Warwick Capper

Warwick Richard Capper (born 12 June 1963) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Bears in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League. An accomplished full-forward, Capper kicked 388 goals over a 124-game career, finishing runner-up twice in the Coleman Medal stakes with a peak of 103 goals in 1987. He was also famous for his high-flying spectacular marks, one of which earned him a Mark of the Year award in 1987.

Warwick Capper
Capper at the premiere of Horrible Bosses, 2011
Personal information
Full name Warwick Richard Capper
Date of birth (1963-06-12) 12 June 1963
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s) Oakleigh District
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 93 kg (205 lb)
Position(s) Forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1983–87, 1991 Sydney Swans 090 (317)
1988–1990 Brisbane Bears 034 0(71)
Total 124 (388)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1991.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Known for his colourful personality and flashy looks, Capper was used as a marketing tool amid VFL expansion north of the Barassi Line, and for a time he was one of the few Australian rules footballers with a high profile in New South Wales and Queensland. He became the VFL's highest-paid player in the mid-1980s, and his blonde mullet, white or pink boots, and skintight shorts helped make him one of the game's most recognisable figures. Off the field, he was known for his association with flamboyant Swans owner Geoffrey Edelsten, as well as his foray into pop music with the 1985 single "I Only Take What's Mine", the music video of which features Capper's pink sports car and Edelsten's helicopter.

His post-football career has included various high-profile media appearances, including comedy tours; a self-released sex tape; a failed run for Queensland state politics; and work as a stripper, male escort, and Surfers Paradise Meter Maid.

Early career

Capper was raised in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Huntingdale and briefly attended Brighton Grammar School. His father Wally played football in the Ovens and Murray League with Lou Richards and for Fitzroy reserves before a broken leg cut short his playing career, which led him to later being a Melbourne City Council worker.[1] Capper began playing football for the Northvale Junior Football Club in Mulgrave[2] and later Oakleigh District Football Club with future VFL teammate David Rhys-Jones.

He was recruited by VFL club South Melbourne and played in the under-19s for two years: 1980 and 1981. Capper returned to Oakleigh Districts in 1982 to play senior football with bigger bodies and to enhance his chances of playing senior football with the Swans. After an outstanding season with the club and winning the best and fairest in the competition, Capper was given the opportunity to play for the Swans at senior level in 1983 and subsequently moved to Sydney for the club's second year in the city.[3]

VFL/AFL career

Capper was noted for his marking ability rather than his kicking accuracy. With several spectacular high marks in his career, he was nominated for Mark of the Year on several occasions and won in 1987, with a mark that is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting The Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport.[4]

Although Capper was more famous for his marking, in 1987 he managed 103 goals at an average of 4.48 per game. He finished runner up in the Coleman Medal in both 1986 (to Brian Taylor) and 1987 (to Tony Lockett).

He was also well known for his looks, his long blonde locks of hair, deeply tanned skin, white boots and extremely tight shorts.[5] This formed part of the flamboyant image of the Swans club during the years in which it was owned by Geoffrey Edelsten. Adding to their already extravagant personas, Capper would fly around in Edelsten's pink helicopters. Moreover, he had a bright pair of newcomers called 'Bros' and according to Capper, "had the world at his feet".

When Capper moved to the Brisbane Bears at the end of the 1987 season with a $350,000 three-year contract, he became the highest-paid player in the VFL. Capper did not do well in Queensland and returned to Sydney after having kicked only 71 goals in 34 games.

At the end of his VFL career, he returned to Queensland in 1992 to play semi-professionally with the Southport Sharks.

In 1985, Capper released a single "I Only Take What's Mine",[6] referred to as "wonderfully woeful".[7] In 1986, he made a guest appearance on the Australian soap opera Neighbours[8] and has also starred in a pornographic movie.[9]

Post-football life

Since retiring from football, Capper has juggled media appearances and various jobs, including council roadworker. In 1993, Capper posed in an explicit pictorial with his then-wife, Joanne Capper, for the August issue of Australian Penthouse magazine. He also announced that he was to become a male stripper.[10]

He has had continued participation in football only through the charity AFL Legends Match. In 2002, he had a brief stint as skills coach for former club Southport.[11]

