Report: The Western Bulldogs key player is been suspended from all sports for placing a bets against…
Jaidyn Stephenson, a forward for Collingwood, received the harshest punishment ever meted out to an AFL player for breaking wagering regulations.
Stephenson received a heavy $20,000 fine and a lengthy 22-game suspension (of which 12 were suspended) for placing three different Collingwood-outcome wagers, one of which involved betting on himself.
Stephenson, who had never missed an AFL game since being drafted, will miss the remaining home and away games for Collingwood due to the 10-game ban, but he will still be available to be selected in the finals. He is not able to play VFL, although he can still train with the club.
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The wagers, which came up against the Western Bulldogs in Round 4, Essendon in Round 6, and St Kilda in Round 9, lost a total of $36. Collingwood’s legs to win, the winning margin, Stephenson’s goal, teammates’ goals, and teammates’ specific disposal counts were all mentioned.
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On two occasions, Stephenson handed money to a friend so that he could place a wager; on the other occasion, he accessed the buddy’s online betting account.
Following the third wager, Stephenson self-reported to Collingwood, according to AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon. The following day, AFL’s integrity unit was notified by Magpies football general manager Geoff Walsh, and an investigation was launched.
“AFL players, clubs, and league officials are prohibited from wagering on Australian Rules Football in any manner,” Dillon stated to reporters. “There is no clearer instruction.”
“The guidelines are quite explicit, and breaking them will result in consequences.”
“The integrity of the game has been compromised by Jaidyn’s actions.”
At 2:00 pm, Jaidyn Stephenson will address the media.
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According to Dillon, Stephenson had no bearing on how the bets turned out.
“The inquiry determined that there was no indication of any intention to sway the results of the competitions concerning the wagers,” Dillon stated.
Dillon stated that the suspended part of the match ban was influenced by Stephenson’s self-reporting.
In response, Stephenson and Pies CEO Mark Anderson released a statement that you can read here.
On Wednesday morning, Stephenson and his manager Robbie D’Orazio arrived at the club for training.
The last player to be found guilty of such an offense was Heath Shaw, a GWS veteran who received an eight-game betting penalty against Collingwood in 2011.
The playing group wants to concentrate on the Magpies’ next game against the Western Bulldogs, thus midfielder Taylor Adams of the Magpies stated he wanted the situation “resolved sooner rather than later” despite not knowing much about it.
“I prefer not to make assumptions about future events before they actually occur,” Adams stated to the RSN Breakfast Club on Wednesday.
The AFL Rising Star of 2018 is Jaidyn Stephenson.
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“I believe that waiting for things to work out is now the wisest course of action for us as a football team. Await the outcome, gather all the information, observe what is told to Jaidyn, if anything, and then take it from there. That is the most effective approach to take.
When Adams learned of the news, he immediately went to give Stephenson “a big hug, make that sure he’s OK,” according to Adams.
Adams expressed hope that the impact would be modest, saying, “I don’t know to what extent the impact this is going to have on him or us.”
“I believe that right now, as Jaidyn’s buddy, teammate, and player, the only thing I truly care about is him and making sure he’s okay.
“Depending on what happens with this situation, he will receive a lot of support from the football club and will continue to receive a lot of support for as long as he needs it.”
Following Stephenson’s sentencing, a statement was released by the AFL Players’ Association.