Australian Football

Glenelg hero Peter 'Super' Carey enjoyed a long and varied career which saw him amass a South Australian record 448 league games between 1971 and 1988. He also played 19 games for South Australia, achieving All Australian selection after both the 1979 and 1980 state of origin carnivals. Strongly built and extremely adept overhead, he played much of his early football at centre half forward, in which position he starred with 6 goals in the famous 1973 Grand Final win over North Adelaide. Twelve years later, when the Bays next went top, Carey was there again, this time as a veritable man mountain of a ruckman whose ability to give his smaller team mates first use of the ball was unrivalled. Glenelg beat North Adelaide in the 1985 Grand Final, and when they did so again the following year Peter Carey was many observers' choice as best afield.

A best and fairest award winner with the Tigers in 1975, 1979 and 1981, Carey also topped the club's goal kicking ladder in 1973 with 70 goals. Mainly as a result of his exploits as a centre half forward during the early 1970s, he amassed the highly creditable career total of 521 league goals. Bays captain from 1983 until his retirement, he also enjoyed the distinction, in 1981, of winning the first ever Fos Williams Medal awarded to the best South Australian player in an interstate match. A Glenelg man through and through, Peter Carey later served as a member of the club board. It almost goes without saying that when, in 2002, Glenelg implemented its own official 'Hall of Fame' Peter Carey was selected as an inaugural member.

Author - John Devaney