Magpies, Carey may unite
By Jake Niall
August 26, 2005
Collingwood is involved in serious talks with Wayne Carey about a support coaching role next year.

Carey met Collingwood's senior coach Mick Malthouse last week to canvass a possible role as a specialist coach.

But should Carey join the Magpies, he would be limited by his weekend role with Fox Footy, which would preclude him from an involvement on match day and limit him to part-time duties.

It is understood that the Magpies are interested in employing the former champion as a forward coach, providing one-on-one tuition to the Collingwood forwards, especially youngsters such as Travis Cloke and Sean Rusling.

Chris Tarrant is another tall forward who might respond to Carey's tutelage, Tarrant having expressed excitement at the possibility of playing alongside Carey when the then exiled player spoke to Collingwood before signing with Adelaide for the 2003 season.


Carey has been tutoring the Carlton forwards on a pro-bono basis, spending no more than one day a week at Optus Oval helping coach Denis Pagan. While he has not been paid by the Blues, Carey viewed his involvement as a way of giving back to football while keeping his toe in the coaching waters.

Collingwood's proposed role would require a greater time commitment and would have Carey on the pay roll, but his contract with Fox Footy would limit him to a role during the week.

Carey co-hosts Saturday Central with Jason Dunstall and does special comments for Fox Footy on Sundays.

Carey's manager, Anthony McConville, said yesterday: "Wayne is weighing up his situation for next year. He's looking at what opportunities are there.

"There's radio. There's obviously his role with Fox Footy and it could be there's some roles he can play at club level."

Carey's prospective position would not be dissimilar to the role Collingwood discussed with another former champion, Stephen Silvagni, late last year - except that Silvagni is a defensive specialist.

Silvagni has worked individually with tall defenders from Collingwood, Melbourne and Sydney, with Sydney's Lewis Roberts-Thomson perhaps the player who has benefited most this season.

Collingwood chief executive Greg Swann declined to comment on Carey. The Magpies are in the midst of an internal review of their football department by consultants and have indicated they will not discuss individual hirings or firings until the review is completed.

· Brisbane's triple premiership coach and AFL legend, Leigh Matthews, will be immortalised tomorrow when a statue of him is unveiled outside the MCG. Matthews will attend the ceremony - presided over by his former Hawthorn coach David Parkin - at midday.