AFL RECORD WARWICK ‘THE WIZ’ CAPPER XXXXXX XXX XXX XXXXXX AFL RECORD

When it comes to self-promotion, former Sydney and Brisbane star is in a class of his own. But back in an era of high-flyers in the 1980s, Capper could more than hold his own, including an absolute screamer he took in the qualifying final 30 years ago.

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arwick Capper rubs his hands together and laughs maniacally, flashing a mouth full of new, luminous teeth. ˜˜The 1987 qualifying “This is gonna be the best day of final was Warwick your lives,” the inimitable Capper Capper’s last game declares to the AFL Record crew. for Sydney before The flamboyant former Sydney joining the Brisbane Swans star can’t contain his Bears on an child-like excitement because unprecedented deal. we’re taking him back to Waverley The fledgling Park for the first time in 30 years. Bears, bankrolled The first time since the 1987 by controversial qualifying final against Hawthorn, businessman when Capper achieved his two Christopher Skase, greatest individual highlights: made a godfather becoming a century goalkicker, offer – a three-year and taking his self-proclaimed contract worth “Mark of the Universe”. around $2.3 million, Earlier, we’d met Capper at which included a red the multi-million dollar home he Ferrari convertible, a shares with his longtime partner, Gold Coast clothing fiancée Lisa. shop and a $180,000 We were led down into Capper’s vase the Skases gave man cave – a shrine to his football the Cappers as a career and celebrity – where Capper wedding gift. set the tone with a barrage of This was more than one-liners. five times the offer Our shamelessly vain host held from the broke Swans, aloft a bottle of Capper-brand shiraz who gladly accepted a and announced: “I’m ageing better record transfer fee of than this fine wine.” STEPLADDER TO SUCCESS: $475,000. Capper’s vintage is 1963, making Warwick Capper recreates “If it was just about him 54. “But I only look 36,” he says. his “Mark of the Universe” footy and mates, I He openly admits to having over Hawk wouldn’t have left,” in the 1987 qualifying final. minor facial work especially for our Capper says. “But you photoshoot, explaining: “People can’t knock back the expect ‘The Wiz’ to look good – biggest contract ever. and I haven’t let them down yet.” It helped set me up Capper thinks of himself as both for life.” the greatest marking and marketing Capper endured machine in footy history. And he three disastrous years isn’t done yet. with the Bears – but He’s the face of a gym, eateries says he was “worth including Capper’s Big and Tasty He says that if not for footy, he’d every cent in PR and Food Diners, an accounting firm, a have been a rock star. He started awareness” – before butcher’s shop ... learning the drums at 15 and plays returning to the Swans For years he has appeared as in ’80s cover bands. for one season in 1991. a celebrity-for-hire at sportsmen’s “I was a rock star footballer “I retired at only 28. functions and other gatherings. anyway,” he says. A football tragedy. Now there are plans for a “A lean, mean, excitement But we’ll always have reality TV show called Judge machine; blond-haired, blue-eyed the highlights reels.” Capper – a boot camp for recovering and ready for take-off!” drug addicts – and he hopes to He also receives an email asking There is no off-switch with reappear on Neighbours, more whether he’d like to compete in a Capper. He says psychological than 30 years after his debut with celebrity version of the Australian testing revealed: “High IQ, no Kylie Minogue. Ninja Warrior TV show. It’s not a bipolar, just hypo.” “I’m a $100 million brand. It’s good idea – Capper’s knees and The latter becomes evident as about fun, excitement and glamour,” shoulders are shot, he gets a the Ricoh Centre comes into view. he says. stiff back and can no longer run Capper lifts his mobile phone and And now the self-dubbed “king or jump. starts filming and narrating his of footy showbiz” is in the front “I’ll do it!” he says. “They used to pilgrimage for posterity. passenger seat as we drive to the call me the white-booted warrior and “What’s the Rich Centre?!” former VFL Park (as it was known now I’ll be a ninja warrior.” he asks incredulously. (Capper in 1987), now the Ricoh Centre The one-time pop singer isn’t wearing his prescription and the Hawks’ headquarters. occasionally breaks into song, glasses, so we’ll forgive the Capper’s phone rings constantly. crooning parodies such as Up There mispronunciation.) On speaker, he does a radio Capper, Capper Cobana and There’s “It should be the Warwick interview with two giggling hosts. Only One Warwick Capper. Capper Stadium.”

