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Rucci raises the possibility ...
Port opens door for Stevens to return
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
31oct03
PORT ADELAIDE has left open its doors for resigned midfielder Nick Stevens to return to Alberton in case he fears becoming a victim of a salary cap squeeze ahead of the AFL pre-season draft.
The Power will not dismiss 23-year-old Stevens today when the deadline for AFL delistings closes.
This leaves Stevens to decide if he will formally quit the Power and nominate by December 2 for the pre-season draft on December 16 or seek a reconciliation at Alberton after quitting the club to get back to Victoria for "family reasons".
Stevens also must decide if he states on his draft form a minimum salary, say the $500,000 long attached to his name, to engineer a move to Carlton, which has the second pick in the draft behind the Western Bulldogs, a club not preferred by Stevens.
Stevens also has to be sure Carlton can pay $500,000 a season with the AFL not to confirm the Blues salary cap space before December 12 – seven days after he would lodge his form and perhaps his minimum salary.
The uncertainty is reminiscent of the calamity which froze another Power player out of the AFL – Fabian Francis, who became a salary cap victim at Fremantle two years ago.
Beyond Carlton's salary cap uncertainty, there also is the chance resigned Hawthorn forward Jade Rawlings – to avoid joining the Bulldogs – may engineer an $800,000 salary request to get him to the Kangaroos or simply return to the Hawks.
This would also make Stevens the new No. 1 target of the Bulldogs – a scenario lacking appeal to the 127-game midfielder.
Having failed to get his trade to Collingwood, Stevens this afternoon will face two options – quit Port and hope to avoid the Francis curse in the pre-season draft or seek a new deal at Alberton and try another escape next year.
Port yesterday was adamant Stevens would remain on its list today, despite the 1997 draftee quitting the club shortly after the Power's preliminary final loss to Collingwood. "We will not delist him," said Port football operations manager Mick Moylan. "Nick has to decide if he wants to take his name off our list and work through the issues of the pre-season draft."
Those issues will become the focus of AFL investigations officer Ken Wood, who is preparing notices to all 16 AFL clubs advising he will take greater note of moves leading up to the December 16 draft.
Wood's concern is for any "conduct prejudicial to the draft".
Of greatest interest in this count is Rawlings and Stevens and how they declare their minimum salaries.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has reiterated if Rawlings puts an $800,000 salary demand he must be paid that amount in full in his first season at his new club and the contract cannot be rewritten midway through the season.
Any club which drafts Rawlings and Stevens and fails to pay the demanded salary faces penalities, including erosion of its salary cap in 2005. Port will declare Stephen Paxman, Adam Kingsley, Che Cockatoo-Collins and Paul Koulouriotis as delisted and Adam Morgan (Western Bulldogs) and Brent Guerra (St Kilda) as traded.
Port opens door for Stevens to return
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
31oct03
PORT ADELAIDE has left open its doors for resigned midfielder Nick Stevens to return to Alberton in case he fears becoming a victim of a salary cap squeeze ahead of the AFL pre-season draft.
The Power will not dismiss 23-year-old Stevens today when the deadline for AFL delistings closes.
This leaves Stevens to decide if he will formally quit the Power and nominate by December 2 for the pre-season draft on December 16 or seek a reconciliation at Alberton after quitting the club to get back to Victoria for "family reasons".
Stevens also must decide if he states on his draft form a minimum salary, say the $500,000 long attached to his name, to engineer a move to Carlton, which has the second pick in the draft behind the Western Bulldogs, a club not preferred by Stevens.
Stevens also has to be sure Carlton can pay $500,000 a season with the AFL not to confirm the Blues salary cap space before December 12 – seven days after he would lodge his form and perhaps his minimum salary.
The uncertainty is reminiscent of the calamity which froze another Power player out of the AFL – Fabian Francis, who became a salary cap victim at Fremantle two years ago.
Beyond Carlton's salary cap uncertainty, there also is the chance resigned Hawthorn forward Jade Rawlings – to avoid joining the Bulldogs – may engineer an $800,000 salary request to get him to the Kangaroos or simply return to the Hawks.
This would also make Stevens the new No. 1 target of the Bulldogs – a scenario lacking appeal to the 127-game midfielder.
Having failed to get his trade to Collingwood, Stevens this afternoon will face two options – quit Port and hope to avoid the Francis curse in the pre-season draft or seek a new deal at Alberton and try another escape next year.
Port yesterday was adamant Stevens would remain on its list today, despite the 1997 draftee quitting the club shortly after the Power's preliminary final loss to Collingwood. "We will not delist him," said Port football operations manager Mick Moylan. "Nick has to decide if he wants to take his name off our list and work through the issues of the pre-season draft."
Those issues will become the focus of AFL investigations officer Ken Wood, who is preparing notices to all 16 AFL clubs advising he will take greater note of moves leading up to the December 16 draft.
Wood's concern is for any "conduct prejudicial to the draft".
Of greatest interest in this count is Rawlings and Stevens and how they declare their minimum salaries.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has reiterated if Rawlings puts an $800,000 salary demand he must be paid that amount in full in his first season at his new club and the contract cannot be rewritten midway through the season.
Any club which drafts Rawlings and Stevens and fails to pay the demanded salary faces penalities, including erosion of its salary cap in 2005. Port will declare Stephen Paxman, Adam Kingsley, Che Cockatoo-Collins and Paul Koulouriotis as delisted and Adam Morgan (Western Bulldogs) and Brent Guerra (St Kilda) as traded.
