By Michael Gleeson
Former Rising Star winner Jaidyn Stephenson has retired from the AFL at the age of 25 with a year remaining on his contract with North Melbourne.
Stephenson – who kicked 38 goals and won the AFL Rising Star award at Collingwood the year after being drafted with the No.6 pick in the 2017 national draft – looked poised to become a star of the game.
But six years later, and after a controversial move to North Melbourne, the small forward-wingman has retired after two sources close to the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he and the club had agreed on a payout for his contract for next year.
North Melbourne forward Jaidyn Stephenson.Credit: Getty Images
Stephenson, they said, has lost the passion for the game.
Stephenson was part of the controversial “fire sale” at Collingwood at the end of 2020 when he was traded to North Melbourne, Adam Treloar to the Western Bulldogs, and Tom Phillips to Hawthorn as the club attempted to fix its salary cap issues.
Stephenson accepted a five-year contract at North worth about $500,0000 a year.
The Kangaroos gave up two second-round picks (No.26 and 33) and a future fourth-round pick to get Stephenson, Atu Bosenavulagi and pick 39 from Collingwood. At the time this was considered a below value trade return for the rising star winner.
Meanwhile, veteran forward Tim Membrey has been delisted by St Kilda, paving the way for him to join Collingwood as a free agent.
The 30-year-old is likely to move to the Magpies as a delisted free agent when the AFL’s free agency window opens later his week.
Tim Membrey has been delisted by the Saints and is poised to join Collingwood as a delisted free agent. Credit: Getty Images
Membrey has already passed a medical test at Collingwood and is poised to join the club as support for a forward line that struggled for periods this year for depth when injuries struck key players.
Collingwood have also looked closely at Membrey’s St Kilda teammate Jack Hayes, who is younger and has the versatility to play in the ruck or as a key forward, but two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Magpies were likely to favour Membrey, who played 178 games for the Saints after starting his career with a solitary game at Sydney.
Membrey has booted 293 career goals so far, including 30 from 19 games this season. It was the seventh time in his 10 seasons with the Saints that he kicked 30 goals or more in a season.
Saint Tim Membrey started his career at Sydney.Credit: Getty Images
He was the Saints’ leading goalkicker in three of his seasons at the club, and finished 11th on the club’s list of all-time goalkickers.
Interestingly, this will be the second time Membrey has moved as a delisted free agent.
He began his career at the Swans, where he made his debut in 2014; his second year at the club.
He came out of contract at the end of that year, and the Swans and Saints couldn’t agree on a deal to trade him. So with St Kilda holding the first pick in the pre-season draft, he was delisted by the Swans and moved to Moorabbin as a free agent.
Aside from 2023 – when Membrey had pre-season knee surgery, restricting him to just seven games – the key forward has otherwise been durable and played most games.
A strong kick and reliable shot for goal, Membrey will offer depth at Collingwood, where his style will be comparable to that of hard-working key forward Brody Mihocek. The combative Magpies forward turns 32 in February and begun to struggle with injuries this season, playing just 11 games.
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