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As we walk on to Hawthorn’s “But my teammates loved training ground, Capper is taken Capper-mania because it took the aback by the residential surrounds, attention and pressure off them. which bear little semblance to the “I figured I should be the face of the one-time concrete jungle. club – I was the best-looking player. “Wow, it’s completely changed,” “Every second Sunday on TV it was he says. “But they still remember the Warwick Capper Matinee.” the day the Wiz rocked this joint Capper also shared his success in ’87.” with his teammates. It is colder, windier and wetter “I paid them a reward each time than that career-defining afternoon, they passed to me and I kicked a but Capper is in his element as we goal. If I missed, bad luck. They recreate his incredible mark over made a lot of dough out of me.” Chris Langford – which Capper Capper believes he would’ve reckons should be the subject of a kicked a ton a year earlier had it not Toyota TV ad. been for his brief split with future “It’s surreal being here again. It’s wife Joanne. He finished with 92 been 30 years, but it feels like five. goals after mustering just 13 in his And I’ve hardly aged,” he says. last six outings. “We should’ve announced we “My head was all over the place. It were coming – people would’ve cost me 20 goals,” he says. come from everywhere.” “We got back together in early ’87, Capper grew up “just down the and life was great again. road” in Oakleigh, where he played “I really wanted 100 goals.” junior footy with another blond Capper kick-started his quest with bombshell, David Rhys-Jones, what he rates as his greatest game, who was a year older and became bagging 9.3 and three Brownlow the most-reported League player votes (for the only time) in a 91-point in history. win over Collingwood at a hostile “‘Rhys’ punched heads and I sat on Park. them,” Capper says. Concerned for his spearhead’s “I was told I wasn’t good enough welfare, Hafey took him off minutes for League footy, but when Rhys before the final siren. made it (with the Swans), I knew “I was spewing. I kicked 10 against I could – because I was better Richmond the year before and I than him.” wanted to beat that, but Tommy FOOTY ROCK STAR: Capper, in familiar Those breathtaking marking pose, was disappointed he never won a wanted me off because they were skills were developed during speccy , but settled for “good throwing bottles at me,” Capper says. sessions with mates in a local park. looks, fame and money”. “Mum even had to hide her Capper insists he didn’t always have Warwick Capper badge because an ungainly kicking style, explaining runner-up to Collingwood’s Brian she thought she’d get bashed. that a right knee injury as a teenager Taylor (1986) and St Kilda Brownlow Sore losers.” prompted him to use a double-handed ˜˜If Warwick Capper medallist (1987). Despite rough treatment ball drop. What he lost in distance he played now, he’d “I wish I had a Coleman, but I from opposition fans and players gained in accuracy. be a better player settled for good looks, fame and alike, Capper continued his “My left foot was always pretty and an even bigger money. ‘Plugger’ and ‘BT’ never had screamer-taking, goalkicking ways. smooth though,” he says. personality. Just all of that.” He was disappointed not to reach An early Sliding Doors moment ask him. Capper says Hafey was the three figures in a final round win came at the end of 1984 when Carlton “I was huge in “perfect coach” for him. over Fitzroy at when, offered the promising 21-year-old a the ’80s, but that’s “Tommy was my biggest advocate. opposed to the dashing , he lucrative three-year deal. nothing compared to I was peaking and he just wanted blazed 4.4. “I probably should’ve taken it. what I’d be today,” me to jump at the ball. As long as I “I was on 99 and got a bit nervous I might’ve been an even better he insists. trained hard and kicked goals, the and missed my last two shots. But it player. What a combo me and “I was a great showmanship didn’t bother him.” worked out better because it gave me (Stephen) ‘Sticks’ Kernahan would’ve athlete – no one And there was plenty of more air time in the media.” been. And I would’ve won a flag,” could jump like me, showmanship: the long blond In Capper’s mind, it was a mere he said. and I was top three hair (“It was a work of art, and formality that he’d bring up his “Instead, I became the most at the Swans in still is,” Capper says), the tightest century in the qualifying final recognised person in Sydney and running, so I’d handle of shorts (“I was a size 12, but I against Hawthorn. In his previous single-handedly raised the profile the end-to-end wore size eights because having a 53 games he’d been goalless just of footy up there.” running easily. wedgie made me jump higher”), once – “and that was the week after I Capper’s career took off when “I’d be a bit like coloured boots (“They helped me kicked 10, when St Kilda watered the Dr took over the ‘Buddy’, but more get more endorsements”) and ground and turned it into mud”. Swans, luring gun midfielders such entertaining. occasionally tasseled socks (“It’s Then 24, he’d had some good duels as Greg Williams and “Every mark I took important to accessorise”). with Langford, Victoria’s full-back, and appointing as coach was a contested At the time, Healy observed that and in the Swans’ round seven for the 1986 season. mark, and today I’d get Capper was one of Australia’s three clash with the reigning premier at To that point, Capper had kicked a lot of uncontested best-known sportsmen, along with the SCG, Capper had outmarked 84 goals in 30 games. In two seasons marks, too. golfer Greg Norman and cricketer Langford and slotted the go-ahead under the late Hafey, he tallied “With all the Allan Border. goal, his third. “Langford did a good 195.103 in 47 games. endorsements and “I’d go surfing with Gerard and job, but I still won us the game,” Capper led the Coleman Medal footy replays, I’d be he once said, ‘The Swans team was Capper says. race as late as round 17 in 1986 and on the telly 24/7. 19 ghosts and Warwick Capper,” He adds: “Langford and round 15 in 1987, before finishing It’d be Wiz TV.” Capper recalls. (St Kilda’s) were the

