After years of knocking back interview requests, former North Melbourne champion Anthony Stevens decided the time was right to talk about the infamous affair between his former wife and club legend Wayne Carey.

Not surprisingly, Stevens’ candid interview on Fox Footy program Open Mic has sparked fresh debate about the scandal.

Stevens and Carey were close friends, but Carey quit the club in early 2002 when the affair was exposed.

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The affair killed the friendship between the two teammates and eventually ended the Stevens’ marriage.

Both men have spoken publicly about the scandal in recent weeks, eliciting a response from Kelli Stevens today.

Kelli says Carey pursued her, calling her every day for weeks after flirting at a November 2001 wedding, before the affair began.

She also says he asked her to start a new life with him, shortly after the scandal broke.

“It’s something that happened and looking back, of course I made a mistake but now I see it as a symptom of my marriage,” she told the Herald Sun of the affair.

Stevens spotted Kelli and Carey leaving a toilet together in March 2002, at the home of North teammate Glenn Archer.

In an autobiography years later, Carey said he had told Kelli to get out, but she claims that’s a lie.

“We were kissing, said `love you’, and went back to the party,” she said.

Stevens said Carey had not apologised to him.

Carey denied that was the case.

“That was probably the one thing – I won’t say hurt me – but I was disappointed that Anthony thought I hadn’t apologised,” he told the Seven Network.

“I have, certainly face-to-face on a couple of occasions.”

The Kangaroos great added he apologised to the whole team, including Stevens, for what he calls a massive mistake.

He said he understood why Stevens felt the need to talk publicly about the scandal.

“You clearly have someone who is still emotional and still has a lot of feelings around something,” Carey said.