North Melbourne star Jaidyn Stephenson is in hospital after suffering a suspected broken hip in a mountain bike accident after drinking alcohol.
The Kangaroos have released a statement confirming the incident took place in his backyard and stating that Stephenson is set to see a surgeon today.
North Melbourne general manager of football Brady Rawlings said the 22-year-old was struggling physically after the incident.
“Jaidyn’s pretty flat at the moment and he’s a bit sick and sorry,” Rawlings said in the statement.
“After 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.
“Initially, after the accident, Jaidyn was able to walk but the pain progressed to a point that an ambulance was called.
“He was kept in overnight and he looks like he might be laid up for a while. At this stage he’ll have a stay in hospital while his surgeon decides whether he’ll need surgery.
“It puts a dampener on what was a promising season for Jaidyn.
“We’re disappointed with his poor judgment and his reckless action has resulted in quite a painful injury for him.”
Stephenson joined Collingwood via pick six in the 2017 national draft.
The athletic forward then played 54 AFL games with Collingwood, before being offloaded to North Melbourne in the Magpies’ infamous fire sale that was their 2020 trade period.
Stephenson played 19 AFL games in his first season with the Kangaroos this year.
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