Crown boss disputes Wayne Carey’s version of events in white powder saga

A passage from Wayne Carey’s 2009 autobiography has been unearthed on social media, as Channel 7 weighs up the AFL great’s future at the network.

Channel 7, Wayne Carey’s primary employer, is awaiting the result of a Western Australian police investigation before making a call on his future.

Station bosses are said to be unhappy that Carey did not notify them of the Crown incident last Thursday night, but were instead left to read about it in Monday’s Herald Sun.

The seven-time All-Australian also remains sidelined by his radio network, Triple M.

The Age, where Carey writes a weekly column, said the two-time premiership forward had “chosen not to file” this week.

Editor Gay Alcorn said on Monday that the newspaper was closely monitoring the situation.

Carey’s lawyer, Josh Bornstein, did not respond when asked about Crown’s claims.

It comes as a passage from Wayne Carey’s 2009 autobiography has been uncovered by social media users as the fallout from his visit to the Perth casino continues.

“I’d always been told and taught to deny, deny, deny, unless you have been caught red-handed. And even if you have been caught red-handed you still deny, deny, deny,” a passage from Carey’s book The Truth Hurts read.

Earlier on Thursday, hit back at Wayne Carey, disputing the controversial footballer’s version of events in the white powder saga.

Crown boss Ciaran Carruthers said casino staff and witnesses claimed Carey did not offer the bag of powder to security for assessment after it fell onto a gaming table at Crown Burswood last Thursday night.

He said Carey also told staff that he wasn’t a guest at the casino hotel when checks later revealed that he was.

Carey’s lawyer is arguing the casino ‘made an incorrect assumption that the bag contained an illegal drug’. Picture: Getty

Carey, 51, is threatening to mount a disability discrimination claim against Crown and says that they mistakenly evicted him from Crown.

He insists that the bag of white power that fell out of his is pocket was “crushed up anti-inflammatories” used to treat “debilitating” football injuries.

When asked about Carey’s assertions that he had offered the substance to casino security last Thursday night, Mr Carruthers told 6PR radio in Perth: “It contradicts all the statements that we have received … from our own staff and from witnesses who were there at the time.”

In regards to Carey’s conversations with security about whether he was a hotel guest at Crown, Mr Carruthers said: “When asked whether or not he was staying on property, he (Carey) advised our team that he was not a guest of the hotel and we subsequently found that that was not the case and that he was staying in one of the hotel rooms.

“Our team then approached him in his room and advised him that he needed to vacate, he cooperated, he asked for some time to collect his belongings, which we gave him, and he then removed himself from the property …

“He hadn’t told the truth up to that point (about where he was staying) according to the statements that we have received.”

Pressed on why Crown did not seize the zip-lock bag of white powder, Mr Carruhers said: “We don’t have the authority to remove an item from somebody … but we are obviously well within our rights to make sure that there is no illegal activity taking place on the property.

“When the packet fell to the table, the gaming staff noticed it straight away, Mr Carey regained it and placed it back in his pocket and left the table.

“And we weren’t in a position then to remove it from him … he kept it … and then moved on.”

Mr Carruthers said the Crown croupier who blew the whistle on Carey was unaware that he was a retired AFL great.

Carey was evicted from Perth’s Crown casino. Picture: Sharon Smith

He also disputed suggestions casino staff had engaged in “disability discriminatioin”.

“There was no discrimination. We could not have been aware, even if it were true, that there was an issue with his health,” he said.

“We dealt with this as we would deal with any notification of suspicious activity on the property.

“Mental health is a serious concern and I agree totally that for this particular incident to be dragged into that realm is unfortunate.”

Mr Carruthers said appropriate protocols were followed by his staff but conceded he would have preferred WA police had been called.

“It would have been much easier to deal with this if police had been called,” he said.

He said the casino policy regarding notification of police had since been changed.

In a statement released just after midday on Thursday, Mr Carruthers added: “First and foremost, my priority is to deliver a safe and responsible gaming and entertainment environment for all. My expectation is that any team member who notices suspicious or inappropriate behaviour acts on that, and they have the full authority to remove any such individual from the premises.

Crown Resort CEO Ciaran Carruthers. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“Last Thursday, the team followed the processes which were in place and agreed to at the time. And while I’m pleased the team followed the process, I have asked for a full review of these to ensure incidents of this nature are handled in accordance with the very highest of expectations and standards, and my expectations are aligned with those of the Police Commissioner and Gaming and Wagering Commissioner.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with both the Police Commissioner and Gaming and Wagering Commissioner to ensure we remain aligned in meeting the very highest of expectations and standards.

“We have been working with the WA Police with regards to last Thursday’s incident and have provided them with the CCTV footage and we will continue to assist them with their investigations.

“Our number one priority is to provide a safe and responsible environment for all including our team members and customers. Crown has, and will continue to have, a zero tolerance approach to any form of illicit or inappropriate behaviour.”

Advocates blast Carey over ‘disability discrimination’ claim

Former AFL star Wayne Carey is now threatening to mount a disability discrimination lawsuit against Perth’s Crown Casino, provoking anger from advocates.

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers released a statement on Wednesday saying the dual premiership captain had employed Mr Bornstein “to investigate a possible disability discrimination claim” against the casino.

“Mr Carey was ejected after casino authorities saw a bag containing a white substance and despite Mr Carey’s denial made an incorrect assumption that the bag contained an illegal drug,” the statement said.

Carey is considering suing Crown. Picture: Getty

“Mr Carey is prescribed anti-inflammatories and painkilling medicine to help manage the significant pain caused by debilitating football injuries – including a shoulder that needs replacing and a neck injury that requires three discs to be replaced. Mr Carey is distressed that the casino actions have led to media attention leaving the public to also wrongly assume the bag contained an illegal drug. He has also indicated that he would welcome a police investigation.”

Mr Bornstein said: “We are considering whether Crown Casino unlawfully discriminated against Mr Carey by excluding him from its premises as a result of a pre-existing disability.”

But disability activist, writer and speaker Carly Findlay, OAM, on Wednesday night said: “It’s just so laughable what people will say to get out of a serious offence. I haven’t seen him advocate for disability rights prior to this. When privileged white men ... try and get out of bad behaviour it makes it harder for everyone.”

Disability activist Carly Findlay OAM said she hadn’t seen Carey advocate for disability rights before.

Empowerment advocate John McKenna, who is living with a physical disability, said: “I’m a bit concerned when people use it to get out of situations. We need to respect what discrimination is ... My understanding is he (Carey) hasn’t identified as a person with a disability before.”

It comes as Western Australian Police Commissioner Col Blanch has told Perth radio detectives were “on the back foot” investigating the matter.

“If there was any suspicion by any person that there were drugs possessed … I would have expected a phone call to police to manage the matter … we don’t have the drugs in our possession and neither do Crown,” he said.

Carey is due to publicly address the issue for the first time when he returns to his hometown of Wagga Wagga on Thursday as a guest speaker at a men’s mental health event.

Carey initially declined to comment as details of his eviction and ban from Crown emerged on Monday night.

He later insisted a bag of white powder which he dropped on to a gaming table at Crown Burswood, prompting a croupier to alert security, was “crushed up anti-inflammatory drugs”.

He has stood down from Channel 7 and been taken off air by Triple M Footy pending investigations by the broadcasters.

Originally published as Crown boss disputes Wayne Carey’s version of events in white powder saga