Reckon Jaidyn Stephenson enjoyed one of the finest debut seasons of any footballer in recent memory?



Try these facts on for size:



He hasn’t missed a game

The teenager is the first Magpie in 15 years to play all 22 home and away matches in his debut season.



Not since Matthew Lokan in 2003 has a Collingwood draftee played each home and away match in his first season.



In fact, he’s the first Magpie since Scott Russell in 1990 to play in 26 senior games in his opening season.



Most games played in a debut home and away season by a Magpie since 2000:

26 – Jaidyn Stephenson (2018)

25 – Matthew Lokan (2003)

23 – Nathan Brown (2008)

21 – Josh Fraser (2000), Ryan Lonie (2001)



A genuine goal kicking threat

It took Stephenson four weeks to make an impact on the scoreboard, but once he got started, he hasn’t looked like stopping.



In the 23 games since round four, Stephenson kicked 38 goals and 24 behinds, ranking behind only Jordan De Goey (48 goals), Will Hoskin-Elliott (42 goals) and level with Josh Thomas (38) as the most impactful Magpies this season.



Twitter statistician @sirswampthing notes that 2018 is the first year since 1980 that four Collingwood players have kicked 30 or more goals in a season.



Big performances

It’s not just how many goals Stephenson kicked, but it’s when he kicked them.



He kicked five goals in the 48-point win over Adelaide on a Friday night in round four that put both he and Collingwood on the map for 2018. He earned his Rising Star nomination that weekend, and against showed his appetite for the big stage with four goals in front of 83,518 fans against Melbourne on the Queen’s Birthday.



In total, Stephenson kicked three or more goals on five occasions and kicked two or more goals in 11 games.



He went goalless just eight times and failed to impact the scoreboard just four times, and only once after round three.



He also performed well in the Grand Final, kicking two of the first three goals of the game including one in which he turned his West Coast teammate inside out and stormed into the open goal.



Where does he rank?

In the past 30 years, no Magpie debutant has kicked as many goals in their debut year since Graham Wright’s 38 in 1988 and Stephenson’s 38 in 2018.



38 – Graham Wright (1988), Jaidyn Stephenson (2018)

29 – Saverio Rocca (1992)*, Brody Mihocek (2018)

25 – Colin Alexander (1989), John Anthony (2008)

23 – Mark Richardson (1991)

21 – Stephen Patterson (1995)

20 – Shane Watson (1992)

19 – Paul Williams (1991)

17 – Craig Kelly (1989), Mason Cox (2016)

16 – Scott Russell (1990), Alex Fasolo (2011)

15 – Tony Francis (1990), Brett James (1994), Sam Dwyer (2013)

14 – Heath Shephard (1989), Dayne Beams (2009)

11 – Leon Davis (2000), Josh Thomas (2013)

10 – Travis Cloke (2005), Dale Thomas (2006)



*Rocca played just 10 senior games in his debut season.



Despite the fine performances of the six other debutants, including Grand Final team members Brody Mihocek (16 games) and Brayden Sier (12 games), it’s Stephenson who takes home the Harry Collier Trophy as Collingwood’s Best First Year Player of 2018.