I think he just wants some sort of premiership

Stevo had made up his mind on Sunday night-
the breaking the news to his family bit was the hardest.

Being a West Australian Carlton Fanatic I am loving that we are playing the weagles this weekend just so i can walk around work and shoot everyone down.

BUT boy the West Australian media shit me basically nick stevens decision has made them all shit scared that we may actually win , it has been quite clear they thought he wouldnt play and have made it clear they thought we would be a pushover.

NOw Nick is playing and and the headlines read Nick causes a stir, Nick turns back on family and Carlton are being portrayed as a big bad evil club that forced him into it. The news even crossed to the dockers and had them saying "well we wouldnt have forced him to play" Bunch of wankers, like we held a knife to his throat.

Just enrages me more and makes my passion for Carlton grow even further , i eat , sleep and breathe the blues now i wanna bleed blue.

I am going to try and get to eagles training all decked out in blue hopefully i can post a report.

I even went (god forbid , WHY !!?!?) to bigfooty and it was hilarious to see power and magpie supporters bagging nick and our club, twas a good laugh. BITTER FOOLS !

gee i hate everything except carlton , i guess that could be seen as unhealthy - but too bad.

GO NICK - GO BLUES !!

Bugger the report - can you "Tonya Harding", Chris Judd and Ben Cousins???

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I'll try

(DISCLAIMER TO THE AUTHORITIES: If this actually happens it may or may not have been me)

contaminating their drinking water may be another option.

no need to get your hands dirty

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

some of perths water already tastes contaminated - i think its leaching across from adelaide ?!?!?!

Haven't read all of this thread yet, but just wanted to chuck my 2¢ into the ring...

...I reckon Stevo should go to his brother's wedding. If this was a "real" GF then different story. But, if Stevens was injured it's not like we would say to West Coast, oh, can you guys wait until we get Nick Stevens back from injury then we'll play you.

Okay, so a similar argument could be used in regards to his bro's wedding. But I get a little bit tetchy when club's demand such loyalty from their players when in all reality when Nick's contract is up he'll be targetted by just about every other Victorian based club, most certain that Eddie will have another crack. And, if the deal was right and in Carlton's best interests, we'd take it.

Let him go to his brother's wedding, his family will be there for him a long time after Carlton (and the footy industry in general) has gone.

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not so sure about that CB - IMO alot of his decision would have been made on the fact that he is being suggested by many people as the next captain. As a captain you are probably expected to make more sacrificing than most, hence his reason for not attending his wedding.

This is a smart move by Stevens to further fuel his desire to prove he will be captain. And IMO i think he would make a great captain. Surprised infact that he wasnt considered a VC

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

Yep, agree he'd make a great captain. However, to suggest his ability to captain a football team is dependent on him reneging on his agreement to be the best man at his brother's wedding is a little bit naive IMO.

Footballers these days are a commodity. If they don't perform they're gone gone gone. I just hope everyone involved recognises the personal sacrifice he is making for the benefit of the club...

...and yes, anything but a win will be unacceptable.

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But where does this start and stop? Birth of a first born is about the only acceptable excuse I feel.

A brothers wedding? A best Mates Wedding? A Step brothers wedding? Your Father re-marrying? Christening of a God Child? What if he has 9 brothers?

All important occassions but try picking between one or another on behalf of somebody else!

No brainer I say.

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Oompa loompa doompety dee
If you are wise you'll listen to me

naive? not sure how im naive.

sometimes CB i reckon we are on the verge of a major arguments all the time

Anyways in my sport playing life ive been a captain many times and i understand what is needed of a captain. Stevens commitment to the club is just further proof that he has what it takes to be a good captain.

Im not suggesting that he had to do it to prove he is worthy of being the captain, but the fact that he has put the club before his own personal life is proof that he has what it takes to be a captain.

Being a captain is more than just tossing the coin at the start of the game, its setting an example for those around you, and in this instance he has set the example that the club must come first and that isnt a bad example to set. Of course there are certain situations where family must come first, but not in this case.

