Wayne Carey

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Wayne Carey

| image = GHFC Wayne Carey 110719 gnangarra-100-2.jpg

| caption = Carey in 2019

| nickname = The King, Duck{{cite web|title=Wayne Carey: How the affair began|url=http://www.news.com.au/national/wayne-carey-how-the-affair-began/story-e6frfkvr-1225790800772|website=News.com.au|publisher=News Corporation|access-date=25 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908031506/http://www.news.com.au/national/wayne-carey-how-the-affair-began/story-e6frfkvr-1225790800772|archive-date=8 September 2016|df=dmy-all}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1971|5|27}}

| birth_place = Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

| originalteam = North Wagga
North Adelaide

| height = 192 cm

| weight = 97 kg

| position = Centre half-forward

| statsend = 2004

| years1 = 1989–2001

| club1 = North Melbourne

| games_goals1 = 244 (671)

| years2 = 2003–2004

| club2 = Adelaide

| games_goals2 = {{0}}28 {{0}}(56)

| games_goalstotal = 272 (727)

| sooyears1 = 1990

| sooteam1 = New South Wales

| soogames_goals1 = 1 (1)

| sooyears2 = 1992

| sooteam2 = South Australia

| soogames_goals2 = 1 (2)

| sooyears3 = 1993

| sooteam3 = NSW/ACT

| soogames_goals3 = 1 (1)

| nationalyears1 = 1998

| nationalteam1 = Australia

| nationalgames_goals1 = 2 (4)

| careerhighlights = Club

2× AFL Premiership: 1996, 1999
2× Leigh Matthews Trophy: 1995, 1998
7× All-Australian Team: 1993–1996, 1998–2000
4× All-Australian Team Captain: 1993, 1998–2000
4× North Melbourne Best & Fairest: 1992–1993, 1996, 1998
5× North Melbourne leading goal kicker: 1995–1996, 1998–2000
North Melbourne Captain: 1993–2001
Australian Football Hall of Fame
North Melbourne Team of the Century: (Centre Half Forward)
North Melbourne Hall of Fame
North Melbourne Team of the Century Captain
Michael Tuck Medal: 1998
3× AFL Pre-Season Premiership: 1995, 1998
2003
VFL: U-19 Premiership: 1988
Lou Richards Medal: 2000

Representative

Captain of New South Wales/ACT: 1993
Vice Captain of Southern NSW/ACT Team of the Century
Captain of Australia: 1997

| fullname =

}}

Wayne Francis Carey (born 27 May 1971) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne Football Club and Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

A dual-premiership captain at North Melbourne (1996 and 1999), four-time North Melbourne best-and-fairest (Syd Barker Medallist) and seven-time All-Australian, Carey is nicknamed "The King", or "Duck". In 2001, he was named as centre half-forward and captain of North Melbourne's Team of the Century, and in 2008 was named as Australian football's greatest-ever player, as part of a list of the top 50 players of all time, published in the book The Australian Game of Football, which was released by the League to celebrate 150 years of Australian rules football.{{cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsid=55909 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310025812/http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsid=55909 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 March 2008 |title=Mike Sheahan's top 50 players |publisher=AFL.com.au |access-date=29 September 2011}}

In 2002, he left North Melbourne in disgrace after it was revealed he had been having an extramarital affair with the wife of his then-teammate Anthony Stevens. He is also known for a string of legal problems, which include domestic violence charges and assault convictions.

From 2014, Carey has worked as a Friday night football commentator and Talking Footy panelist with Channel Seven. He has also written as a columnist for The Age{{Cite web |title=Wayne Carey |url=https://www.smh.com.au/by/wayne-carey-hvf40 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} and is a regular fixture on Triple M's The Rush Hour segment called "The Midweek Rub", which has since been spun off as its own podcast.{{Cite web |title=Wayne Carey On 'Broken" North Melbourne |url=https://www.triplem.com.au/story/wayne-carey-on-broken-north-melbourne-200129 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Triple M |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Triple M Rocks Footy AFL - Triple M Footy AFL |url=https://omny.fm/shows/the-rub/playlists/podcast |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=omny.fm |language=en}} He had previously worked for 3AW and Channel 9 before being fired for a glassing incident in Miami.

