As some might know, I've labelled stevens as golden boy for a few years now in reference to the lack of criticism that he receives through the forums so I figure starting this thread after an apparent good game (havent seen it yet) would be fairer to the player involved.

Basically just thought I'd raise the issue of stevens contract as it finishes up at the end of this season - presumably the club has begun to consider what to do with his contract.


AFAIK, stevens initial contract with the blues was 4X500k (based on media reports etc though obviously this could be wrong). Anyway, perhaps a few people might want to comment on the following

1. Whether stevens has been value for money over the cuurent contract
2. How many years his next contract should be ie. will the board go beyond 2 years
3. Salary structure
4. Long term role within the team
5. Possible trade value at the end of the year - who might pay and how much (collingwood and others)

One more year to run?

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1. YES
2. 3+
3. No idea, wateva it takes to keep him.
4. Captain
5. NO

doesn't he have a year to go?

if not, perhaps he'll figure in our plans to trade into the superdraft...

perhaps a discussion best left for season's end.

He doesn't get criticised because he doesn't deserve to be. I'm sure he gets paid well but that's part of the trade off when players nominate their price via the PSD with a club on it's knees begging for talent, and in light of what Campo took home over the last decade, it's hardly shocking. Yes there are better midfielders in the AFL and some of them would be paid less, but in a system of drafts, trades and salary caps their will always be inequalities. He performs extremely well on a consistent basis in the youngest and lightest midfield in the league, I doubt Chris Judd himself would have much more affect.

We could trade him but I'm not sure which team with an attractive draft pick needs an elite 25 year old midfielder, all the teams that will have top 5 picks are more or less in rebuilding phases. I can tell you for certain that without him we'd be cannon fodder, and with kouta on the verge of retirement you're suggesting that we face midfield outfits like: Ball, Hayes, Dal Santo, Harvey, Thompson or Judd, Kerr, Cousins, Steinglein, Embley, Braun or Mitchell, Bateman, Crawford, Hodge with Simmo, Bentick, Murphy and Scotland? Even if we were able to snag a tough midfielder like Bryce Gibbs with a pick from a Stevens trade it'd put us back quite a few notches in development and competitiveness.

I'm sure his next contract will be a 2-3 year deal and going on his form for cfc so far I think it's fair that he get that when the time comes.

I'm enjoying the watching the blues be competitive at the moment, and that's what footy is about, not collecting draft picks and 18 year olds.

I thought he had a relatively poor game against the Swans, the nadir being a passage of play in which IMO he should have gone for the ball and he and Saddington left it and watched the Swans player help himself. I felt it was Stevens go, and either way I'd rather have seen Saddington and Stevens knock each other out attacking the ball, rather than not attacking it as they did.

Stevens certainly did do some classy things throughout the course of the game, but really he shouldn't be following the lead of the likes of Murphy, Bentick and Simpson, rather he should be setting the example for them to follow. IMO he has yet to do that in 2006.

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Is contracted through to end of 2007.

That particular piece of play was quite embarrassing to say the least especially given the relative level of experience both of them have. There was obviously no talking between them but what it did was send a message to the Swans players that our guys weren't to keen to get the hard ones. We were really struggling for a while after that IMO.

Nick Stevens is a talented player with excellent disposal and a good understanding of where to go to get the ball. In the past at Port Adelaide, he was not the front & centre of the engine room so his ability level was somewhat inflated due to Port's very industrious midfield division. Now at Carlton, Stevens is having to fill a role in the midfield that is quite different to that and I'm not sure that he is completely comfortable with it.

Has he been worth the money etc ?? Probably not but given the situation we were in and the circumstances by how he came to us, we had no other option than to take him and pay him what he wanted. It was always going to be debatable whether we would get a good return on our investment. I'm not saying he shouldn't be paid well, just that he appears to be getting a little more than what I believe he should be.

Long term role in the team ?? I am not sure he is captain material but he could fill a VC's role. As for a positional role, I would prefer to see him not used in the midfield as I believe we will have plenty of guys capable of doing that stuff. I can see him played in a back pocket and used as the designated kicker-innerer after a point is scored as he has such accurate & reliable disposal. Failing that, I'd like to see him at the other end of the ground where we can take full advantage of his accurate goalkicking prowess. Slot him in on a flank and let's see how he goes, my guess is that 45-50 goals per annum is not an unrealistic ask.

