatty’s contribution to Nine and Wide World of Sports over 30 years comfortably puts him in the upper echelon of contributors to the Australian television landscape. His infectious energy and warmth, plus a wicked sense of humour, made his style unmissable for generations of NRL and sporting fans. Throughout his remarkable television journey, his greatest strength was that he never tried to be anything but himself, which was more than enough for audiences to love him. He will always be an integral part of the Wide World of Sports family.”
Hunt was set to retire if Red V didn’t let him leave
Ben Hunt may never admit it publicly, but if the Dragons had held him to his contract for next year, he was looking at walking away from the game altogether.
The $900,000 or so he was due to earn with the Dragons, and the $1.2 million he will earn with Brisbane during the next two years, were not a consideration. He wanted to be happy again and he didn’t feel like he could do that at the Dragons.
Former Dragons captain Ben Hunt.Credit: Getty
His decision to quit highlights the level of discontent he felt and the level of despair he had after years of butting heads with figures at the club. Hunt was looking at retirement or playing rugby overseas, perhaps in Japan. It’s why, in the end, he offered to terminate his contract. If the Dragons did not agree, he was faced with retirement.
It is a credit to the Dragons board and management that they resolved the Hunt issue before it got to that point, even though it had dragged on for more than 12 months. The decision to let Hunt leave was an honourable one and flew in the face of the attitude expressed by his coach, Shane Flanagan, just a few days earlier. Flanagan believed the club needed to hold its ground when it came to Hunt.
The way Hunt’s exit was reported by some of Flanagan’s media mates — that Hunt was “sacked” — confirmed a lot of his private feelings about what he was up against and made his exit easier to live with.
The fact Hunt now gets to finish his career at the club where he made his name is a great story, particularly if he can be part of a Broncos team that breaks what by next year will be a 19-year premiership drought.
Hunt wants to win a competition, and the Broncos are the club that was best placed out of those chasing him to win one next year. The Roosters are in a rebuilding phase and the Dolphins, while on the up, need to break the Wayne Bennett curse, which strikes clubs after his departure.
Hunt will have a big role to play with the Broncos with doubts over the immediate playing future of star half Ezra Mam.
Seibold new chapter
It has been a drawn-out process but expect Manly coach Anthony Seibold to finalise a two-year extension with the club in the coming days. Des Hasler’s contract payout has made Manly very cautious about coaching deals.
Hasler and the Sea Eagles settled in early November, avoiding an ugly court battle about the details of his departure from Manly in 2022. The finishing touches are being put on the Seibold deal and the coach is close to signing off on it.
While on the Sea Eagles, congratulations to captain Daly Cherry-Evans, who married long-time partner and the mother of their three children Vessa.
White ball focus a problem for Marnus
There is no sportsman under more pressure right now than Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne. His average that was once near 60 has plummeted to 48.45; he is averaging 24.5 this year; and he’s been out for a single-figure score in seven of his past eight knocks.
And here is an explanation for his complete loss of form. His run of outs is due to his focus on becoming a better white-ball cricketer, and that has affected his thinking in Test cricket.
That’s the view of his long-term coach Neil D’Costa, who has also ridiculed the idea that Labuschagne needs to return to grade or Sheffield Shield cricket to rediscover his best form.
“I don’t think more batting is the solution, because it’s not against [Jasprit] Bumrah and that incredible [India] attack,” D’Costa said. “Playing against an easy attack won’t solve anything. He needs to go back to what made him good for so long, and he knows what that is. For mine, it’s not hard to work out.
“Marnus made a big effort to improve his white-ball cricket, and he did that; had a great [ODI] World Cup last year with some amazing innings. He was playing a different game and playing at more balls in that form of cricket.
“It was different to what he does and different to what made him great. Now he has to improve his shot selection again. He needs be Test Marnus, not one-day Marnus.”
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