Carey worked at Channel 7, Triple M and The Age until 2022 when he was sacked from all three roles due to an alleged incident at the Perth Casino.

Carey then started his own podcast in 2023 called The Truth Hurts; the original co-host was Ayrton Woolley in 2023 and then Tony Sheahan from 2024.

Early life and education

Wayne Francis Carey{{Cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/event-news/all-australian|title=All Australian – AFL.com.au|website=afl.com.au|access-date=2018-11-26|archive-date=27 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127022603/http://www.afl.com.au/news/event-news/all-australian|url-status=dead}}{{better source|date=May 2024}} was born on born 27 May 1971,{{cite web | title=Wayne Carey | website=AFL Tables | url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/W/Wayne_Carey.html | language=en | access-date=3 May 2024}} the son of Kevin and Lynne Carey. Carey was one of five children, and he spent his early years in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.{{cite web|url=http://www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/museum/collections/hall-of-fame/inductees/carey,-wayne#.UbusSti4zvg|title=Wayne Carey|work=Sporting Hall of Fame: Australian Rules Football|publisher=Museum of the Riverina|year=2010|access-date=26 April 2007|archive-date=25 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225212845/http://www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/museum/collections/hall-of-fame/inductees/carey,-wayne#.UbusSti4zvg|url-status=dead}} His mother and father separated when Carey was aged six, with his mother taking four of the children to Adelaide, living in a homeless shelter.{{cite interview|last=Carey|first=Wayne|subject-link=Wayne Carey|interviewer=Andrew Denton|title=Wayne Carey|publisher=ABC TV|location=Australia|date=31 March 2008|work=Enough Rope|access-date=15 June 2013|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2201719.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601040145/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2201719.htm|archive-date=1 June 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} According to Carey's autobiography, his father was a violent man who had spent time at Mannus Correctional Centre and was troubled by alcoholism.{{cite news|author=Carey, Wayne|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/carey-tells-of-violent-childhood/story-e6frexni-1225790901296|work=The Sunday Telegraph|title=Carey tells of violent childhood|date=25 October 2009|access-date=14 June 2013}} A few months later, Kevin Carey retrieved the children from his estranged wife, and they returned to Wagga Wagga.

Carey played rugby league as a junior,{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/wayne-carey-hell-and-back-20100602-wzsh.html|work=The Age|location=Australia|title=Wayne Carey: Hell and back|date=3 June 2010|first=Charles|last=Happell}} and he began playing Australian rules football at the age of eight. At the age of thirteen, Carey returned to Adelaide, where he attended The Heights School{{cite news|url=http://www.crikey.com.au/2005/03/30/famous-alumni-on-lathams-hit-list/|work=Crikey|date=30 March 2005|title=Famous alumni on Latham's hit list|access-date=14 June 2013}} and played junior football for North Adelaide.

Playing career: 1987–2004

=AFL=

==VFL debut: 1987–1989==

In 1987, Carey was recruited by North Melbourne after their CEO, Greg Miller, met with the Sydney Swans' football department to discuss the transfer to North Melbourne of John Longmire, a highly regarded junior key-position player. Once that deal was concluded, Miller then inquired about Carey who, like Longmire, was zoned to the Swans due to having lived in New South Wales. He made a token offer of $10,000 as a transfer fee, to which the Swans surprisingly agreed.{{cite news|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=nstore&docID=AGE041204116JD68RJ87|title=Tigers' history backs Miller|first=Rohan|last=Connolly|date=4 December 2004|work=The Age}}{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,24288043-5001023,00.html|title=The Australian: Chasing down the Kangaroo|first=Tim|last=Morrissey|date=4 September 2008|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=Australia}} As a 16-year-old, Carey made the move to Melbourne and played for the North Melbourne under-19s, where he starred in their 1988 premiership side under coach Denis Pagan.{{cite journal|url=http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/163226|pages=40–41|journal=Football Record|year=1988|issue=Grand Final|title=Under 18 Teams: Grand Final}} Carey was promoted to the senior list prior to the 1989 season and, after recovering from dislocating his left shoulder in a practice match early in the year, made his first appearance for the seniors as an 18-year-old in round 11 of 1989 against Fitzroy.

