Scott Pendlebury has been warned.

There’s a young Magpie coming for his spot in the middle.

Unheard of surely, but Rising Star favourite Jaidyn Stephenson has apparently earmarked a spot in the midfield in coming years.

“He’s already telling me that he’ll play a little bit more in the forward line, but then when I retire in two years’ time, he’s going to take my spot,” Pendlebury told Collingwood Media podcast ‘Jock and Journo’.

“He’s just written me off after two years.”

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The 19-year-old from Ferntree Gully has been a revelation in attack throughout his debut season.

With elite pace, safe hands and incredible game sense, Stephenson has played every home and away game this year and kicked 30 goals in the process. No Magpie has achieved a feat of such consistency since Matthew Lokan played 25 games in 2003.

“His ability to come in and have impact is pretty scary,” Pendlebury said.

“He’s literally still got the body of an under-18 kid, and he’s played every game without a rest.

“He’s an exciting talent, and he excites when he gets the footy. You can hear the crowd lift when he gets it.”

And so the debate begins. Can you afford to take such a talented forward out of the forward line?

Stephenson sits behind Will Hoskin-Elliott (39 goals), Jordan De Goey (34) and Josh Thomas (33) in Collingwood’s goal kicking tally this season. All four are capable of spending time further up the ground, with Thomas and De Goey already having proven themselves as onballers.

Competition for spots is hot, but Pendlebury is ready to accept the challenge.

“I said (to Stephenson) ‘mate, when you’re ready to come in, let me know and one pre-season we’ll go at it’.”

Jock and Journo S2EP11: Plugger De Goey, Vaseline & the rise and rise of Jaidyn Stephenson
Pants down Pendles (0:30), Holden Centre bangers (1:00), the feats of ‘Plugger’ De Goey (3:45), is De Goey All-Australian? (8:10), Sydney’s centre-square codes (11:35), Taylor Adams’ role change (12:00), pre-game Vaseline use (16:00), Jack Madgen 100-1 (17:45), house update: Man loft vs wellness centre (21:30), post-game indulgences (24:30), Jaidyn Stephenson’s immediate impact (28:20), changing the Rising Star rules (31:10), are Brisbane overrated? (33:00), discovering Netflix in 2018 (38:00) and more.