We shouldn't trade him, but boy he was disappointing today.

Just didn't look right and you can tell the fortunes of the club on the field are having a significant impact on him.

He'll get back to his best when we recruit the necessary inside midfielders that will help him be that damaging player he was at Port.

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Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24

Not only did Nicky not do any damage to the Bombers, his man, Peverill, did lots of damage to us today, and scored a couple of goals, and set up some others.

And Peverill is hardly the best taggerâ„¢, and Stevens was a long way behind his man all day.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Absolutely right. We simply have to stop making excuses for Nick Stevens. Peverill for flowers sake...

If he's hurt, don't @#$%&! play him. His piss weak half efforts and pack skirting are seriously giving me the shits every time I go to the football. Sure, I'd be running around looking for the cheap possession, but I'm a shithouse footballer. Stevens apparently is not.

As I've said ad nauseum - he may well be a good 3rd/4th outside midfielder. That makes him useless in our team, he is not going to have that luxury in the next 4-5 years.

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Congratulations CK95

Peverill's been in & out of the (bottom) side and his career looks to be on the line. Nick might have helped save it today. We seem to have a habit of playing people into form!!! Like Cameron Ling the other week.

There was a good Nick Stevens play today. I did like the dummy he sold Campo then step around and hit Kouta on the leed. Pity Kouta hit the post

Still Trade Bait IMHO

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The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Ronald Reagan

The last two weeks have certainly shown that he *seems* to want to be traded. He's making schoolboy errors - staying with his man but then peeling off to open up the space. Stopping short of marking contests. Not chasing down a player.

If he's not looking to be traded, then he's badly out of shape and form and should be given to the Bullants to show what to do!

perfect example of this today i think lucas or mabe reynolds was on the lead he was cutting acroos to spoil the mark then in the last second pulled out and stuffed it up for the person chasing the Essendon* player. its not a hard thing to do to put your body in between the opposition and the ball. his work rate is extremely high no body's doubting the amount of ground he covers but it looks really ugly when players pull out.

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Last edited by true_blue3 on Mon Sep 26, 1981 5:07 pm; edited 92 times in total

His workrate isn't that high.

congrats on your 1000th post 24!

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Congratulations CK95

thanks mate, i'd have to have broken the record for the youngest poster to reach 1000 posts.

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Last edited by true_blue3 on Mon Sep 26, 1981 5:07 pm; edited 92 times in total

Nah Deano's only 7.

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Congratulations CK95

bugger.

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Last edited by true_blue3 on Mon Sep 26, 1981 5:07 pm; edited 92 times in total

How long did Peverill play on Stevens for?
Oh thats right, dont let the facts get in the way of a good bagging!!!!

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

There were a couple of times I was disappointed in Nick's disposal in the first half. That happens to everybody. Kouta kicked a couple and missed a couple. A few weeks ago Walker missed one, this week he got one.

In a game that lacked class and experience, there were several players that looked a cut above the rest. Nick Stevens was one of them; regardless of the fact that 5% of disposals were clangers. He got 30 possessions; and that counts for me.

FFS doomsdayers, do my club a favour and offer some constructive criticism with some facts to help lift our chin, not an exaggerated account of what your one eye wants to see. Get out of the coaches box you don't belong there; and thank god for that.

Those who think that Stevens is not worth keeping in an inexperienced, below par team of kids, have got no clue about footy, and are watching a different game to everybody else in the football community. You are a minority. Too emotional, too biased and unreasonable. Helter Skelter.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

What frustrates me the most is the coaching of Stevens on match day! He obviously gets tired out there so why doesn't DP rotate him??!! I'm sure a lot of his mistakes are a result of being knackered!!! At one stage we were 2 goals down in the last quarter and DP had him at FB on Peverill!!!

By my reckoning, and not having seen the replay yet, Stevens played on the absolute might of Henry Slattery in the first term and Peverill for the next 3 quarters. Listening to the goons on Triple M after the game seemed to back up my theory.

Happy to be told otherwise BV

The facts though are again that Stevens was totally ineffective, appeared disinterested, and weak. Facts in my opinion at least

What is undisputed fact however is that I'm a shithouse footballer.

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Congratulations CK95

Oh, do elaborate.

Do I have to repeat myself again, or will you go back and read some more posts Bondi? This is not a 'trade Stevens at all costs' campaign. This is about Stevens' worth to the side in its current and projected form for the next 4-5 years.

I've given reasons why I don't think Stevens will ever be able to produce his best footy in the environment of our club in the remaining year of his contract and beyond. Actually I've done that a few times.

Now, can you tell me how Stevens is going to get the best out of himself and all the players around him in 2007 and beyond. Provide me a compelling argument and as BV knows, I'll change my opinion like the wind .

Sadly Nick and I had a falling out earlier in the year and it's personal now. He's got all my favourite CDs and I left a T-Shirt at his place. So my judgement may be clouded by emotion.

But quite seriously, the counter arguments to the 'anti-Stevens' train have been "should not be traded", is in the "top 10 field kicks in the league", and "gets the best tagger ever weekâ„¢". There hasn't been a lot of positive talk about what he actually brings to the table in the next 3-4 years apart from a decent size wage.

Here's what I think Nick brings to the team in a positive sense...

* Gets the best tagger every weekâ„¢ (seriously)
* Can deliver the ball well on occasions
* Can hurt other sides on the counter attack as he finds space

But I don't really think he's a leader, even when he's caught in packs he finds a way to back out of them Campo style, he's not going to get the luxury of being a third string midfielder in our lineup for a number of years, and we pay him as a first string midfielder (admittedly as JohnM said that's because we had to to get him).

We're losing Kouta who had a great year at the bottom of packs in Nick's best 2 seasons with our club. Now if we can bring 2 classy, ready to go hard ball winning pack midfielders to the club in 2007, then great! Nick will loosen up and have value to the team.

I don't have faith that the draft and trade system will really allow us to do that, and we don't really have the means in terms of quality trade bait to attract them. So, we have to consider robbing peter to pay paul and put Nick out there to interest a side that DOES have those sort of players and wants to hang on to them.

I think he is worth a bit to a decent side (if he can get his disposal standards higher - that's killing him as it's killing our whole team).

So while this isn't devoid of emotion (football is a highly emotional game), there is a bit more thought involved than you're giving me credit for bondi. Now, feel free to present your case...

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Congratulations CK95

All points well made again BH, seems not many people are actually reading them.

Not too many teams running around with $500,000 players who don't chase, squib marking contests and let their opponents roam free like the buffalo.

... and he doesn't get the best tagger each week, he gets the oppositions best player! They may not be the best player before the game, but after they have played on Stevens they are always names in the best players. Fair dinkum, Stevens has given away more Brownlow votes than Goldspink!

I am in total agreement with you on the value to our team argument. If he was providing leadership this would not be an issue, he is obviously a good player, but not in the top bracket without leadership credentials.

He is being valued by the learned people on TC at about $150-200 thousand less than what he gets now. Odds are the club will offer him a lower contract next time, does he really have a passion for the club or will he leave Carlton like he did Port? I reckon trade him while he has some value.

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Last week I put Steven's worth at $300 - $350K, I paid attention to him on Saturday and now hope that we can trade him. Reasons are:

Lacked genuine leadership ability
If he loses a contest does he get up and chase, do the 1%rs? Nope, so many times he stays on his haunches (?) and prays for his opponent to kick it so he doesn't have to get up and compete.

enough is enough, if he can't set the right example get rid of him.

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