Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr has explained why the club is interested in offering former Collingwood and North Melbourne forward Jaidyn Stephenson a potential lifeline on the rookie list. Stephenson, 26, will train with the Power over the summer after walking away from the AFL last year despite having another season on his contract at North Melbourne.
Carr stressed there is no guarantee Stephenson will win a rookie contract, but said the club would be “silly” not to pursue him. “From my point of view, we haven’t guaranteed Jaidyn any position on our list,” Carr said on SEN. “He’s obviously got to get through the draft, but post-draft, we have guaranteed that he can come and train with us over the summer.”
Stephenson kicked 38 goals in the Eastern Football League Division 3 this year after playing with local club Ferntree Gully. He was drafted by Collingwood in 2017 and won the Rising Star award in his debut season with 38 goals. He departed Collingwood at the end of 2020 and played four seasons at North Melbourne, retiring on 122 AFL games.
Despite Port Adelaide’s optimism, club great Kane Cornes criticised the move. “The worst thing I saw was the article of Port Adelaide considering Jaidyn Stephenson on their list,” Cornes said. “Hopefully it’s just for a train-on spot and they’re not seriously considering him.”
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide’s fresh era starts with a 10-strong coaching panel headed by Carr, along with new football manager Ben Rutten and a new fitness boss. Carr has two former AFL head coaches among his off-field support staff: Rutten and Stuart Dew. Other new faces include director of coaching Andy Collins and assistant coaches Darren Reeves, Hamish Hartlett and Jacob Surjan.