== State of Origin ==

Carey had a relatively short but successful State of Origin career, and what he describes as a significant period in his career.{{Citation |last=North Melbourne Football Club |title=Wayne Carey feature – Part 1 (AFLPlayers.com.au) |date=2015-05-11 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_FAOI51CWQ |access-date=2016-03-03}} Carey first played at the game's highest level in 1990 for New South Wales, in a famous win over Victoria, in the side's third-ever win against the state; Carey scored one goal. In 1992, playing for South Australia against Victoria, Carey played an outstanding game, dominating at centre half-forward and kicking two goals,{{Citation |last=The YouTube Rub |title=31/05/2014 The Origin of the Fraudulent Chief |date=2014-05-31 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY8DU67l-xk |access-date=2016-03-03}} including the match-winner from 55 metres out in the dying moments. Carey had four opponents in the game, dominating them all, including Chris Langford, Danny Frawley and Garry Lyon. Carey has described this game as the moment he knew he belonged at AFL level, as State of Origin at that time was considered to be the most challenging level of the game. Carey played for NSW/ACT the following year in the State of Origin Carnival, scoring one goal. In the latter half of the 1990s, clubs began putting pressure on players to pull out of State of Origin games due to fear of injury, and players began to stop participating, with the final non-charity State of Origin game occurring in 1999.

1989–2001

The 1990s was a decade dominated by forwards, and Wayne Carey dominated his role at centre half-forward more than perhaps any other player in his position before or since.

"Carey had established a reputation as one of perhaps the dozen greatest players of all time," according to writer John Devaney of australianfootball.com.{{Cite web |title=Australian Football - Wayne Carey - Player Bio |url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/wayne+carey/12646 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=australianfootball.com}}

"It was clear right from the outset that the Kangaroos had managed to get their hands on someone special. Powerfully built even then, Carey could mark strongly even under the most extreme pressure, and his kicking either to position or at goal was impeccable. He was also surprisingly quick, both over the ground, and in terms of his decision making and use of the ball. Carey won the first of his four North Melbourne best and fairest awards in 1992, and the following year was appointed captain.

"North's emergence as one of the power clubs of the AFL during the mid- to late 1990s was attributable in no small measure to Carey's presence and contribution. It is arguable that no footballer in history has ever been capable of winning a game entirely off his own boot, but Carey at his peak perhaps came as close as anyone. On a purely objective measure, he was probably worth at least three players—which, coincidentally, is sometimes the number of opponents he had to contend with. Named an AFL All-Australian in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000, Carey was selected as captain of the side on four occasions. In both 1996 and 1999 he was a pivotal member of his club's two most recent premiership sides."

—John Devaney

==Extramarital affair and leaving North Melbourne for Adelaide: 2002–2004==

In March 2002, Carey had an extramarital affair with the wife of North Melbourne stalwart and Vice Captain Anthony Stevens, Kelli. Making the situation even messier was the fact that Carey was himself married to his long-term partner Sally McMahon. Carey and Stevens were attending a party at teammate Glenn Archer's house. Carey is quoted as saying Kelli followed him into the toilets in front of a large crowd, including her husband.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/12/27/1040511178534.html?oneclick=true |title=Sydney Morning Herald: The Carey affair |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=28 December 2002 |access-date=29 September 2011}} An argument ensued between Carey and Stevens,{{cite web |url=http://www.afana.com/netpaper/mar13-01730.html |title=Wayne Carey quits the Roos |publisher=AFANA |access-date=29 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120727235148/http://www.afana.com/netpaper/mar13-01730.html |archive-date=27 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }} and both players subsequently failed to attend football training. In the face of his team being united against him, as well as nationwide condemnation, Carey resigned in disgrace from North Melbourne. Carey's then manager Ricky Nixon infamously stated that his client was on "suicide watch" during the aftermath.{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/features/ready-for-the-handball/2006/04/29/1146198390810.html |work=The Age|title= The people the players turn to|date=30 April 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110131729/http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/features/ready-for-the-handball/2006/04/29/1146198390810.html |archive-date=10 November 2007}} To avoid media attention, Carey fled to Las Vegas, USA. Stevens had played groomsman to Carey at his wedding to Sally.

