I regret leaving Power: Stevens

Carlton's Nick Stevens reacts to a big loss against Port Adelaide in 2004. Picture: Camerson Richardson. Source: adelaidenow

NICK Stevens wouldn't have made his controversial exit from Port Adelaide had he known "four years of pain" would eventuate at Carlton from 2004.

As gun Crows forward Kurt Tippett risks taking the same path to Sydney - via the pre-season draft - Stevens made the shock revelation he wouldn't have left Alberton if he knew the extent of the Blues' financial woes.

"My time at Carlton early days was very tough because I didn't have any idea how bad Carlton was," said Stevens, who was claimed by the Blues at pick No.2 in the 2004 pre-season draft.

"The financial trouble they were in at the time was enormous for the footy club so I had four years of pain before we started to win some games.

"Look, if I had have known that at the time, I probably wouldn't have gone because I still did love playing at Port Adelaide and loved my time there.

"It was purely on the fact I wanted to go home for family reasons.

"But if I had my time again, and knew that I would have had to go through that sort of pain - don't get me wrong I loved every minute of playing at Carlton - I probably would have stayed at Port and finished my career there."

The fact Stevens, who played 127 games for the Power between 1998 and 2003, missed out on playing in the club's inaugural AFL premiership in 2004 also hurts.

"I obviously missed out on that but that's the chance you take when you leave," said Stevens.

"And I knew at the time that I was leaving a good side.

"But I also knew that if I didn't go that year, I was going to stay at Port after that so that's where it sat with me at the time.

"I was 23 at the time and was about to sign a four-year contract (with Port) so I knew if I didn't go then I was never going to go."

Despite his departure making waves in the South Australian media at the end of 2003, Stevens says it was "blown out of proportion".

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams made a public stance on forcing Stevens to find a new AFL club through the pre-season draft.

But behind the scenes, Stevens insists the fact he didn't reach his destination of choice - Collingwood - didn't sour his relationship with Port's premiership mentor.

"It wasn't like people thought it was because still, to this day, a lot of people do think that," Stevens said.

"But they don't realise how straight-forward it was, the deal, when it all happened.

"Everyone thought that Choco (Williams) and I didn't get along but I loved him as a coach and I've always had so much respect for him.

"The talk was I was going to go to Collingwood but that wasn't the case because Choco told me straight out that he wasn't going to deal with Collingwood because we'd lost two prelim (finals) to them - unless they came up with a deal.

"So I pretty much knew I was going to Carlton the whole time whereas the media made it sound like I wasn't."

Stevens - who guided Gippsland Power to this year's TAC Cup grand final - says Port's poor standing on and off the field is troubling him.

"I still speak to quite a few of the guys who work there so I would love to see them be successful," said Stevens.

"I really hope they get out of where they are and get back to the powerhouse they were when I left. It's hard for me even now to see that they are the way they are because when I left, they were the benchmark in a lot of areas.

"It's a club I couldn't speak more highly of. Choco Williams, what he did for me and the football club, was unbelievable. It makes you want to try and help in some way to get them back to where they were."

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

I regret leaving Power: Stevens

Dengan url

http://berkibarnedera.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-regret-leaving-power-stevens.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

I regret leaving Power: Stevens

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

I regret leaving Power: Stevens

sebagai sumbernya