BRENDAN Fevola's career at Carlton is on the line, despite the short-term reprieve he received at selection yesterday, with the Blues committed to sacking the uncontracted full-forward if he has another alcohol-fuelled transgression.

And Carlton will not begin contract negotiations with Fevola until the wayward spearhead demonstrates that he can overcome his alcohol-related issues.

Fevola, whose $500,000a-year contract expires at season's end, was spared from suspension and will play tomorrow night against Richmond, but the Blues have gambled on a turnaround in his behaviour and will sack him if there are any further alcohol-related mishaps.

Carlton said last night that Fevola would not be suspended for urinating on a window at Prahran's Candy Bar nightclub in the early hours of Saturday morning. Fevola and his wife Alex continued to party after that video-recorded incident at the Q club, finishing his evening at the Q club after 5am.

Fevola's eventful evening began at the McLaren/Mercedes Benz official launch. He went on to teammate Heath Scotland's engagement party, leaving about 1.30am, when he went to the Boutique nightclub in Prahran, where he stayed until his fateful visit to the Candy Bar.

While the Blues are ready for a barrage of criticism following their decision to allow Fevola to play, the club believes that it has put the ball in Fevola's court and that the player will either respond and reform, or be sacked.

Carlton consulted not only a psychologist and welfare workers — along with its leadership group, headed by new captain Chris Judd — but with the AFL Players Association and the AFL before making its decision, which led to Fevola being ejected from the leadership group, given the maximum fine of $10,000 and sent for counselling for his alcohol problem. The counselling will be organised through the AFLPA.

The decision to allow Fevola to play and give him only one chance was made by chief executive Greg Swann, coach Brett Ratten and football operations manager Stephen Icke, in conjunction with the leadership group. The club board discussed Fevola on Monday night, but left the decision in the hands of the executive.

"We've also agreed with Brendan that if there are any more alcohol-related incidents then that will result in him being terminated by the Carlton Football Club," said Swann, who said Fevola's alcohol issues had never been dealt with, via counselling, in his previous nine seasons at the club.

"We want to support him, but we also want to say that we can't keep accepting this, so that's the stance we've taken."

The club canvassed the various options — including "the Steve Johnson model" adopted by Geelong last year, when the Cats suspended their errant forward for the first five weeks of the season — and, in discussions, weighed up the impact, not only on Fevola, but on the playing group.

Ultimately, the sanction announced by Swann last night was closer to the penalty imposed on Alan Didak by Collingwood last year, when the Magpies allowed Didak to play the next game, but placed a series of conditions on him, including a ban on nightclubs and alcohol.

Fevola did offer to give up alcohol, according to Swann — having had his best year, winning the Coleman Medal in 2006, when he gave up alcohol — but the club has not insisted on a complete ban on drinking; rather that he have regular counselling and avoid the late-night/early-morning scenarios that have given Carlton such grief.

Fevola has had several alcohol-related indiscretions, the most infamous being his fight with a barman when touring Ireland with the AFL's international rules team.

"Brendan has had an issue with alcohol, everything that's happened to him thus far has been connected to alcohol and we are now seriously going to help him in that case by enrolling him in some education and welfare courses," said Swann.

Swann said Fevola had been offered both the "carrot" of being allowed to play and reform himself, with the "stick" of termination hanging over him if he infringed again.

In 2005, Carlton was willing to trade Fevola at the right price, with Richmond the only club that made any serious bid and, at one stage, Fevola was keen to join the Tigers, but Richmond's financial issues and unwillingness to pay Fevola's $500,000 contract meant he remained with the Blues.

Swann said Fevola's indiscretions occurred when he went out late drinking. "Our advice is by suspending him or ostracising him from the group, that's not going to address the issue," Swann said.