Kelli Stevens, the ex-wife of former North Melbourne captain Anthony Stevens, has addressed her controversial past on the day her son River was drafted by his dad’s former AFL club.
River Stevens realised his AFL dream last Thursday when the 18-year-old had his name read out by North Melbourne at Pick 67 of the national draft.
He follows in the footsteps of his famous father, who played 292 games for the Kangaroos in a decorated career that included two premierships, a best and fairest, an All-Australian selection and a place in North Melbourne’s team of the century.
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Stevens took over as captain after legendary goalkicker Wayne Carey left the club in the wake of his extramarital affair with Kelli in 2002.
The cheating scandal brought North Melbourne to its knees and the relationship between former teammates Stevens and Carey has never been repaired.
Pictured in a post with her son after being drafted last week, Kelli said she had been wanting to get some things off her chest for some time now.
“I am sharing these thoughts and words as (they) have been on my mind for a while now,” she wrote on social media.
“I feel now is an appropriate time.
“The past is where it belongs………..behind us.
“As parents, our choices, challenges, and lessons have shaped us, but they are ours to own and grow from. They do not define our children or their journeys. They are on their own life path.”
Kelli, who is now the owner of an F45 gym and creates fitness and well-being content on social media, said she wanted to celebrate River’s moment and put the “shadows” of the past behind them.
“My son, River, is stepping into an incredible chapter of his life with the North Melbourne Kangaroos,” her post continued.
“This is his journey, his dreams, his challenges, his triumphs.
“Let’s support and celebrate the future he is building for himself, free from the shadows of the past.
“Life is about learning, growing, and supporting each other to find joy and happiness.
“The future is full of possibilities, and we all deserve to move forward with hope and positivity.
“River’s proud Mumma xx.”
The Carey-Stevens scandal has periodically reared its ugly head since it tore North Melbourne apart over 20 years ago.
Last year, Carey sparked a social media storm when he made the brazenly public and uncalled-for claim that he slept with Kelli “three times”.
An antagonistic user on X asked Carey why he left the Roos in 2002, to which someone responded with: “He slept with his teammate’s wife!”
Carey himself then added: “Three times”.
The response quickly went viral and created headlines around the country, but Carey later defended himself on his own podcast, The Truth Hurts.
“Let’s be honest, we all know what occurred,” Carey said.
“I’ve never said I had mental health issues to hide behind anything to stay out of the paper.
“People are saying why should he say that? I don’t bring these things up, am I not allowed to respond to it? I don’t work in media anymore, if I want to say 150 times or three times, don’t I have that right?
“Get over it. Twenty years ago.
“I’ve learnt to live with it, I haven’t forgiven myself for it but I’ve learnt to live with it. So all you wankers out there, learn to live with it.
“And if I say 150 times or three times, who gives a shit, seriously. Biggest beat up. It’s not funny but it is more than 20 years ago.”
Speaking on Channel 7’s SAS Australia in 2022, Carey said the affair was the worst decision of his life.
“It’s haunted me for over 20 years. I was in self destruction mode and I guess my life started to unravel,” he said on the show.
Anthony and Kelli Stevens remained married for six years after the affair, during which time they had River, born in 2006, two years before his parents divorced.
They already shared eldest child, Ayva, who was five when River was born.
Carey has spoken about attempts he has made to mend his relationship with Stevens in the years since their fallout, most notably in 2016, 20 years after they became premiership teammates in 1996.
The pair met privately in the days before the 20-year reunion, attempting to smooth things over.
“As we know, Stevo said on (Fox Footy) a little while ago that he thought that I hadn’t properly apologised so that is where it started,” Carey told Triple M in 2016.
“A heartfelt apology. That’s where it started and that’s where it ended.
“You’ll never forget (the affair) and it’s something that will live with me forever, as I’m sure it will a lot of people, which is still sad and I still live with that.”
But they’ve since had tensions reignited, reportedly getting caught in a verbal spat at an ex-Kangaroos gathering in 2022.
It was reported the pair had to be separated at a reunion in August of 2022, a claim Carey later denied, speaking to 7NEWS Melbourne.
