Murray MiddletonWhite Line Fever (The Wayne Carey Interview)
April 1st 2008 15:06
In the South African film ‘Red Dust’ Dirk Hendricks, a former police officer, seeks amnesty for his brutal treatment of two black prisoners who were beaten while in his custody. In seeking amnesty, Hendricks must provide ‘full disclosure’. The concept is initially difficult for Hendricks to grasp because he is forced to face the inhumane nature of his previous actions. The film ultimately argues that for South Africa to make any progress, the country must confront the horrible nature of its past head on.
On Monday night Wayne Carey’s interview with Andrew Denton was aired on ‘Enough Rope’. The ABC had leaked footage from the interview to various media outlets to ensure a ratings bonanza. Over one and a half million viewers tuned in to the show, making it the program’s second highest rating show ever. In recent years Wayne Carey has become the most controversial sportsman in Australia. On Monday night the public finally got a good look at him. The one word which has become the most problematic in this country’s history is ‘sorry’. After all the speculation, the interview boiled down to one question: ‘Was Carey sorry for his actions?’
During the interview Carey was notably more reserved than the confident on-field persona that he projected during the height of his success as a footballer. Current North Melbourne captain Adam Simpson has publicly stated that it took guts for Carey to tell his story to the nation. The only problem with Simpson’s statement is that Carey did not tell his story - at least not the full story. Carey came across to the viewer as an emotionally repressed man, who was not entirely sure what he sought to achieve by giving the interview. Once upon a time he was the king. He won two premierships and was widely considered to be the best player in the game. Carey seems lost without his crown.
On the eve of the 2002 season Carey had an affair with Kelly Stevens – the wife of his vice captain Anthony Stevens. Three days after being caught Carey resigned from the Kangaroos (later to be traded to the Adelaide Crows). He went into hiding. His manager at the time, Ricky Nixon, famously placed Carey on ‘suicide watch’. Weeks later Carey gave an exclusive interview with the late Clinton Grybas on the first episode of Foxtel’s ‘White Line Fever’. The contrast in their behaviour was incredible. Grybas lit up the screen with his infectious smile, while Carey gave the impression of being at a funeral. Perhaps it was?
Carey’s demeanour on ‘White Line Fever’ was strikingly similar to the one he used while providing a public statement in the wake of a sexual assault charge in 1995 (which Carey has since admitted that he feigned). Carey claimed to have done a lot of soul searching. When Clinton Grybas asked, ‘What have you learnt?’ Carey was at a loss to respond. He seemed to have thought that by acting sombre, all would be excused. Carey’s behaviour on ‘Enough Rope’ was almost a mirror image of his appearance on ‘White Line Fever’. It is worth remembering that Carey played his ‘I-have-seen-the-light’ card in 2002. Human beings only get one of those. Some don’t even get that many.
The most offensive part of the Denton interview was when Carey described the nature of his relationship with girlfriend Kate Nielsen as follows: ‘There’s yelling and screaming and you know pushing and shoving.’ Carey then made the rather perplexing assertion that such behaviour did not constitute domestic violence. This is a man who clearly struggles to maintain a grasp on reality. At times in the interview Carey took responsibility for his actions, yet at other times he simply refused to face the facts. When pressed by Denton as to his friendship with underworld figure Jason Moran, Carey said, ‘I honestly didn’t know anything about his history.’ Frankly, that is a lie.
Carey’s inaccurate re-enactment of the incident in which he smashed a wine glass on Kate Nielsen’s face was almost laughable. Once more Carey seemed oblivious to the end result and attempted to cling to a technicality in order to save face. Carey laughed off police accounts of his behaviour during his earlier arrests in America, unable to hide his contempt for anyone whose story conflicted with his own. Earlier in the interview Carey claimed to not remember an incident in which he had grabbed a woman’s breast and said, ‘Grow a real pair of breasts,’ while under the influence of alcohol. On Monday night he seemed to expect the viewer to believe that he had one hundred percent recall while under the influence during later incidents.
The two topics that Carey was willing to openly discuss were his drug and alcohol problems and his upbringing. Conveniently, both topics might be viewed as a means to excuse some of his behaviour. There is no doubt that Carey had a tough upbringing. Once his family were introduced, Carey frequently tilted his head toward his brother and sister in the audience as a means to avoid eye contact with Denton and to alleviate tension. He will need their support now more than ever. Hopefully he receives it. His admission of his excessive drinking and cocaine binges should not be viewed as an excuse for his actions. The one constant in all of this is Carey, sober or not.
The North Melbourne football club has struggled for success ever since Carey was forced to resign. They have managed only a few ill-fated finals performances, mostly built on the much-publicised ‘Shinbonner Spirit’. They have lacked a true centre half forward in Carey’s absence and have not had a team capable of repeating the success of the Carey-Pagan era. Off the field the club has struggled for survival. Last year they were on the brink of relocating to the Gold Coast before James Brayshaw seized control of the club in a desperate bid to keep the Kangaroos in Melbourne. Brayshaw’s resolve should be applauded. Who else should have been at the forefront of the Kangaroos’ cause over the past couple of seasons?
