Promising Kangaroos youngster Jaidyn Stephenson has reportedly sustained a broken hip after falling from a mountain bike at his home on Friday night.
The news first came to light afterย AFL Media's Callum Twomey tweeted the details on Saturday afternoon.
North Melbourne's Jaidyn Stephenson has broken his hip after an incident at home. He had been drinking and later attempted a trick on a mountain bike. He was taken to hospital and clearly faces a disrupted pre-season. @AFLcomau
— Callum Twomey (@CalTwomey) August 28, 2021
According to Twomey, Stephenson was rushed to hospital and had been drinking before attempting to perform a stunt on the two-wheeler.
North Melbourne general manager Brady Rawlings has since confirmed Twomey's account of events.
โJaidynโs pretty flat at the moment and heโs a bit sick and sorry,โ Rawlings said in an official club statement.
โAfter having had drinks at home with his housemates, he attempted to perform a trick on his mountain bike off the back deck. He lost balance and fell onto a concrete paver.
โInitially, after the accident, Jaidyn was able to walk but the pain progressed to a point that an ambulance was called.
โHe was kept in overnight and he looks like he might be laid up for a while. At this stage heโll have a stay in hospital while his surgeon decides whether heโll need surgery.
โIt puts a dampener on what was a promising season for Jaidyn. Weโre disappointed with his poor judgment and his reckless action has resulted in quite a painful injury for him.โ
Stephenson is not unfamiliar with controversy, having been suspended for 10-games and fined $20,000 due to gambling on matches he was involved in during 2019.
The 22-year-old also drew the ire of many for downplaying the severity of the Coronavirus earlier this season.
Despite enjoying a positive debut campaign for the Arden Street club in which he earned a place in the 22under22 team, the forward is unlikely to be fit for the commencement of North Melbourne's pre-season training program.
Collingwood traded the 2018 Rising Star to the Roos at the cessation of 2020 in an effort to ease the club's mounting salary cap strains.
The Eastern Ranges product averaged a mean of 19.4 disposals under David Noble's stewardship and completed the year with 17 goals.
