Paul Vautin

Paul Vautin

Personal information
Nickname	Fatty
Born	(1959-07-21) 21 July 1959 (age 57) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Height	176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	90 kg (14 st 2 lb)
Position	Lock, Second-row
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1977–78 Wests (Brisbane) 1979–89 Manly-Warringah 204 20 2 2 74 1988–89 St. Helens 21 4 0 0 16 1990–91 Easts (Sydney) 34 1 0 0 4 Total 259 25 2 2 94 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1982–90 Queensland 22 2 0 0 7 1982–89 Australia 13 0 0 0 0 1984 NSW City 1 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1995–97 Queensland 9 4 0 5 44
Source:

Paul "Fatty" Vautin (born 21 July 1959) is an Australian television presenter, commentator and formerly a professional rugby league footballer, captain and coach. He has provided commentary for the Nine Network's coverage of rugby league since joining the network in 1992 and has also hosted The Footy Show since its beginnings in 1994. An Australian Kangaroos test and Queensland State of Origin representative lock or second-row forward, Vautin played club football in Brisbane with Wests before moving to Sydney in 1979 to play with Manly-Warringah, whom he would captain to the 1987 NSWRL premiership. He also played for Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, and in England for St. Helens.

After playing, Vautin became a sports commentator for the Nine Network, calling rugby league games alongside Ray Warren and the recently retired Peter Sterling. Later, during the Super League war, he was hired to coach Queensland in the 1995 State of Origin series and took the Maroons to an upset 3–0 whitewash of series favourite New South Wales.

According to Vautin, he earned his nickname "Fatty" soon after joining Manly in 1979. While being shown around Brookvale Oval by club secretary Ken Arthurson, he walked past retired Manly premiership captain Fred Jones who was in conversation with club and Kangaroos fullback Graham Eadie. Jones asked Eadie "Who is that fatty?", and the name stuck.