Jeremy Howe praised for his leadership after Jaidyn Stephenson confessed to bets

Jeremy Howe did the right thing convincing Jaidyn Stephenson to turn himself in rather than sweep the issue under the carpet, say footy greats David Schwarz and Cameron Ling.

Jaidyn Stephenson was suspended for placing bets on Collingwood games. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Anti-gambling crusader David Schwarz says Jeremy Howe nailed the biggest leadership moment of his career after ensuring Jaidyn Stephenson self-reported over $36 of AFL bets.

But Schwarz wonders why the AFL takes such a hard-line approach on betting yet takes such a relaxed attitude on illicit drug taking by players.

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Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley on Thursday said Howe’s decision to escalate Stephenson’s admission that he had bet on a Pies player was “true leadership”.

He denied that Stephenson hadn’t actually self-reported, hailing the club’s decision to reveal the bets to the AFL as a club success story.

Schwarz, who battled a gambling addiction but now speaks to AFL players about his plight, said he could understand Howe might have had mixed feelings.

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But he said the decision to escalate the matter but been justified.

“It’s a really responsible thing from Jeremy’s point of view. Jaidyn probably didn’t understand the bigger picture when he told him and it’s tough when your teammates almost go against you but for the integrity of the game that can be more important than the individual,” Schwarz said.

“In the past people might have said, ‘That’s a throw-away line, don’t worry about it’.

“But they were smart to know the severity of it and if Collingwood were caught doing that who knows what the penalties would have been.

“I don’t think anyone would want to be in Howe’s position. In the old days it was ratting on your mates, but if he didn’t say something and it gets out, you have been privy to it so where do you sit?”

Jeremy Howe will be having mixed emotions after teammates Jaidyn Stephenson was suspended. Picture: Michael Klein

Geelong premiership captain Cameron Ling said Howe had passed the leadership test.

“I really thought highly of that. If you let that one incident get swept away, maybe him or others make the same mistake again. As players that is saying this is what we stand for, let’s do something about it. It was high-qualify leadership from Howe.”

Buckley said Howe was a “remarkable man” given his conduct.

“When I talk about the pride in the footy club, one of the first blokes I go to is a bloke like Howie, who wears his heart on his sleeve,” he said.

“He would be torn now in some ways, but he has done what he had to do and what we had to do — and that is true leadership to stand up when it’s not that easy. Anyone can do the right thing when it’s easy, but to do the right thing when it’s not is huge.

“We will grow further as an organisation from this circumstance and I couldn’t be producer of the way that we’ve conducted ourselves.”