WARWICK CAPPER ‘I’VE MET THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!’
The former AFL superstar is finally ready to settle down and marry the woman of his dreams
He may have been AFL’S biggest high-flyer in his heyday, but it’s Warwick Capper’s big heart rather than his flamboyant personality or self-professed prowess with the ladies that fiancee Lisa Arocca loves.
Of course, Warwick, 56, still insists it’s those hidden assets he famously displayed in his tiny Sydney Swans shorts in the late-’80s, joking that “she saw Captain Cucumber and thought she’d died and gone to heaven”.
But Lisa, 55, recoils in mock horror at the mere suggestion. “What do you mean?” she asks, adding her own take on it. “I was one of the nicest and hottest girls you’d ever met.”
With his long blonde mullet, tight shorts and high-flying acrobatics, Warwick was the pin-up boy of ’80s AFL, and since retiring in 1991, the former full-forward’s done little to change that view.
Utterly unapologetic over his antics, the flamboyant sportsman has tried everything, from being a Gold Coast meter maid, a lollipop man, a budding politician, public speaker, singer and stripper, to a comedian – and even a male escort!
“Plus I was a Penthouse magazine cover boy,” he says of his front-page debut with ex-wife Joanne. “We sold over a million copies – and I’d do it again with Lisa now, if she wanted.”
“Not a chance,” Lisa adds, showing off her new $20,000 engagement ring. “He’s been telling people we’ve been engaged forever. But he never got down on one knee and I can’t remember him ever asking me.”
FINDING THE ONE
The loved-up couple – who started dating in 2013 – were smitten early, with Warwick telling former legal receptionist Lisa that he loved her via text just a few months into their relationship. She says her love for him took a while longer to grow.
“What are you talking about?!” jokes the former footballer, who describes himself these days as the David Beckham of Australia. “You loved me more than I loved you. What’s not to love?!”
In moments of seriousness, it’s clear the Melbourne-based pair are very much head over heels in love, with Lisa describing Warwick – who shares son Indiana, 26, with his ex-wife – as the most caring man she’s ever met.
“He has the biggest heart,” she divulges. “I always thought he was pretty hot, but away from his public persona he’s a very calm and caring person, which is an attractive quality, plus he’s not sleazy!
“He’s got a soft spot for special needs kids – and I’ll often lose him in a grocery store, only to find he’s stopped to help someone in a wheelchair with their shopping.”
‘He’s a very calm and caring person, which is an attractive quality’
And in case you’re wondering what it’s like living with Warwick – Lisa says he’s not quite as full-on behind closed doors.
“Well, he does borrow my mineral makeup,” she smiles. “Once, I ran out, so he hid his because he didn’t want me to borrow it! This aside, we do ‘normal couple’ stuff, like movies, bands, holidays, Chinese takeaway and lots of nights in.
“He talks a lot, which can be quite draining, but he does have an off button… and I press it every night.”