The drama between former North Melbourne premiership teammates Wayne Carey and Anthony Stevens has taken a twist, with reports the duo had to be “separated” at a club reunion on the weekend.
More than 20 years after Carey’s cheating scandal with Stevens’ then-wife rocked the Kangaroos and ended with the skipper departing the club, an SEN report on Monday suggested the duo clashed at a gathering of former North players on Saturday night.
SEN reporter Sam Edmund told Dwayne’s World there was an “ugly altercation” between Carey and Stevens at North Melbourne’s 1996 premiership gathering at the Railway Hotel in Yarraville.
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“Witnesses said, Dwayne, that Carey went at Stevens, accusing him of talking behind his back, telling people not to bother trying to catch up with him but then being fine in-person,” Edmund told Dwayne’s World.
the Herald Sun reported the conversation centered around Stevens’ mental health, with Carey discussing how he dealt with his own issues following the affair scandal. Carey told Channel 7 earlier this yer the affair was the “biggest regret of his adult life” and had “haunted me for over 20 years.”
Edmund said witnesses had told him the pair were “separated”, with fellow ex-Kangaroos left “stunned” by the verbal attack. the Herald Sun reported there was no potential of violence and that the pair “moved on and shared a beer together” afterwards.
Stevens then didn’t attend the club’s 1996 reunion parade at Marvel Stadium on Sunday — where 17 players took part in a motorcade before the Roos’ clash with Sydney — as he was left “shattered by the heated exchange”.
The Roos told the Herald Sun that Stevens, who’s also a club director, didn’t attend Sunday’s event because he was ill.
Stevens had played a crucial role in organizing the celebrations, but ultimately saw fit to stay away from Sunday’s event.
“It’s a pretty sad sequel,” Edmund said.
While Stevens was absent on Sunday, Carey was in a vehicle with ex-teammate Wayne Schwass and premiership coach Denis Pagan for the lap around the Docklands stadium.
Also in attendance was Glenn Archer, who famously uncovered the affair at his house back in March 2002.
The scandal saw Carey resign in disgrace before moving across to play his final two years at Adelaide – and famously coming up against former teammates like Archer.
Last weekend’s gathering was to celebrate the club’s 25-year anniversary, but due to Covid restrictions in 2021 the meeting was pushed back to last weekend.
Six players were presented life membership at the club – Stuart Anderson, Mathew Capuano, Glenn Freeborn, Mark Roberts, Robert Scott and Peter Bell.
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