Roos to induct Carey into hall of fame - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Roos to induct Carey into hall of fame

05/03/2009 08:06:52 PM Comments (0)

North Melbourne chairman James Brayshaw wants Wayne Carey in the AFL Hall Of Fame this year, calling the character provision "ridiculously ambiguous".

The Kangaroos will induct one of the game's all-time great players into their own hall of fame later this month.

Carey retired at the end of the 2004 season and, under the AFL Hall Of Fame guidelines, he became eligible three years later.

On his playing career alone, the two-time premiership player is an automatic selection.

But Carey has battled well-publicised problems off the field and last month was fined and convicted in a Melbourne court for assaulting police.

While North Melbourne's criteria for players is purely on-field performance, the AFL selectors also consider "integrity ... and character".

Geelong great Gary Ablett's troubled personal life meant he also had to wait until his 2005 induction.

Asked if it was time for Carey to join the AFL Hall Of Fame, Brayshaw replied: "I have absolutely no doubt.

"The whole character part of these halls of fames is so ridiculously ambiguous, it's laughable.

"You don't induct someone for character reasons, apparently, and there have been examples of this in the past - Gary Ablett is a classic one.

"Then, suddenly, two years later, you do.

"Does that mean that the thing he apparently did that was so horrendous ... is now not as horrendous?

"If a bloke has been a superstar and Wayne certainly has been, it's absolutely ridiculous he's not inducted into the AFL Hall Of Fame as soon as he's eligible."

Brayshaw stressed this was his own personal opinion and said the character provision meant selectors had to "play God".

"There are so many grey areas in this, it's almost black," he said.

North nominated Carey for the AFL Hall Of Fame last year and he was elected into the club's version as soon as he was eligible.

Carey has kept his distance from the Kangaroos since the extra-marital scandal in 2002 that led to his immediate resignation from the club.

North are keen for Carey to have a role at the club, perhaps as a mentor for young players.

Meanwhile, Brayshaw has again lashed out over the Melbourne-based club's stadium deals.

The 16 club presidents and chairmen will meet among themselves on March 18, the day before they meet the league.

The bleak economic climate has been a key reason for the clubs' united front.

North are agitating for a better deal with Etihad Stadium.

"It's the single biggest issue we have as a code, and certainly for the nine Melbourne-based AFL clubs, there's nothing more important to us than to fix this stadium inequity," he said.

"We get two bucks a head out of the $25 that comes in every time a North Melbourne supporter comes to one of our games, which is a disgrace.

"The Western Bulldogs don't do much better, neither do St Kilda or Melbourne, so all the clubs in Melbourne need to get a decent return out of getting a lot of people to come and watch games involving our clubs."

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