'Going numb': AFL legend Wayne Carey's crippling injury admission 22 years after career-ending neck injury
AFL legend Wayne Carey has stated he is "definitely" going to have surgery at some stage as he battles shooting pain and a lack of feeling in his hands.
The issue stems from the neck injury that ended his career at the Adelaide Crows, where he suffered a cervical spine injury in 2004.
He was warned at the time that he risked potential paralysis if he continued to play.
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Denis Pagan and Wayne Carey in 2025 with the 1996 premiership cup. AFL Photos via Getty Images
But all these years later, Carey admits the injury is still causing him problems, with a recent MRI not looking good.
"My left hand is basically numb, right hand going numb, I'm getting shooting pains, all that sort of stuff," Carey said on the You Cannot Be Serious podcast.
"I've fallen over a couple of times in the last couple of weeks.
"I thought it was just me just maybe getting on in years and maybe tripped, but two days ago I went and saw a neurosurgeon.
"I got MRIs to find out the extent [of the problem]. The last MRI I had on my neck was about 15 years ago, and it was pretty bad."
Carey played 272 AFL games, most for North Melbourne where he captained the side to premierships in 1996 and 1999.
The 54-year-old has undergone a range of surgeries, including shoulder surgery in 2022, but says he still has significant issues.
Wayne Carey Marta Pascual Juanola
He hopes this latest round of surgery will help restore some of the feeling in his hands.
"My strength and range of movement is gone… numerous other parts of my body are severely arthritic," Carey said.
"I will definitely need an operation."
Carey's lawyer stated in 2022 that the former key forward takes anti-inflammatories and pain killing medications to combat the injuries from his playing days.
He stated at the time that his client needed a shoulder replacement and three discs to be replaced in his neck.
That revelation followed an incident at a casino in Perth, where Carey was kicked out for possessing a bag containing white powder.
