Vautin was from Tasmania and played at the City Football Club in Hobart. A rover, he represented his league in 1889 in an away series in Victoria, impressing the Essendon recruiters who signed him up for the 1892 VFA season and he was a key part of their premiership teams over the next three seasons. The VFL began in 1897 and Vautin was a member of Essendon's inaugural VFL premiership side.