Would I trade him next year ?? Bloody oath ....... if the deal was right !! Every player has a price and if the Pies or whoever offered us their first two draft picks he'd be gone for sure. I wouldn't shop him around publically but I would listen to any offers that were tabled during trade week and if another club was silly enough to make one that was to good to refuse, then I'd take it.

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Look at it this way.

It could have been Jade Rawlings.

I think he had a pretty good game exception to stuff up between himself and Saddo but in general he had a good game.

Not much more you can ask of him in this match who makes 8 Tackles / Kicks 2 Goals 18 Possesions when highest was 20 For the Blues.

Anyway he is someone that gets heavily Tags / will have an off game here and there but overall still important to take the main tagger to free up the developement of MM / Simo / and others

We've got him, and the other teams don't. That is our advantage in this present argument. Whether we keep him or trade him that is the question in a nutshell.

IMO we need all the class we can get, and he's got class.

No, he hasn't played the consistent elite standard as I expected, but what he has shown me is that he is a cut above the rest at Carlton with disposal, run and weight.

He is the first bloke tagged every week, and that does take the pressure off others somewhat. When the others in the midfield mature a bit more, that ploy will be the advantage of those kids in our midfield.

He's 26 this year. Stll young, and has the potential to play for another 4-5 years. I would be holding onto him rather than crossing my fingers in the hope that a draft will be better than him. Maybe as captain he will become more accountable; I don't know.

What I do know isthat he is part of our future, and the way it looks to me, finals will be sooner rather than later, and we will need all the experience we can muster in that environment, especially when Kouta and Lappin may have retired, and lets say Whitnall is injured or whatever.

Bird in the hand is better than two in the bush, but then again, as the Shiek states, " Every player has a price".

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Another thread saying we should trade one of our leading players ... when is this going to end???

Surely we should be looking at adding to the talented membes of our squad rather than decimating it through lame-arsed trading suggestions.

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Overall I'm happy with the way Stevens has performed, although his field kicking this season hasn't been up to his usual high standard.

Let's face it, he is the class, experienced mid-fielder in our team, and has broadened his game to become harder at the ball, as his eight tackles from the last game demonstrates.

Still at least another five good years available, and I don't want to see him traded, as it's time for more stability with our list. There are plenty of de-listing candidates before even beginning to think about trading Stevens.

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

Stevens is hardly the 'be all and end all' and yet he is our leading midfielder. There has got to be a message in there somewhere.

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Stevo is a LINK player. Always has been, always will be. We knew that when we got him. I think the problem more is with:
1) Houlihan - another link player but not at the same standard. I have NO time for him. He is a great waste of talent. Always promsing and never delivering!
2) Thornton - what has happened to this guy??? Two years ago he was outstanding but, since his injury, he lacks judgement and is forever turning the ball over!

STAND UP AND BE ACCOUNTABLE!!!!!

I always believed Thornton was a player who played above himself because he was simply 'chuffed' to be given an opportunity. He is not bad but he is not particularly good either. He should be playing the 'Christou' role in the side at best.

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

jluzza, as a guess, I think you have something deep and personal against Houlihan if you dismiss all his attributes as a footballer. He had the choice to move to the Demons if he wanted to but chose to stay when we needed him most, and we still need his talent.

Houlihan has been one of our best this year after 3 rounds. No question about that. What does he offer? Good skills and great disposal. He may not be your ideal midfielder, but he is classy in the HB or HF line. You need all the classy links in this team as we could possibly get. Without linkmen with good disposal, you would see the ball kicked to opposition every time ala Teague on Saturday.

If Houlihan hasn't pleased you after 3 rounds, he will never please you; whether he plays well or not. Bad call IMO.

Thornton. yep he's dropped off a bit, but he's still young and played pretty well on Saturday night. He is of great value ti the Blues. I haven't heard from anybody that he should be dropped, but at the very worst comments relating to him not considered as ideal FB.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

You would think! But I can't seem to find it.

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Stevens, too many sidesteps, too many easy balls ala Buckley by running past player who took a mark demanding the ball. Too many turnovers for 3 X $500,000. Not my favourite player.

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Sure about that?

The way I remember it happening was Houlihan held us over a barrel and pretty much said "Give me X amount of dollars or I'm going to Melbourne in the PSD and you'll get nothing". We gave in to his demands and signed him.

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