Jaidyn Stephenson is enjoying one heck of a start to his AFL career.

We all saw his five-goal performance against Adelaide in round four and nodded in approval at the Rising Star nomination that followed days later.

But it’s what has taken place in the weeks since that has added a glow to his first two months at the top level.

The teenager has kicked 10 goals in his past four games.

In the same period, only three players across the league have managed more.

Those players are Ben Brown (14 goals), Luke Breust (13 goals) and Josh Kennedy (the West Coast version, also with 13 goals) – a pretty handy set of footballers.

Stephenson’s performance against Brisbane saw him register a career-high 21 disposals and six marks.

But the moment Collingwood fans will best remember is his match-winning goal, storming into the square to seal the deal with seconds remaining.

Most goals in a debut season by a Magpie in the AFL era (1990-2018)
As we can see, the game has changed significantly since the early 1990s, when a teenaged Sav Rocca was kicking 29 goals in 10 senior games.

Goals come from more varied sources, and the days of the goal square Goliaths are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

In the 1990s, four Magpies kicked 20 or more goals in their debut season, but only one, John Anthony, has managed to do so in the 19 seasons since.

It means Stephenson, a lightning-fast 19-year-old, is on track to make his own mark on recent club history.

2010s
17 – Mason Cox (2016)
16 – Alex Fasolo (2011)
15 – Sam Dwyer (2013)
11 – Josh Thomas (2013)
10 – Ben Crocker (2016), Jaidyn Stephenson (2018)

2000s
25 – John Anthony (2008)
14 – Dayne Beams (2009)
11 – Leon Davis (2000)
10 – Ryan Lonie (2001), Travis Cloke (2005), Dale Thomas (2006)

1990s
29 – Saverio Rocca (1992)
23 – Mark Richardson (1991)
21 – Stephen Patterson (1995)
20 – Shane Watson (1994)
19 – Paul Williams (1991)
16 – Scott Russell (1990)
15 – Tony Francis (1990), Brett James (1994)
14 – Steven Pitt (1996)
12 – Troy Lehmann (1991)