Jaidyn Stephenson welcomes Eagles fans ‘booing and jeering’

RISING Star winner Jaidyn Stephenson expects to thrive off the jeers of a parochial West Coast home crowd when he lines up for Collingwood in next Saturday night’s qualifying final.

“It will be an unreal experience going over to West Coast,” the 19-year-old said.

“The plane flight will be pretty poor, I’m guessing, but to play over there in front of a highly dominated West Coast crowd will be great. I get energy off them booing and jeering.”

And he is bullish about the result.

“I don’t really see us losing, to be honest. We have got the game plan set and if we all turn up on the day, we won’t lose,” he said.

Stephenson was the hot favourite to claim the Ron Evans Medal and saluted with 52 votes out of a possible 55 yesterday.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, former West Coast champion Glen Jakovich and former Port Adelaide captain Warren Tredrea were the only three of 11 judges who didn’t give him top votes.

They gave him four votes under the 5-4-3-2-1 system.

Adelaide’s Tom Doedee (42) and Brisbane’s Alex Witherden (32) were Stephenson’s closest rivals.

Stephenson described the gong as a great honour but was quick to turn his attention to his first taste of September action and the prospect of facing the Eagles in front of a sold-out Optus Stadium crowd.

Stephenson is Collingwood’s first Rising Star winner and is coached by the inaugural winner, Nathan Buckley, who claimed it playing for Brisbane in 1993.

Stephenson was nominated for the award after kicking five goals against Adelaide in hostile surrounds away from home in round four and said Buckley had been a huge influence on him since joining the Magpies.

“I realised it after round three after I played quite a poor game against Carlton and he backed me in because of my forward pressure,” Stephenson said.

“He said, ‘mate, the offensive will come but we just love what you’re doing on the defensive end’.

“For him to back me there and then to go out and play an OK game against Adelaide was just great.”

Stephenson feared he would be overlooked at the draft because of his heart issues. But the Eastern Ranges product was snapped up at pick six and has repaid the Pies’ faith, playing every game in the home-and-away season and kicking 34 goals as part of a dangerous small forward line. He takes medication three times a day but is able to complete a full training schedule.

“There was a time there where I thought that maybe I wouldn’t get drafted and I was a little bit nervous,” he said

“But for Derek Hine and his recruiting team and Eddie (McGuire) and all those involved to take the risk on me, I do owe them a lot. I’m not much of a crier or a teary person but I did tear up on draft night just out of pure relief.”