The staggering figure former AFL star spent on Uber Eats in his debut season
Jaidyn Stephenson had an intriguing AFL career, winning the rising star award in his debut season for Collingwood in 2018, getting suspended for betting on himself the following year, traded to North Melbourne out of nowhere in 2021, breaking his hip doing boozy backyard stunts on a bicycle later that year - and then retiring at 25.
However, he has added another interesting piece of lore to his career, admitting he spent $28,000 on Uber Eats during his debut season.
He also says he would eat 95 Weet-Bix slathered in full cream milk every week. Extrapolate that across a calendar year and you're looking at just shy of 5,000 total.
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Jaidyn Stephenson of the Kangaroos in 2024 Getty
He admits the Uber Eats bill may have been even larger if not for meals prepared for him by the Pies.
"It's challenging, I suppose. In my first year in the AFL system, I spent $28,000 on Uber Eats," Stephenson told The Watch podcast.
"I lived with (teammate) Jack Madgen and his girlfriend, who is his wife now, and they'd have their chicken and veggies every night. They were six years older than me, and they understood how life worked.
"I think I cooked twice the whole year. I would order Uber Eats for lunch or dinner, whenever I needed to.
"Luckily the club cooked us food for breakfast and lunch, but everything else was Uber Eats or going out for dinners.
"It's hard, it's challenging and it's something there probably isn't enough education on."
The retired AFL player admits he "could probably have a bit more money" if he'd had better habits, but admits he had a "good time".
"You can always make more money," he said.
Jaidyn Stephenson accepting the 2018 AFL rising star award Getty
When Stephenson retired in 2024, he admitted that he had lost his passion for the game.
He feels he potentially could have retired even earlier than 25.
"Probably three years ago, to be honest," Stephenson said.
"I would have done it a lot sooner, but I obviously had my family, my friends and my partner and they all enjoyed watching me play. It was a cool outing for them to watch their son play at the MCG or Marvel Stadium.
"I sort of stuck it out for them, I just couldn't do it anymore last year. I had fallen out of love with the game, but I really enjoyed playing in the twos in the VFL when the scrutiny was off a bit.
"I thought if this is what VFL is like, imagine what playing at Ferntree Gully is going to be like, it's just going to be very relaxed, and I'll feel a lot better about myself.
"Probably before the season's end, I knew that was going to be it."
Stephenson now represents Ferntree Gully in Victoria's Eastern Football League as both a player and an assistant coach.
He kicked 38 goals in his debut season for the Magpies, including two in their 2018 grand final loss to West Coast.
