Weekly Times | THERE is nothing to stop Nick Stevens making a return to the Hume league, according to the competition’s president Merv Wegener.
Stevens yesterday did not confirm a return to Billabong Crows, which he played six games with last year under his brother Danny, but Wegener said the league “can’t find any reason why he can’t play”.
Stevens last week abandoned further appeals against the Sunraysia Football League board’s decision to prevent him registering as a Red Cliffs player while he was involved in an ongoing criminal appeal.
Stevens was last year was found guilty of multiple domestic abuse-related charges and sentenced to jail, but has an upcoming appeal with the County Court.
The former AFL player appealed to an AFL Victoria area appeals committee to overturn the league board’s decision, but it was dismissed.
Stevens’ clearance to the Sunraysia league from the Crows has been cancelled.
While the Sunraysia league is an AFL Victoria affiliate, the Hume league is affiliated with AFL NSW/ACT.
“We’ve looked at all angles, we’ve got a legal man who helps us whenever we need help, and we can’t find any reason why he can’t play,” Wegener said.
“He doesn’t break any of the rules that we’ve got, the code of conduct.
“(The) advice is what he’s charged for has had nothing to do with football and because it’s had nothing to do with football, we then can’t stop him from playing.
“We believe too that at this stage it’s in the hands of the courts.”
Wegener also said the league felt Stevens was “probably better off in the environment of a football club because in a football club there are certain disciplines you have to abide by, certain codes of conduct and rules ... and when people make mistakes this is a good opportunity sometimes for people to help them”.
“We take the attitude that they’re probably better off playing than not,” Wegener said.
He added that if Stevens broke any code of conduct the league could take action, and the league was against domestic violence.
Stevens did not rule out playing for the Crows, but the distance between Mildura and Albury was a factor.
He said if he was going to play it would likely be in the second half of the year but added he was planning to visit his brother next month and “probably would” play if he went there.
“I might in the second half of the year, play a few games,” Stevens said.
“At this stage it’s going to be very unlikely that I will play for the time being just because I’ve got a lot of work now I’ve got to finish up here and then decide exactly what to do.”
Billabong Crows president Ted Brooks said the club’s position had not changed since last year.
“If the match committee decide they want to play him, that’s up to them really, but from the club’s point of view nothing has changed from last year because he’s still going through the appeal process,” he said.