Why the AFL has put footy bad boy Wayne Carey back on the Hall of Fame invite list after barring him from receiving an honour just a few weeks ago
- Wayne Carey will attend the AFL induction night in Melbourne
- Blocked from attending the NSW Hall of Fame dinner on May 3
- Was a champion football player, but plagued by off-field dramas
Footy great Wayne Carey was excluded from attending the NSW Hall of Fame dinner in Sydney earlier this month, but North Melbourne’s double premiership winner now finds himself back on the AFL invite list.
Carey, 53, will be a welcome guest at the Code Hall of Fame induction evening in Melbourne on June 18, but will not receive an award.
It comes after AFL CEO Andrew Dillon intervened hours before Carey was due to attend the NSW Hall of Fame gala evening at the Sydney Cricket Ground on May 3, where he would be elevated to legend for his exploits on the field.
Carey was told the association felt it was “inappropriate” for him to receive the honor as the AFL takes a very public position on violence against women.
It came in the same week that the AFL launched an anti-domestic violence campaign to raise awareness and spread the message that violence against women is always unacceptable.
Footy great Wayne Carey was banned from attending the NSW Hall of Fame dinner in Sydney earlier this month (pictured, with partner Jessica Paulke)
But in a bizarre move, the Kangaroos double premiership winner is now back on the AFL invitation list ahead of an induction gala night in Melbourne on June 18.
Carey won two AFL premierships with the Kangaroos in 1996 (pictured) and 1999
In 2007, Carey was accused of glassing his then-girlfriend Kate Neilson (right) in the face while the pair were dining at a restaurant while on vacation in Miami.
In 2022, the North Melbourne legend was evicted from the Crown Promenade Hotel in Perth after a ziplock bag containing unidentified white powder fell from his pocket onto the gaming table. He denied that it contained illegal substances and was not charged by police
The Kangaroos great has been accused of shocking behavior towards women during and after his decorated playing career.
But now it appears all is forgiven, with Carey reportedly keen to attend the launch evening where Hawthorn icon Jason Dunstall will be elevated to the sport’s 32nd legend.
In 1996, Carey admitted to indecent assault on a woman, which was settled out of court after he allegedly grabbed her breast on a Melbourne street.
Despite his admission, Carey led North Melbourne to victory over the Sydney Swans in the AFL grand final that same year.
In 2002, Carey infamously had an affair with the wife of his then best friend and North Melbourne vice-captain Anthony Stevens.
In 2007, the former Adelaide and North Melbourne star was arrested in the United States for allegedly breaking a wine glass in former fiancée Kate Neilson’s face.
Neilson declined to press charges but later said she was ‘bleeding profusely from the mouth’.
Carey also pleaded guilty to two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer when he fought police after the incident with Neilson.
A year later, police were forced to use capsicum spray to subdue Carey after he attacked officers in Port Melbourne.
And in 2022, Carey made headlines again after he was banned from all Crown venues when he was caught with a bag of white powder at the Perth casino while at the gambling tables.
He insisted the zip-lock bag “contained an anti-inflammatory that he took with food.”