Wayne Carey the defender?

It doesn’t sound right, but the man regarded as one of the best forwards to have played in the AFL confirmed he did spend time down back in 1998.

Returning from a major shoulder operation, the “King” told Triple M that Denis Pagan decided to use him in the back half.

"I came off a shoulder reconstruction (in) '97, and he [Pagan] thought he wanted to make the defence stronger, so he thought he'd play me at centre-half-back," Carey said.

"[The] first three or four games I played at centre half back, and we were out here on the MCG against Fremantle and they weren't going so well.”

Carey said, surprisingly, the Dockers managed to gain the upper-hand early which prompted Pagan to make a quick change of plans.

"They were beating us, so he moved me back to centre half forward and seven [goals] later we won the game.”

Actually, it was an eight-goal masterclass which led to a 104-point thumping.

"He (Pagan) came up to me after the game and said 'Son, if I ever play you at centre half back again punch me fair in the mouth'.

Carey’s also had 25 disposals and 8 marks that day and finished the season with 80 goals, despite brief stints as a defender.