Crow Peter Caven was tasked with stopping superstar Wayne Carey in the 1998 AFL Grand Final
PETER Caven had been understandably concerned in the week leading up to the 1998 Grand Final. He had known on the Wednesday that he would face the greatest player in the game, Wayne Carey.
AS Adelaide prepares to play Hawthorn in a knockout semi-final, in a quest for grand final glory, the Crows of an earlier era remember their glorious journey. Peter Caven had perhaps the toughest task in football on that day in September in 1998. He had to stop The King Wayne Carey.
PETER Caven had been understandably concerned in the week leading up to the 1998 Grand Final.
He had known on the Wednesday that he would face the greatest player in the game, who was having another standout season even though midfielder Robert Harvey collected his second consecutive Brownlow Medal.
And Malcolm Blight’s opening remarks when he spoke to Caven in the preparations weren’t promising.
“He’s bigger, stronger and faster than you,” were Blight’s opening remarks. Caven thought to himself: “Where is this going?”
But Blight, as he always does, continued to outline the plan.
Caven had struggled to contain Carey during the home-and-away season, the way all the other key backmen had found containing Carey was like trapping water in the palm of your hand.
But Blight had a plan.
As a change, he no longer wanted Caven to play in front. It was the job of the other backmen to attack the ball, his brief was to spoil the mark.
Then, more importantly, it was about keeping his feet.
One of the main concerns about Carey was his agility and his second effort. He made defenders look silly on a weekly basis when the ball came to ground with the defender, who thought he had done his job, and Carey bounced up only to snap a goal or run into an open one.
Caven followed the instructions to a tee, as Carey kicked 1.4 on the day (and it didn’t hurt Caven that he missed a couple of sitters).
Even the goal Carey did kick can be argued to have been none of Caven’s doing: he had asked Nigel Smart to pick up the Kangaroo captain just before he kicked his only one for the day.
Caven’s job led to celebrations he’ll never forget.
When he returned to the week-long celebrations in Adelaide, they called out “Carey killer” for his efforts.
There has been much made of Carey’s quiet day in 1998, because he was a microcosm of a misfiring North Melbourne. But Caven’s efforts were invaluable as the Crows secured their second flag.
