Jaidyn Stephenson has benefited from a fresh start at North Melbourne.
The 22-year-old is averaging a tick under 20 disposals and a goal a game this season and has also delivered career-best numbers in clearances, inside 50s and defensive rebounds.
Collingwood traded Stephenson, a former Rising Star winner, to the Kangaroos – one of four Magpies players offloaded as part of a controversial trade period salary cap dump.
Speaking on SEN Breakfast, Garry Lyon and Tim Watson discussed Stephenson’s first season at Arden Street and his messy exit from Collingwood last year.
Lyon: “Have we undersold Jaidyn Stephenson’s season given what he went through at the end of last year?”
Watson: “Yes, we have.”
“And the way that he started this year off as well because they were a poor team early on. They were disorganised early on, and he was playing average football early on because of that, and then he’s found his role comfortably over that period of time.
“As the team has increased their output, his output has increased as well.”
Lyon: “How deep would the remorse be at Collingwood?
“I know they’ve got young kids who all showed a bit last Friday night, I was pretty impressed with what I saw, but geez he’s a good player Jaidyn Stephenson.
“He had 38 touches against the Eagles you know.”
Watson: “I would really love to have an honest conversation with somebody deep in the Collingwood Football Club as to why they really did give up on him.”
Lyon: “I think there was enough info that came out. They thought he wasn’t training hard enough. He was a little bit loose.”
Watson: “But he was 21 years of age.”
Lyon: “Hello – who wasn’t at 20 or 21.”
Watson: “There are degrees of looseness and behaviour … a lot of clubs back themselves in with players and say, ‘OK, he’s a young kid, he’s a scallywag, but he’s not a bad kid at heart. We’re going to believe that we can build around him and provide him with assistance, and he’s going to become what we believe he’s capable of becoming’.
“That and the salary cap too.”
Lyon: “I watch him play and I think, ‘He’d be handy at Collingwood’.”
Collingwood traded Stephenson, Atsu Bosenavulagi and pick 39 to the Kangaroos in exchange for picks 26, 33 and a future fourth-round selection.