North Melbourne Legend Brent Harvey said it set the club back "four or five years".{{Cite web |title=Wayne Carey responds to fresh claims about Anthony Stevens |url=https://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl-2022-wayne-carey-responds-claims-about-anthony-stevens-205920368.html |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=au.sports.yahoo.com |date=8 August 2022 |language=en-AU}} The aftermath of the affair resulted in Carey missing the 2002 AFL season and transferring to the Adelaide Crows for the 2003 AFL season; he would play two seasons with the Crows, including kicking 56 goals, retiring at the end of the 2004 AFL season. The first game played between North Melbourne and Adelaide in 2003 made for gripping viewing, with Archer and Stevens both taunting and making aggressive moves towards Carey. Although tension was at fever pitch, all players involved managed to restrain themselves from doing anything overly rash. Adelaide went on to win convincingly by 54 points.{{Citation |title=Flashback: 2003 - North Melbourne v Adelaide | date=24 May 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lUgmZ7NRtI |language=en |access-date=2022-08-20}}{{Cite web |title=AFL Tables - Kangaroos v Adelaide - Fri, 2-May-2003 7:40 PM - Match Stats |url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2003/011220030502.html |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=afltables.com}} In a twist of fate, Stevens took over Carey's role of captain in 2002.

In February 2022, 20 years after the initial fallout from the affair, Carey labelled his affair with Stevens "the biggest regret of my life as an adult" while participating on season three of the reality TV show SAS Australia.{{Cite web |title=Woman at centre of Carey's infamous AFL affair builds new life |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/woman-at-centre-of-infamous-afl-cheating-affair-unrecognisable/news-story/c92378b4e9af6ca688a078c7d66a695e}} Despite withdrawing from the show, Carey was reportedly paid A$250,000 for the appearance.{{Cite web |title=SAS Australia pay scandal erupts! |url=https://www.newidea.com.au/sas-australia-pay-scandal |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=New Idea |date=7 March 2022 |language=en-us}}

In August 2022, Carey and Stevens met again at a function to celebrate the 26th anniversary of their 1996 premiership (which was initially supposed to be a 25th anniversary but was delayed by a year due to COVID-19); Carey engaged Stevens in a "verbal stoush" at the function, although the situation was reportedly de-escalated. The Herald Sun reported there was no potential of violence and that the pair "moved on and shared a beer together" afterwards.

Despite both players' marriages being rocked by the public scandal, it took each marriage several years to dissolve. Carey's marriage ended in 2006, four years after the incident,{{Cite web |date=2006-02-23 |title=Wayne Carey confirms split with wife |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/wayne-carey-confirms-split-with-wife-20060224-gdn14y.html |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} while Kelli and Anthony Stevens divorced in 2008, six years after the affair.{{Cite web |title=Stevens' marriage over years after Carey affair |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/stevens-split-up/news-story/a0758bd001cc6836ff566aae67f3feb3}}

Australian Football Hall of Fame

Carey was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2010. Although he was eligible for induction in 2008, his off-field troubles with drugs and violence delayed his induction.{{Cite news|title=Carey joins Hall of Fame|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-06-03/carey-joins-hall-of-fame-legends/852954|date=3 June 2010|access-date=3 June 2010|work=abc.net.au}}

Alleged creative salary cap

Due to restrictions in the salary cap, North Melbourne was capped at $300,000 per year for Carey for the 2000 AFL season. However, the North Melbourne staff knew that Carey was far more valuable to the team than this, so Carey's manager Ricky Nixon came up with a creative salary cap move to secure Carey an additional $400,000 in salary.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-06 |title=Carey unaware of deal details |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/carey-unaware-of-deal-details-20200406-p54hnw.html |access-date=2020-10-31 |website=The Age |language=en}}

Nixon said, "So I requested Wayne's intellectual property, and it was owned by Wayne Carey Pty Ltd, and he licensed it to me for $2 so I could sell it to North Melbourne for marketing rights of $700,000," Nixon said on the Real Footy podcast.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-06 |title=Carey unaware of deal details |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/carey-unaware-of-deal-details-20200406-p54hnw.html |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=The Age |language=en}} "He was getting paid $300,000 from North Melbourne and $700,000 went to me, and I gave Wayne $400,000. People said it was cheating, but it was absolutely within the rules."

