‘I’ve made a few mistakes’: Stephenson’s ‘roller-coaster’ journey to 100

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Key points

• North Melbourne’s Jaidyn Stephenson played his 100th game on Sunday, including 54 for Collingwood. 
• Stephenson has become a regular goalkicker this year since settling as a forward again.
• The Roo admits he had made mistakes but was “comfortable” with how he handled himself.

Jaidyn Stephenson believes he is finally returning to his best after a self-confessed roller-coaster ride to his 100th game against his old club Collingwood on Sunday.

The North Melbourne forward’s milestone match gave him an opportunity to reflect on a rarely dull journey to his century of matches, starting with AFL recruiters’ discovery of his heart condition ahead of the 2017 draft.

Jaidyn Stephenson feels he is returning to his best form.Credit: AFL Photos

Stephenson, 24, shared the occasion with star Pie Steele Sidebottom’s 300th and American Mason Cox’s 100th. He was gutted to see a knee injury cut short Sidebottom’s banner game before quarter-time, saying it was “a real honour” to play alongside him.

“It’s actually come around quite quickly, to be honest – I haven’t missed a whole lot of games,” Stephenson told this masthead of his own milestone.

“I’ve made a few mistakes and had to miss games for that, but the body has gotten through really well and, hopefully, my form continues, and I can play another 100 games. That’s the aim.

“It’s been like a roller-coaster. There’s been lots of highs, lots of lows, and I think we’re on our way back up the roller-coaster.”

The Magpies did not share the same concerns over Stephenson’s health as many other clubs did, and selected him with the No.6 pick. He rewarded them with a 38-goal debut season in which he claimed the Rising Star award.

But AFL life started becoming more complicated for Stephenson the next season, when he was banned for 10 matches and fined $20,000 for placing three Collingwood-related multi-bets worth a total of $36.

Another year later, the Magpies included Stephenson in their salary cap-slashing firesale. Stephenson and Atu Bosenavulagi became Roos, while Adam Treloar (Western Bulldogs) and Tom Phillips (Hawthorn) were also traded.

North Melbourne handed a “hurt” Stephenson a five-year deal until the end of the 2025 season, after Collingwood’s then-coach Nathan Buckley encouraged him to pursue a trade “as aggressively as you want”.

“It was a weird time for me. I was still contracted for another three years at the Pies, so [a trade] wasn’t something that I ever expected,” Stephenson said.

Collingwood traded (from left) Atu Bosenavulagi, Jaidyn Stephenson, Tom Phillips and Adam Treloar in 2020.Credit: Getty Images

“But I’m very happy that I’ve made the move now. Obviously, we’d love to have more success, and to have had it more quickly, but I think we’re building something really nicely here and success isn’t too far away.”

It has not always been smooth sailing for the Eastern Ranges product at the Kangaroos either, including social media backlash over COVID-19 comments, and suffering a fractured hip when a mountain bike trick at home went wrong.

However, those dramas were both two years ago, and he has not appeared in the headlines for the wrong reasons since. Asked what he had learned from his off-field experiences, Stephenson took a long pause, then said: “I obviously made these mistakes, but through it all, I’ve stayed honest to myself.

“I’ve always told the truth and always been true to my morals. So, yes, I’ve made mistakes – a lot of people make mistakes – but I’ve been true to myself and honest with the people around me, so I do regret them, but I am comfortable with how I went about it.”

Stephenson kicked two goals against Collingwood on Sunday for his sixth multi-goal effort this season. He has 17 goals in 11 matches, behind only Nick Larkey’s 30 at North Melbourne.

After being tried in various positions since joining the Roos, Stephenson has settled as a forward again after some heart-to-heart discussions with new coach Alastair Clarkson.

“We had a chat straight after the season, then another one in the middle of our off-season,” Stephenson said.

Stephenson goes toe-to-toe with Collingwood’s Jack Ginnivan.Credit: Getty Images

“He made it really clear this is the position he wanted me to play, and that I’d be doing that – and he’s stuck true to that, so all credit to him.

“I think being able to take a few more marks above my head [has been important]. It was something I always did as a junior and probably haven’t shown enough of it of late, but I was able to take a nice one out there [on Sunday]. That’s the sort of stuff I want to keep growing and improving on, and I think it all comes down to confidence.”

Stephenson not only craves individual success but also more wins. He has played in only six from 46 matches for North, but is confident the club is on the right track.

“We’ve stuck with the good sides, the top sides, in the league for small chunks of the game this year, but we just can’t seem to do it for four quarters,” he said. “To come within five, six goals of the top-of-the-ladder [Collingwood] – they’ve lost only one game this year – is a real credit to a lot of the boys, including the young boys. We just need to play with each other more and work harder at training, then all that will click for longer – and soon, hopefully.”

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