Carey reveals what sparked fresh clash with Stevens

Wayne Carey has broken his silence over the run-in with ex-teammate Anthony Stevens, and revealed what sparked the “firm conversation”.

Wayne Carey and Anthony Stevens celebrating before their falling out.

Wayne Carey has spoken out about his alleged run-in with his former teammate Anthony Stevens at the North Melbourne 1996 premiership reunion, saying he approached Stevens because he was “worried about him”.

Carey and Stevens, according to a report on SEN by Sam Edmund, were alleged to have had an “ugly altercation” and had to be “separated” at the team reunion in Yarraville on Saturday, with the alleged confrontation reportedly leaving their fellow ex-Kangaroos “stunned”.

Carey denied there had been a massive blow-up between the pair, but confirmed Stevens had given him a mouthful.

“I wanted to have a conversation with Stevo, I was worried about him,” Carey told Triple M on Wednesday.

“I said ‘I am worried about you’ and he said, he obviously took a little bit of umbrage to me saying I was worried about him.

“I said I want him to look after himself like people want me to look after myself.

“Now, he took a little bit of umbrage to that, but to say that it was a massive altercation or came to blows, and then we left there and everyone was upset with everyone and it was a big thing, is totally incorrect.”

Wayne Carey with son Carter during the 2022 AFL Round 21 match between the Kangaroos and the Swans. Picture: Getty Images

Carey and Stevens fell out in spectacular fashion in 2002 after it was discovered that Carey was having an affair with Stevens’ now ex-wife Kellie.

Carey said while they exchanged words, he and Stevens ended up having beers together.

“There were no blows. There was a firm conversation. (An) altercation, I think (it) is even too firm to say that occurred,” he told Triple M.

“I think everybody knows that Stevo and I aren’t best mates, that is not a puzzle, so why this keeps coming up, I don’t know.

“At the end of the night or the evening or late afternoon whatever it was, Stevo and I actually had a couple of beers together and left together, so we were standing out the front both waiting for our respective Ubers to leave the particular venue.”

Carey and Stevens clash during the match between North Melbourne and Adelaide in 2003. Picture: George Sal

Carey said he did not know why Stevens did not take part in the Kangaroos motorcade on Sunday, but noted his ex-teammate had had a big night.

“I don’t know whether Stevo was upset the next day or not and that is why he did not come to the motorcade, what I do know about that, and I have spoken to Arch and I have spoken to Kingy and I have spoken to heaps of other players that are close with Stevo, as well as some of those players I am close with, and Stevo wasn’t well,” he said.

“He had had a reasonable night, it would be fair to say, we all had a reasonable day, Stevo maybe bigger than others, so he didn’t attend the Sunday.”

Carey said the fact his ex-teammates sat with him at the Kangaroos game on Sunday was proof nothing dramatic had occurred the night before.

“On the Sunday I sat there with Darren Crocker, I sat there with Danielle Laidley, I sat there with Glenn Archer, some of them really mutual friends of both of ours, if I had upset the applecart or they were really disappointed with what had occurred on that day, then that next day would not be happening,” he said.