FORMER star of the game Wayne Carey says his first proper chat with Glenn Archer in years was a “positive” one ahead of this weekend’s 20-year premiership reunion.

The pair heard each other was in Bali last week, Carey said, with Archer shooting through a text message and initiating the meeting.

“It’s a very small place - I got sent a text and we caught up,” Carey said on Channel 7.

“I’ve said it openly before, it’s an ongoing process for me, but it felt really good afterwards.

“I’m glad that I did it and I’m looking forward to the reunion on Saturday afternoon.

“It was a really positive thing, which was great.”

The tension among the group following key forward Wayne Carey’s extramarital affair with Kelli Stevens — wife of teammate Anthony Stevens — has been well-documented.

Carey said he has crossed paths with Archer on a number of occasions but last week’s chat was the most “in-depth”.

“‘Arch’ and I have seen one another many times, at many different functions, and had a chat,” he said.

“But I was able to sit down and have an in-depth chat with Arch about all the things that have transpired over the last 14 years.

“It was a really good thing.”

Former Roos defender David King admitted yesterday that “awkwardness” has plagued North Melbourne’s 1996 flag-winning side, but it has been cast aside ahead of this weekend’s premiership reunion.

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Archer has previously said that things were “still very awkward” between the pair, while Stevens famously broke his silence over the affair in 2015.

Carey will miss Friday night’s official reunion function - at which Stevens will be elevated to Legend status in the club’s hall of fame - due to Channel 7 commitments, but King said the players and staff involved in the premiership year will get together on Saturday and he is thrilled that “everyone’s coming”.

He said the fact that Carey and Archer were able to catch up and “right a few wrongs” only helped.

“We’ve probably had some awkwardness over the last few years with how it all finished up, but I think it’s in a really good space now,” King said on SEN on Monday morning.

“Anthony Stevens is working back at the club.

“Everyone’s coming — I saw Wayne on the weekend and he’s coming, which is terrific.

“That’s great — I love hearing that (that Carey and Archer have caught up).

“I love hearing that we can move forward. I can’t wait.

“The players are really looking forward to it.”

Archer described how “awkward” it was to cross paths with Carey ahead of Stevens’ tell-all interview on Open Mike last year.

“I bump into Wayne every now and then at the odd football function and I always say hello,” he said on SEN.

“I must admit it is very awkward because we were so close for so many years.

“One of the sad parts is that we won premierships together and as you would know when you win premierships together you look forward to the reunions.

“We will have our 20 year reunion next year and unfortunately you go to a reunion and there’s Wayne in one corner and Anthony in other corner and a lot of tension in the middle.

“The overriding emotion out of all this is sadness.”