Stevens, (right) who played 231 games for Port Adelaide and Carlton, was earlier this year found guilty of several domestic abuse-related charges and was sentenced to eight months’ jail.

He has launched an appeal, which is scheduled to be heard in July next year.

Red Cliffs had said it was “extremely excited to have Nick on board”.

Mr Stevens, who previously coached TAC Cup team Gippsland Power and South Australian team Glenelg, said he was impressed by how the club presented and its off-field work.

AFL Victoria today said it had told Stevens he could not renew his coaching accreditation due to the charges.

It said Stevens had the right to appeal the decision and his accreditation would be reviewed if his conviction was overturned.

Prior to the AFL Victoria intervention, Sunraysia Football League president Pat Curran said the competition did not condone domestic violence but until the Stevens’ appeal was finalised he would consider him a “free man”.

“Until the final decision is made, he is still a free man and so Red Cliffs is quite at liberty to appoint him as a coach ... but that’s not to say that we clap our hands with joy,” Mr Curran said.

Mildura Rural City Council mayor Glenn Milne said in light of council’s involvement with last week’s White Ribbon Day — the campaign to end men’s violence against women — some “wisdom could have been used in the appointment”.

“We have high instance of family violence in our community and I don’t think we should be seen to condone or support anybody who has been a perpetrator of an act of family violence,” Cr Milne said.

The club did not respond to requests from The Weekly Times for comment.

However, outgoing club president David Hensgen told the Herald Sun that he did want to comment, but labelled the appointment a “handshake agreement”.

This was despite the club issuing a statement of the appointment last week.

Stevens declined to comment when contacted today.