Malthouse's dire warning
By Greg Denham and Malcolm Conn
May 29, 2003
THE Matthew Capuano sacking affair took extraordinary twists yesterday when Richmond offered the ruckman a lifeline and Mick Malthouse suggested mid-season axings could lead to suicide.
And Capuano refuted a claim by St Kilda coach Grant Thomas, who sacked him, that his playing days were over.
Collingwood coach Malthouse warned the public humiliation could leave players emotionally traumatised.
"We do not want to be one of the sports who has the first player dropping off a bridge or swinging from a bridge," Malthouse said.
"They have to be treated with dignity. They have to be able to walk out of an organisation with their head high without the tag of being a failure."
Richmond will today approach Capuano to play out the season with their VFL affiliate Coburg, with a view to drafting him for next year.
Tigers football manager Greg Hutchison said assistant coach Darren Crocker, a premiership team-mate of Capuano at North Melbourne, would make the approach.
"We discussed it at match committee today and we're really interested to get him to Coburg where we're struggling for big guys," Hutchison said. "It could be his best way back into the AFL system."
Capuano dismissed claims by Thomas that "the game had passed him by" and that he intended to retire.
"I still believe I'm capable of playing at AFL level," Capuano said. "And if some club thinks I've still got what it takes, I'd be glad to talk to them."
Capuano, 27, a dual-premiership ruckman before crossing to Moorabbin on a three-year contract, was axed on Monday by Thomas because of poor form.
He said he was appreciative of support from Malthouse, a columnist with The Australian , who yesterday wrote that Capuano's sacking was an "absolute disgrace".
"He had some good things to say," Capuano said. "It is not often that a coach comes out and says stuff like that. I appreciated it."
Thomas was not so moved, describing Malthouse's opinion as "irrelevant".
"I put a call in (to Malthouse) and I'm waiting for one back," Thomas said.
Continuing his condemnation of the sacking yesterday, Malthouse said his blood boiled when he heard what had happened.
"I feel desperately sorry for Matthew Capuano, but it's the broader issue," he said. "We can rectify it by a rule change for player swaps, but most importantly we've got to get the system right so we don't have a player in a vulnerable state by being publicly sacked."
Malthouse said he had previously approached the AFL at a coaches meeting to change the rules so there could be a mid-season swap of players, which would help avoid the current situation.
St Kilda were thrashed by Collingwood by 65 points last Saturday night. When asked if he looked forward to next year's clash, Thomas replied: "Revenge is a poor form of weakness."
Capuano declined to comment on a claim by St Kilda chief executive Brian Waldron that the club had done him a favour.
"It's their prerogative to say what they like, and I don't want to be drawn on it other than to say I would have loved to see out the season," he said.
Speaking on Melbourne radio Sport 927 yesterday, Waldron defended the decision to sack Capuano.
"Matthew was given the option to retire, which he chose not to do," Waldron said. "We made it clear to Matty that we thought it best that he didn't go on and Matty made it clear to Grant Thomas that he wanted to give it away.
"I think Matty will wake up in 10 or 12 days and I expect him to say they've done me a favour."
By Greg Denham and Malcolm Conn
May 29, 2003
THE Matthew Capuano sacking affair took extraordinary twists yesterday when Richmond offered the ruckman a lifeline and Mick Malthouse suggested mid-season axings could lead to suicide.
And Capuano refuted a claim by St Kilda coach Grant Thomas, who sacked him, that his playing days were over.
Collingwood coach Malthouse warned the public humiliation could leave players emotionally traumatised.
"We do not want to be one of the sports who has the first player dropping off a bridge or swinging from a bridge," Malthouse said.
"They have to be treated with dignity. They have to be able to walk out of an organisation with their head high without the tag of being a failure."
Richmond will today approach Capuano to play out the season with their VFL affiliate Coburg, with a view to drafting him for next year.
Tigers football manager Greg Hutchison said assistant coach Darren Crocker, a premiership team-mate of Capuano at North Melbourne, would make the approach.
"We discussed it at match committee today and we're really interested to get him to Coburg where we're struggling for big guys," Hutchison said. "It could be his best way back into the AFL system."
Capuano dismissed claims by Thomas that "the game had passed him by" and that he intended to retire.
"I still believe I'm capable of playing at AFL level," Capuano said. "And if some club thinks I've still got what it takes, I'd be glad to talk to them."
Capuano, 27, a dual-premiership ruckman before crossing to Moorabbin on a three-year contract, was axed on Monday by Thomas because of poor form.
He said he was appreciative of support from Malthouse, a columnist with The Australian , who yesterday wrote that Capuano's sacking was an "absolute disgrace".
"He had some good things to say," Capuano said. "It is not often that a coach comes out and says stuff like that. I appreciated it."
Thomas was not so moved, describing Malthouse's opinion as "irrelevant".
"I put a call in (to Malthouse) and I'm waiting for one back," Thomas said.
Continuing his condemnation of the sacking yesterday, Malthouse said his blood boiled when he heard what had happened.
"I feel desperately sorry for Matthew Capuano, but it's the broader issue," he said. "We can rectify it by a rule change for player swaps, but most importantly we've got to get the system right so we don't have a player in a vulnerable state by being publicly sacked."
Malthouse said he had previously approached the AFL at a coaches meeting to change the rules so there could be a mid-season swap of players, which would help avoid the current situation.
St Kilda were thrashed by Collingwood by 65 points last Saturday night. When asked if he looked forward to next year's clash, Thomas replied: "Revenge is a poor form of weakness."
Capuano declined to comment on a claim by St Kilda chief executive Brian Waldron that the club had done him a favour.
"It's their prerogative to say what they like, and I don't want to be drawn on it other than to say I would have loved to see out the season," he said.
Speaking on Melbourne radio Sport 927 yesterday, Waldron defended the decision to sack Capuano.
"Matthew was given the option to retire, which he chose not to do," Waldron said. "We made it clear to Matty that we thought it best that he didn't go on and Matty made it clear to Grant Thomas that he wanted to give it away.
"I think Matty will wake up in 10 or 12 days and I expect him to say they've done me a favour."
