Jaidyn Stephenson a certainty for Rising Star award, says Dermott Brereton

DERMOTT Brereton has watched Jaidyn Stephenson closely through the TAC Cup and believes the exciting Magpie has tricks he hasn’t even begun to put into action on the AFL field.

Jaidyn Stephenson is among the favourites for the Rising Star award. Picture: AAP

DERMOTT Brereton says Pies revelation Jaidyn Stephenson will win this year’s Rising Star award and quickly develop into an elite wingman with awesome line-breaking abilities.

Stephenson has put together an exceptional season in his debut year, playing every game and kicking 30 goals to push for the Rising Star ahead of Brisbane’s Alex Witherden and Adelaide’s Tom Doedee.

But Pies midfield coach Robert Harvey said Collingwood eventually sees him as a wingman who can play inside midfield, lauding his versatility that has seen him effectively play full-forward this year.

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Brereton watched Stephenson closely through the TAC Cup for Eastern Ranges and believes he has tricks he hasn’t even begun to put into action on the AFL field.

“He is the winner. If you look at his body of work and the numbers he has put up in terms of goals, if that had happened in the last six weeks of the season, he would be the (Rising Star) bolter,’’ he said.

“When someone roadblocks you when you are running down the field, he has the ability to sidestep them and be forward of them in the blink of an eye, it’s a major weapon we haven’t even seen yet.

“I saw it in juniors and it is such a weapon. He has got that in him and they are just letting him go at his own pace at the moment.”

Jaidyn Stephenson has plenty of weapons, according to Dermott Brereton. Picture: Michael Klein

Harvey said the Pies believed Stephenson, the fastest player at the club, could midfield capabilities.

“We had him earmarked for a wing role because he’s got a huge tank but with circumstances this year it’s how it’s fallen and we probably didn’t expect that he would blossom as quickly into what he is doing up forward,” he said.

“He has become really important with his speed and pressure.

“I think (midfield) is where he ends up down the track for sure with his running ability, to be able to play on that wing and as he builds strength in his body as well.”

Harvey also lauded the huge influence of strong-bodied midfielder Brayden Sier, the 20-year-old already a massive part of the Pies midfield after only six games.

“He has become really important really quickly for us. Pendles (Scott Pendlebury) was shouldering the load on the bigger mids. We had to burn him up playing on bigger bodies like (Patrick) Cripps and (Nathan) Fyfe. He has come along really quickly and become important with his ability to lock onto those bigger mids, it’s a bit of a prototype going forward.”

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Originally published as Jaidyn Stephenson a certainty for Rising Star award, says Dermott Brereton