34 | AFL RECORD | afl.com.au AFL RECORD WARWICK ‘THE WIZ’ CAPPER best full-backs. Frawley was dirtier and Langford was more attacking, so EVER THE SHOWMAN: “People expect ‘The Wiz’ you could get him on the rebound.” to look good,” says Capper, Capper visualised slotting his “and I haven’t let them 100th goal early. Vision became down yet.” premonition after just 12 minutes when he nailed a snap out of a pack. “I thought, ‘Bloody hell, what a relief!’” The Age’s Patrick Smithers suggested it was perhaps the least-celebrated century ever, given there was no ground invasion and Capper was only briefly embraced by teammate Stevie Wright. Capper: “If it’d been at the SCG, 20,000 would’ve run out and they would’ve had to stop play for 20 minutes. But the Swans didn’t have the supporters group in like they’ve got now.” Ironically, it was Langford who marked the feat most notably. “Langford had a look of horror on his face at first, but then he surprised me by shaking my hand and saying, ‘Congratulations. Good effort.’ “What a good bloke; a gentleman.” Capper was just the second Swans centurion, following the legendary . They were introduced after a game. Capper: “I said, ‘I took better marks than you at training.’ I said the same thing to ‘Jezza’ (Carlton great ). Neither of them liked it. What a cocky bugger I was.” Capper borrows Mike Williamson’s famous line about Jesaulenko when beneath wads of cotton wool, standing on Geelong ruckman he says that each week he aimed to from a childhood condition that Darren Flanigan’s head in a reserves take at least one “CYYAPPAAAH, caused regular bleeds and would game in 1982. you beauty!” later be cauterised. His grab over Langford wasn’t He took just two marks in the Capper turned to watch the replay eligible for the ’87 qualifying final, but the first on the big screen. “I wanted to give because it was taken in the finals, but was one of the most outrageous myself a kiss,” he says. WA RW I C K Capper won the competition anyway grabs imaginable. At the time, greats such as Lou CAPPER (for the only time) for a skyscraping Just before half-time the Richards and hailed it effort against North Melbourne. Swans trailed 64-31, with Capper the greatest mark they’d seen. Born: June 12, 1963 “The ABC had the TV rights that contributing two of their four goals, His adrenalin pumping in Recruited from: year, so I didn’t even win a car. I when kicked long to the knowledge he’d produced Oakleigh Districts (Vic) should’ve won about six of them the hot spot, giving Capper the “something no one had ever seen and opened my own car yard.” drop on Langford. before”, Capper then slotted his Debut: Capper, who had a 0-3 There were two freakish aspects third goal. Round 14, 1983, finals record, spares a thought of what happened next – that Capper “I was pretty excited at half-time. v North Melbourne for Langford. went horizontal, draping himself ‘Boys, just get the ball to the Wiz.’” “I feel a bit sorry for Chris,” he Height: 190cm across Langford’s shoulders; and that In the third term, Capper says. “He starred in premierships and he marked the ball one-handed, on injured his left hamstring while Weight: 93kg he became an AFL Commissioner, his bicep. leading, but still marked and goaled but every week for the past 30 years “The signature Wiz move was to before limping off his season over. Games: 124 (Syd 90, someone has reminded him that he launch straight up and give them From limited opportunities, he’d Bris 34) was Wiz Capper’s stepladder. the old ear massage with my knees, kicked four of Sydney’s seven goals. Goals: 388 (Syd 317, “The photo of that mark was but this was the first time I’d gone His season tally was 103, comprising Bris 71) on back pages of newspapers and sideways,” he says. “And I marked it 16 hauls of four or more. it was on billboards, and I’ve sold with one hand just ’cos I could.” However, the Swans went down by Player honours: thousands of them. It’s bought me a We asked Capper to give us his 99 points – then the third-worst loss Sydney leading couple of houses. sportsmen’s night spiel. in a final. Capper had provided the goalkicker 1984 (39), “It had a huge effect on people. “I was laying on Langford’s only highlights. 1985 (45), 1986 (92), A guy showed me a tattoo of the shoulders for so long that I fell asleep “As I sat on the bench in the 1987 (103), Brisbane mark on his leg. … then I got a phone call: ‘This is Air last quarter, it felt weird that I’d Bears leading “It was a legendary moment, Traffic Control. Warwick Capper, can kicked 100 goals and taken the goalkicker 1988 (45); but we can’t forget Langford. you get out of the airspace, please. greatest mark in 100 years, but we Mark of the Year 1987. “The mark wouldn’t have There’s a 747 coming!’” got destroyed.” happened if he’d collapsed under : He jokes he was so high his Capper believes though that his my rippling physique.” career votes 10 nose started bleeding. And it was, best mark was one he snared @bencollocollins

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