Disgraced AFL star Wayne Carey has resurfaced for the first time since being banned from a Perth casino when he dropped a bag of white powder onto a gaming table.
Carey appeared somber as he strolled down Melbourne’s trendy St Kilda Beach on Wednesday after taking his child to school alongside model partner Jessica Paulke.
The ex-footballer was spotted overlooking Port Phillip Bay almost a week after being kicked out of Perth’s Crown Casino.
Down n Out in St Kilda: Wayne Carey looked like a man with the whole world on his shoulders as he strolled along the beach at St Kilda in Melbourne on Wednesday
Wayne Carey is taking a moment to reflect after being banned from Perth’s Crown Casino and resigning from his job as a Channel Seven commentator
Carey escaped his troubles for a while on the same day that police announced their investigation into the casino incident had been set back by Crown security measures
Carey will address his “white powder” scandal Thursday in the safety of his hometown.
The footy legend, who was dropped from Channel 7 and “relieved from his on-air duties” at Triple M Footy, will be in Wagga Wagga – the New South Wales town where he began his football career – at an event dedicated to the talking about men’s mental health.
The 51-year-old received a two-year house ban from Crown this week after a bag of white powder fell from his pocket onto the gaming table at the company’s Perth Promenade Hotel on Thursday night.
Onlookers watched as an alarm sounded and Carey was evicted from the casino by internal security.
On Wednesday, Carey told his employer The Age he had met with his lawyer to demand an apology from Crown.
Despite Carey’s admissions from previous cocaine abusers, he maintains that the substance was not illegal.
“It wasn’t an illegal substance, it was offered for security. Security didn’t take it,’ Carey said.
“They just said it didn’t look good, I understood that, and we left without incident.”
Carey said the powdered substance was an anti-inflammatory he took with dinner and police were not involved in the incident.
Western Australian Police Commissioner Col Blanch suggested Crown for failing to report the matter.
Speaking to Perth radio station 6PR on Wednesday, WA’s top police officer said detectives could not determine what the powder was without getting their possession.
‘We’ll make an assessment [the CCTV] But of course we’re behind from the start because we didn’t have the original complaint at the time it happened, which I would have preferred,” he said.
“I cannot speak directly to the decisions that were made at the time, but if a person had any suspicions that drugs were being possessed or procured or were in the possession of Crown authorities, I would have expected a call to the police, to settle this matter.’
Carey took a call on the beach. He is expected to return home to Wagga Wagga on Thursday
Waynes Carey’s mug shot after the star stood before a Miami court charged with assaulting a police officer when he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in 2007
“We can still speak to witnesses, we can collect CCTV footage, we may be able to interview Wayne Carey ourselves if the investigation goes that way.
“But again… without the substance itself, it’s going to be very difficult to prove whether it’s an illegal substance or something else.”
A “source” told The Age Carey wasn’t concerned about being banned from Crown but the casino’s assumption that the substance that fell out of his pocket while he was at a gaming table was illegal.
Carey is expected to clarify what happened in Perth at the Good Blokes Society event to be held at Wagga Wagga RSL, the Herald Sun reported.
The group’s founder, Shaun Wallis, said Carey will discuss what transpired in Perth at the gathering, which is open to the public.
“Wayne was invited to come as a guest and he pounced on it, there’s no doubt Wayne will address it (the incident),” Wallis told the publication.
“I’ve had a few conversations with him personally and he’s working through the alleged incident.
“We are here to support Wayne as much as he needs support.”
Wayne Carey and partner Jessica Paulke arrive at the Fashion Aid Twilight Beach Polo on February 16, 2018
Wayne Carey will spill the beans of his Perth saga during a trip to Wagga Wagga
Promotional material for the event says there will be a “nothing is off limits” interview with an AFL great – Wayne Carey.
Tickets for the event – which sell for up to $250 a piece – have sold out and about 110 people will be in attendance.
Carey will reportedly leave Melbourne on Thursday to attend the event, which begins at 6.30pm.
“If Wayne has issues or demons, the Good Blokes Society is the perfect community and the community events we host encourage storytelling and conversation and raise your hand if you have issues or problems,” said Mr. Wallis.
“We’re a support group, so we offer whatever we need to offer, whether it’s a handshake or a cuddle or an ear to listen.”
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Crown for comment.
