Editing Wayne Carey (section)

==== State of Origin ====
Carey had a relatively short but successful [[Interstate matches in Australian rules football|State of Origin]] career, and what he describes as a significant period in his career.<ref name="North Melbourne Football Club">{{Citation |last=North Melbourne Football Club |title=Wayne Carey feature – Part 1 (AFLPlayers.com.au) |date=2015-05-11 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_FAOI51CWQ |access-date=2016-03-03}}</ref> Carey first played at the game's highest level in 1990 for [[Australian rules football in New South Wales#Representative Team|New South Wales]], in a famous win over [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]], in the side's third-ever win against the state; Carey scored one goal. In 1992, playing for [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]] against Victoria, Carey played an outstanding game, dominating at centre half-forward and kicking two goals,<ref name="The YouTube Rub">{{Citation |last=The YouTube Rub |title=31/05/2014 The Origin of the Fraudulent Chief |date=2014-05-31 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY8DU67l-xk |access-date=2016-03-03}}</ref> including the match-winner from 55 metres out in the dying moments. Carey had four opponents in the game, dominating them all, including [[Chris Langford]], [[Danny Frawley]] and [[Garry Lyon]].<ref name="The YouTube Rub"/> Carey has described this game as the moment he knew he belonged at AFL level, as State of Origin at that time was considered to be the most challenging level of the game.<ref name="North Melbourne Football Club" /> Carey played for NSW/ACT the following year in the [[State of Origin Carnival]], scoring one goal. In the latter half of the 1990s, clubs began putting pressure on players to pull out of State of Origin games due to fear of injury, and players began to stop participating, with the final non-charity State of Origin game occurring in 1999.

'''1989–2001'''

The 1990s was a decade dominated by forwards, and Wayne Carey dominated his role at centre half-forward more than perhaps any other player in his position before or since.

"Carey had established a reputation as one of perhaps the dozen greatest players of all time," according to writer John Devaney of australianfootball.com.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian Football - Wayne Carey - Player Bio |url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/wayne+carey/12646 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=australianfootball.com}}</ref><blockquote>"It was clear right from the outset that the Kangaroos had managed to get their hands on someone special. Powerfully built even then, Carey could mark strongly even under the most extreme pressure, and his kicking either to position or at goal was impeccable. He was also surprisingly quick, both over the ground, and in terms of his decision making and use of the ball. Carey won the first of his four North Melbourne best and fairest awards in 1992, and the following year was appointed captain.

"North's emergence as one of the power clubs of the AFL during the mid- to late 1990s was attributable in no small measure to Carey's presence and contribution. It is arguable that no footballer in history has ever been capable of winning a game entirely off his own boot, but Carey at his peak perhaps came as close as anyone. On a purely objective measure, he was probably worth at least three players—which, coincidentally, is sometimes the number of opponents he had to contend with. Named an AFL All-Australian in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000, Carey was selected as captain of the side on four occasions. In both 1996 and 1999 he was a pivotal member of his club's two most recent premiership sides."

—John Devaney</blockquote>