Height 1.98 m Height/Weight 198cm / 99kg Weight 99 kg | Years Club Date joined 1994 Name Matthew Capuano Nominations AFL Rising Star | |
 | ||
Date of birth (1975-09-02) 2 September 1975 (age 40) Debut Round 13, 18 June 1994, North Melbourne
v. Richmond, at the MCG 1994-2000
2001-2003
Total - North Melbourne
St Kilda Role Australian Rules Footballer | ||
Original team(s) Creswick / Geelong U18 | ||
Matthew Capuano (born 2 September 1975) is a former Australian rules footballer who spent his AFL career with the North Melbourne Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club. Capuano is currently a development coach at the Carlton Football Club.
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He was most remembered for being sacked by the Saints at the middle of the 2003 season.
Kangaroos career
Capuano made his AFL debut for North Melbourne in the 1994 season; He played a total of 82 games for the Kangaroos, and was a member of the club's 1996 and 1999 premiership side.
St Kilda career
Capuano's career with the Saints was plagued by shoulder and knee injuries. He played 25 games in his three seasons for the Saints. Although making his 100th AFL appearance in Round 8, 2002, he underwent a knee surgery after Round 9 and missed all remaining AFL games that season.
Mid-season sacking
After making six appearances in the first nine rounds of the 2003 season, Capuano was sacked by the Saints. The coach, Grant Thomas, explained that Capuano's poor form lead to his sacking. While it is suggested that the young and rising Saints did not need Capuano's service anymore, the Saints were also criticised for axing Capuano at the wrong time as Trent Knobel and Barry Brooks, their other two ruckmen, were both injured at the time.
Although a number of VFL clubs sought Capuano's servicea after he was sacked, he did not accept any offers and spent the latter half of 2003 travelling Europe. He also did not nominate for the 2003 AFL Draft and spent 2004 playing for South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League.
Coaching
Capuano signed with the Carlton Football Club in 2009 to coach their ruckmen on a part-time basis. The following season, the Blues made Capuano a full-time development coach and a direct ruck coach.