Towards the end of the interview Andrew Denton played an audio tape of a rather fanciful allegation from shock-jock Derryn Hinch. Carey unleashed a bout of trademark laughter before appealing to the audience to share in his bemusement at the allegation. Instead, he was met with complete silence. It was a raw, cold-hearted television moment. In that moment Carey seemed to realise that he could not fool anyone anymore. He has no credibility left. It is doubtful that he has the resolve to take the necessary steps regain his credibility. If he is interested, he might start with full disclosure.
On Monday night Wayne Carey’s interview with Andrew Denton was aired on ‘Enough Rope’. The ABC had leaked footage from the interview to various media outlets to ensure a ratings bonanza. Over one and a half million viewers tuned in to the show, making it the program’s second highest rating show ever. In recent years Wayne Carey has become the most controversial sportsman in Australia. On Monday night the public finally got a good look at him. The one word which has become the most problematic in this country’s history is ‘sorry’. After all the speculation, the interview boiled down to one question: ‘Was Carey sorry for his actions?’
During the interview Carey was notably more reserved than the confident on-field persona that he projected during the height of his success as a footballer. Current North Melbourne captain Adam Simpson has publicly stated that it took guts for Carey to tell his story to the nation. The only problem with Simpson’s statement is that Carey did not tell his story - at least not the full story. Carey came across to the viewer as an emotionally repressed man, who was not entirely sure what he sought to achieve by giving the interview. Once upon a time he was the king. He won two premierships and was widely considered to be the best player in the game. Carey seems lost without his crown.
On the eve of the 2002 season Carey had an affair with Kelly Stevens – the wife of his vice captain Anthony Stevens. Three days after being caught Carey resigned from the Kangaroos (later to be traded to the Adelaide Crows). He went into hiding. His manager at the time, Ricky Nixon, famously placed Carey on ‘suicide watch’. Weeks later Carey gave an exclusive interview with the late Clinton Grybas on the first episode of Foxtel’s ‘White Line Fever’. The contrast in their behaviour was incredible. Grybas lit up the screen with his infectious smile, while Carey gave the impression of being at a funeral. Perhaps it was?
Carey’s demeanour on ‘White Line Fever’ was strikingly similar to the one he used while providing a public statement in the wake of a sexual assault charge in 1995 (which Carey has since admitted that he feigned). Carey claimed to have done a lot of soul searching. When Clinton Grybas asked, ‘What have you learnt?’ Carey was at a loss to respond. He seemed to have thought that by acting sombre, all would be excused. Carey’s behaviour on ‘Enough Rope’ was almost a mirror image of his appearance on ‘White Line Fever’. It is worth remembering that Carey played his ‘I-have-seen-the-light’ card in 2002. Human beings only get one of those. Some don’t even get that many.
The most offensive part of the Denton interview was when Carey described the nature of his relationship with girlfriend Kate Nielsen as follows: ‘There’s yelling and screaming and you know pushing and shoving.’ Carey then made the rather perplexing assertion that such behaviour did not constitute domestic violence. This is a man who clearly struggles to maintain a grasp on reality. At times in the interview Carey took responsibility for his actions, yet at other times he simply refused to face the facts. When pressed by Denton as to his friendship with underworld figure Jason Moran, Carey said, ‘I honestly didn’t know anything about his history.’ Frankly, that is a lie.
Carey’s inaccurate re-enactment of the incident in which he smashed a wine glass on Kate Nielsen’s face was almost laughable. Once more Carey seemed oblivious to the end result and attempted to cling to a technicality in order to save face. Carey laughed off police accounts of his behaviour during his earlier arrests in America, unable to hide his contempt for anyone whose story conflicted with his own. Earlier in the interview Carey claimed to not remember an incident in which he had grabbed a woman’s breast and said, ‘Grow a real pair of breasts,’ while under the influence of alcohol. On Monday night he seemed to expect the viewer to believe that he had one hundred percent recall while under the influence during later incidents.
The two topics that Carey was willing to openly discuss were his drug and alcohol problems and his upbringing. Conveniently, both topics might be viewed as a means to excuse some of his behaviour. There is no doubt that Carey had a tough upbringing. Once his family were introduced, Carey frequently tilted his head toward his brother and sister in the audience as a means to avoid eye contact with Denton and to alleviate tension. He will need their support now more than ever. Hopefully he receives it. His admission of his excessive drinking and cocaine binges should not be viewed as an excuse for his actions. The one constant in all of this is Carey, sober or not.
The North Melbourne football club has struggled for success ever since Carey was forced to resign. They have managed only a few ill-fated finals performances, mostly built on the much-publicised ‘Shinbonner Spirit’. They have lacked a true centre half forward in Carey’s absence and have not had a team capable of repeating the success of the Carey-Pagan era. Off the field the club has struggled for survival. Last year they were on the brink of relocating to the Gold Coast before James Brayshaw seized control of the club in a desperate bid to keep the Kangaroos in Melbourne. Brayshaw’s resolve should be applauded. Who else should have been at the forefront of the Kangaroos’ cause over the past couple of seasons?
Towards the end of the interview Andrew Denton played an audio tape of a rather fanciful allegation from shock-jock Derryn Hinch. Carey unleashed a bout of trademark laughter before appealing to the audience to share in his bemusement at the allegation. Instead, he was met with complete silence. It was a raw, cold-hearted television moment. In that moment Carey seemed to realise that he could not fool anyone anymore. He has no credibility left. It is doubtful that he has the resolve to take the necessary steps regain his credibility. If he is interested, he might start with full disclosure.
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