According to Nixon, when the AFL complained about this manoeuvre, he simply told them: "I run the competition, not you."{{Cite web |date=2020-04-04 |title=AFL news: Ricky Nixon on fall from grace, drug and alcohol addiction |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/former-top-afl-player-agent-ricky-nixon-opens-up-on-his-stunning-fall-from-grace/news-story/dc99c8d2e29639b3268aa0a455209b7b |access-date=2020-10-31 |website=Fox Sports |language=en-AU}}

Legacy

Carey has been named by many media commentators as the greatest footballer to play the game.{{cite news|last=Blake|first=Martin|url=http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/legend-no3-the-king/2008/07/02/1214950846978.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201175322/http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/legend-no3-the-king/2008/07/02/1214950846978.html |archive-date=1 December 2008|title=Legend no.3: The King|newspaper=The Age|access-date=2 July 2011|date=3 July 2008}}{{cite news|last= Sheahan|first=Mike|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/carey-the-best-in-21-gun-salute/story-fn8ymmuy-1226085123110|title=Carey the best in 21-gun salute|newspaper=Herald Sun|access-date=2 July 2011|date=1 July 2011}} In 1999,{{Citation needed|date=August 2022|reason=While it's not up for question that Matthews said this, I can only see a secondary source from 2013; a primary source from 1999 would be helpful.}} Leigh Matthews, who was voted the greatest player of the 20th century, honoured Carey by saying that he was the best player he had ever seen.{{Cite web |date=2013-07-28 |title=Lethal Combo: Matthews' best team |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/afl-hall-of-fame-legend-leigh-matthews-selects-his-best-team-ng-b86a963aa4cc3e58b94911c47fe25caf |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=PerthNow |language=en}} In 2008, Carey was named as Australian Football's greatest-ever player as part of a list of the top 50 players of all time, published in the book The Australian Game of Football, and he placed third in a similar list put together by a panel of football legends in The Age newspaper the same year. In 2011, the Herald Sun polled 21 past and present AFL greats, including Carey, to find the players' opinion as to the greatest player of the AFL era. Carey topped the list, polling 85 of a possible 100 votes, 26 votes ahead of second-placed Gary Ablett Sr.

"Sure Got Me" on Paul Kelly's 2004 double album Ways & Means recounts the love triangle involving Carey, Anthony Stevens, and Stevens's wife at the time, Kelli.[ABC Radio National – The Sports Factor – "Leaps and Bounds" – 28 May 2004]. Retrieved 1 April 2013. Hunters & Collectors frontman Mark Seymour also wrote a song inspired by the affair, but he declined to release it after learning of Kelli's take on the events. Jock Cheese, bassist of the satirical Melbourne band TISM, released a tribute to Carey titled "Why Don't You Get A Bigger Set of Tits?" on his 2002 solo album Platter.{{Citation |title=Jock Cheese - Platter |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2728790-Jock-Cheese-Platter |language=en |access-date=2022-08-20}}

Statistics

As of 2023, Carey's career total of 727 goals ranks him equal 20th in VFL/AFL history,{{cite web |title=Most Career Goals |url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/alltime/careergoals.html |access-date=27 June 2023 |website=AFL Tables |df=dmy-all}} and his 671 goals for North Melbourne is the club record.{{Cite web |title=AFL Tables - Most Career Goals |url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/alltime/careergoals.html#teams |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=afltables.com}}[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/W/Wayne_Carey.html Wayne Carey's player profile at AFL Tables]

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