Hell, look at it from a different POV. Stevens works for a big company and gets paid $300k per year. He is on the verge of sealing a massive deal to help the business come from the brink of collapse to being a power like it once was. Your brother is more than aware that you are generally always busy a certain period (March to September) due to your work commitments yet he goes ahead and arranges the wedding for March and it just do happens the deal you have to make will fall in the same month, March.

In a professional sense what do you think this business would expect from you? I will give you the hot tip - they will say, gee your brother is getting married on saturday, thats nice, ill see you on saturday in the office at 9am?

This game is no longer a game - its a business.

Do i wish the wedding was next week and if it meant that Stevens wouldnt be able to attend the family day becuase he was up with this family celebrating his borthers wedding, yes, i would have no problem with it at all, indeed if it was any other wizzer cup game i would have no problem with him going up.

But not when the prizemoney is worth $220k and he will go along way to us winning that money.

This game is about Money for the club as it is the spirit it will create for the playing group.

The money recieved in winning it, from new members, to sponsors trying to get on board, it all mounts up and not having one of your bigger players not playing becuase of wedding is a little hard to swallow.

Like i said, there is October, November, December, January, February to have a wedding when you know you brother or friend or whatever is involved in something that will be hard for them to get away from.

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

I think your forgetting one thing Camelboy and that is that pay that comes with the job and as a result its a high risk job and you will have to make sacrafices.Carlton give damm good money for Nick to play for them and also give him something like 6 weeks annual leave during the year.Its not Carltons fault that a wedding cant be organized avoiding something like 30 saturdays out of the year because Nick is paid to possibly perform on these days.

Give me the money and ability of Nick and it woule be a no brainer for me your PAID TO PLAY. Sorry but bro stuffed up its not Carltons fault !!

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Born to be blue !!!

Yep totally agree with you Scott !!

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Born to be blue !!!

I completely understand all the points you guys make. However, football is not the be all and end all of life. Therefore if Nick did choose to attend his own brother's wedding I would be fully supportive of that.

As it has turned out he has chosen to play 120 minutes of football, while his brother enjoys what will most likely be the best day of his life to date. Yes, there are many reasoned and balanced points as to why Stevens should play the Mickey Mouse GF, I just hope the club and it's fans don't dismiss it with a throw away line like "oh well this is what he's paid to do, so he bloody well should give up his brother's wedding"

C'mon, if you guys had a sibling getting married I'd reckon you'd try and get the day off work too.

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if it was just a local competition i would agree with you CB - its is just football.

But in this case, it is his job, his career, and in this instance the potential money the club can earn is a reason to not attend his brothers wedding.

Indeed, i would have no problem with him attending during a home and away season, or even an earlier Wizzer Cup game, but not a game that has the potential to earn $220k.

AFL is business, and unfortunately i think even Stevens Brother said he made a mistake when booking it all and meant for this to be next week or soemthing like that.

Call the wizard cup what you want, but its worth $220k for a club that isnt doing the best financially.

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

Agreed CB

The reason it was such a hot topic is that it's not black & white. Different people will have different views & opinions. I'm sure if his team mates were asked if he should play, opions would have varied.

Didn't go to my brothers wedding, was picking bits and pieces of fighter aircraft and pilot that were scattered all over Nth Qld at the time though.

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A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" -Winston Churchill

L.M 35-06

Yeah, agree that this is a big game financially for the club. But in that regard our particiaption in this game does not hinge on Nick Stevens playing. Our ability to win the game is enhanced by Stevens playing though, so, like I said, I can see where you guys are coming from.

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I'm not sure what I think as there a good points for both sides, however the one consolation that I can think of regarding the decision that he made, is that he would've probably found himself a TV, sat down in front of it and watched the game from start to finish, and would've been of no use at all anyway. Then he would've been on the phone to Denis and the boys too to congratulate them. And then again if we lose, he would've just moped around and noone would even want to go near him and he would be feeling like he let the team down etc, so I guess you can think of it that way...