In 2003, Capper guest starred as AFL footballer "Dwayne Carey" (a play on Wayne Carey) in season 3 of the television series Pizza.[12]

Capper makes regular appearances on television as a guest on shows such as The AFL Footy Show. He appeared briefly on the reality television show Celebrity Big Brother, but he was ejected from the series by the show's producer for exposing his penis to fellow housemate Kimberley Cooper during an argument.[13]

In 2005, Capper released an autobiography called Fool Forward in which he openly admitted to using illegal drugs (amphetamines) during his VFL/AFL career.[14]

In 2006, Capper again made the news after an incident with film director Kayran Noskca, leading to a broken nose.[15]

In 2008, Capper again made news headlines when he had cosmetic surgery involving botox and liposuction.[16] He also challenged former professional boxer Jeff Fenech to a fight.[17] In 2009, he did box in a promotional charity match, losing a match against Wendell Sailor, whom Capper had previously criticised.[18]

2009 Queensland state election

Capper intended to contest the 2009 Queensland state election in the electoral district of Beaudesert as an independent. Capper announced he would run after Pauline Hanson announced officially that she was to be a candidate in the seat.[19] Capper's political endeavour collapsed a few days later when he was advised that he had missed the midday deadline on 3 March to register with the Electoral Commission Queensland.[20] When asked if Capper's running in the election was a joke, his campaign manager, Mark Jackson, replied that politics was a joke.[21]

Lads' magazine Zoo Weekly bankrolled his short-lived campaign but denied it was responsible for not lodging his registration, blaming Capper's campaign manager.[21]

2009 to present

In late 2010, Capper became the face of a promotional campaign for Quickbeds.com, a discount accommodation website. He appears in online and off-line promotional material and across the accommodation website promoting the website as 'cheap and easy – just like me'.[22]

In 2011, he made a cameo appearance in the premiere episode of the television program The Joy of Sets,[23] recommencing his short-lived alliance with the former hosts of Get This. Capper continued to make unlikely cameo appearances during re-enactments in subsequent episodes, dressed in nothing but gold hotpants.[24]

Capper was a participant on The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, where he was the first contestant to be fired.[25][26]

References
  1. "Where are they now: Warwick Capper". Sydney Swans. 18 July 2018.
  2. "Swans sail into the sunset". 28 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  3. Warrick Capper - Open Mike
  4. Australian Football League, The Game That Made Australia Archived 19 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 19 September 2010
  5. "I took drugs before playing, says Capper". 29 April 2005.
  6. I Only Take What's Mine @ YouTube
  7. Warhurst, Myf. "Myf's Bottom 10 Songs of All Time". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  8. Warwick Capper @ imdb.com
  9. Warwick Capper stars in porn movie
  10. Cappers new career as a stripper
  11. "Capper could be banned from kids footy". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 April 2002. Retrieved 22 July 2006.
  12. Pizza Episode Guide
  13. Capper evicted for flashing in Celebrity Big Brother
  14. "Capper admits pre-game drug use". The Age. Melbourne. 29 April 2005. Archived from the original on 7 May 2005. Retrieved 22 July 2006.
  15. "Ex-AFL star cops broken nose". The Sunday Telegraph. 16 June 2006. Archived from the original on 21 July 2006. Retrieved 22 July 2006.
  16. http://womansday.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=658382
  17. "'Me punching Fenech's head in would pull a crowd': Warwick Capper". Archived from the original on 4 August 2008.
  18. Wendell Sailor smashes Warwick Capper in charity boxing match
  19. "Hanson and Capper face off in Qld poll". ABC News. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  20. Hurst, Daniel (4 March 2009). "What a joke: Capper fails to register". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  21. Barbeler, David (3 March 2009). "Capper fails to register as candidate". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  22. Quickbeds uses 'cheap and easy' Capper
  23. Murfett, Andrew (15 September 2011). "A medium well done". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  24. "Joy of Sets". Fixplay. ninemsn. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  25. "Warwick Capper eliminated from Celebrity Apprentice | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au/. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  26. "'Warwick Capper, you're fired'". PerthNow. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2022.

Bibliography
  • Ken Piesse (1995). The Complete Guide to Australian Football. Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN 0-330-35712-3.
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