Casset records straight

Tangles: Well Cass where do we start with your football career? I know, apart from yourself who is the best-looking bloke you’ve seen on a footy field?
Cass: (laughs) I’ve kept myself in pretty good nick compared to plenty of others over the years, nobody could argue with that.
Tangles: Is it fair to say that over the white line, on the football field, is where you feel the most comfortable? Where you are at home, so to speak?
Cass: Absolutely. Apart from being with my family, it’s been that way for a long time.
Tangles: It seems like everyone in the football world has an opinion or story about Danny Casset and, more often than not, it’s negative about you as a person. Does that annoy you?
Cass: It does a bit because they don’t know me. Away from footy I’m a family person like anyone else. I work and I do the things that everyone who has a family does in life. I ignore it all really.
Tangles: You’ve put yourself out there as the big star in sides you played in Cass, and you haven’t backed away from the limelight. The bigger the star the higher the fall when people want to bring you down, you know that.
Cass: True but when I’m at a club I’m just another player. Why do so many clubs have me? It’s people that I’ve never played footy with or associated with that talk the trash. Go to the clubs that I’ve played at and they wouldn’t say a bad word about me … apart from ‘he left us’ (chuckles).
Tangles: Money and punting has always been a source of comment when Danny Casset’s name is mentioned.
Cass: I love punting. Always have, always will. But I don’t go as hard at it as everyone thinks -people think I’m a $1000 punter but that’s rubbish. I’ve never been great with money and it has got me into trouble.
Tangles: You mean when you were charged over not paying for TAB bets in 2001?
Cass: I made one really stupid mistake and it wasn’t one of my finer moments. I was separated at the time, not working and got caught up with the wrong people. It’s never happened again and never will. I’d rather leave it there.
Tangles: Let’s go back in time. Your heritage wasn’t football-based was it?
Cass: No. My parents are from Mauritius. Mum didn’t like me playing football because it was too dangerous and dad didn’t have any interest at all. My next door neighbours took me down to play my first game of football at Keysborough when I was 10 because they were sick of me kicking the ball onto their roof.
Tangles: When did you first realise you were pretty good at the game?
Cass: It wasn’t until I was 19 at Dandenong really. I played junior footy and I was always in the mix but I was never the best player in the side. From the age of 16 to 19 I didn’t play football at all. I just got sick of it and that was probably my downfall as far as AFL footy went. At 17 and 18 I should have been pursuing it.
Tangles: So how did you end up at Dandenong?
Cass: A bloke I used to knock around with, (former Narre Warren star) Jerome Block suggested that I come down with him and have a kick with Dandenong under 19s. I started on a wing and played six games there but I was always sneaking down to the forward line and kicking goals. Halfway through the year the coach put me in the goalsquare and that was it. Tony Elshaugh was my first VFA coach and I won the best and fairest in the seconds the next year (1990) but only played three senior games because they had (ex-Carlton player) Rohan Welsh at full forward.
Tangles: How did you end up at Collingwood then?
Cass: I left and played half a year at Frankston (1991) but went back to Dandy the next year under Brad Gotch and kicked 50 goals from centre half forward and was put on the North Melbourne supplementary list. The next year I had another good one at Dandenong and I was asked to pre-season training with Collingwood.
Tangles: There’s been plenty of talk about what happened then, so what really did happen at the Magpies?
Cass: I spent six weeks training with them every day in November and December but I pulled the pin and it’s the biggest regret of my life. I just wasn’t mentally ready to do that sort of work. I just had my first girlfriend and was more interested in her and my car than training. The weeks before (coach) Leigh Matthews said ‘keep going son you’re doing well’. I still can’t believe I gave that opportunity up … and I’m still a mad Collingwood supporter.
Tangles: Is that when you became a football journeyman?
Cass: Dandenong folded and I went to Bayswater for three years under John Kanarakis and won my first flag (in 1995). That sticks out as a highlight. You say I’m a journeyman but I spent four years at Dandenong, three years at Bayswater (1994-1996) and then another three with Hampton Park (1997-1999). After that it was year by year.
Tangles: Where was the club that you were happiest?
Cass: Hampton Park without doubt. Hilly (coach Mick Hill) understood me and I’ve always been close to him – still am. Hampton Park had great functions. Everyone was friends and there was no backstabbing – it was a great club. You would look forward to going there every week and I’m still in contact with quite a few of those blokes.
Tangles: You’ve always liked the limelight Cass, but you have played at a fair few clubs and the perception is you’ve just chased the dollar?
Cass: Look the only thing that they can say is that I’ve gone from club to club for money, but it’s not me that rings up the clubs, they ring me and chase me. The other thing is, I carried a debt between clubs over the later years (after a disagreement regarding payment for a car) but they’ve always been aware of that and they’ve always paid it too. And money always came off my match payments towards that debt at each club.
Tangles: There have been a few incidents on field over the years involving you. Any you care to explain?
Cass: There’s only really been two. The first one was against Rosebud when I was playing for Hampton Park. I had kicked nine goals on the day but there was three or four females giving me serious shit all day. I kicked a goal in the last quarter and turned around and gave them the Michael Jackson (groin grab). They complained and said I popped it out. I didn’t, but I went to the tribunal and they gave me four weeks plus another four suspended. I was dudded but what can you do?
Then there was the spitting (charge) against Cranbourne when I was playing for Doveton in 2005. This supporter said some things to me as we were going into the three-quarter time huddle and I spat at him. I did it, but I only got one week for that because the tribunal knew the type of provocation I was under. That ended up costing me a hundred goals that year.
Tangles: Tell us about your mate Frank. Players and supporters from every club you have played at would know Frank. What’s the connection?
Cass: I was at Derby’s (nightclub) with my girlfriend when I was about 19 and this bloke was looking at me while I was at the bar. He walked up and asked me if I had a spare dollar. I said don’t worry about it and bought him a drink and that was it. He has been loyal and always stuck by me and I’ll always be loyal to him. He’s always welcome to come to the footy with me and that’s it. There will always be a place for Frank in my heart and I don’t care what anyone says.
Tangles: And the biggest influences on your career?
Cass: Hilly and Steve Henwood. The undefeated premiership at Doveton in 2005 was the best side I’ve played in and Steve was coach. He’s the reason I knocked back the offer to play with Tongala this year. I could have got triple the money I’m on at Bunyip but it wasn’t worth the effort and Steve knows me.
Tangles: Why are you still going, is it just for the money?
Cass: No, not at all. I still play because I enjoy it. I love taking a mark and kicking a goal and playing in front of the crowds.
Tangles: Have you thought about retirement?
Cass: No. When I stop getting a kick I will retire. One thing I will say is that I will never coach. I’m flat out looking after myself, let alone another 40 people!