A defender, Carter was used mostly at full-back and kicked just the one goal in his 16 seasons of football. That goal came in a game against Melbourne at the SCG in 1986. After spending his first six years with the now defunct Fitzroy during the late 1970s, Carter left the club and joined Port Melbourne of the Victorian Football Association. He was picked up by South Melbourne after half a season and went on to play his best football there in the 1980s.