The AFL could announce Jaidyn Stephenson’s fate as early as Wednesday as the Collingwood forward sweats on a betting investigation.
It is understood the findings are imminent, with Stephenson facing a lengthy ban if found guilty.
Collingwood’s premiership hopes would suffer a significant blow if Stephenson is suspended for several weeks.
The speculation is that Stephenson reported himself to the league after he allegedly asked a friend to place a bet of less than $50 on a game he played in earlier this season.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley will hold his scheduled mid-week media conference at noon on Wednesday.
The last player found guilty of such an offence was GWS veteran Heath Shaw, who was at Collingwood in 2011 when he served an eight-game betting suspension.
The third-placed Magpies have 10 games remaining this season and they are among the flag favourites.
Stephenson is a key contributor for Collingwood, with 21 goals from his dozen games this season.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan refused to comment on the matter.
Stephenson was the AFL’s Rising Star last season when, in his debut year, he booted 38 goals and was a member of the Magpies side that narrowly lost to West Coast in the grand final.
The Stephenson investigation continues a string of betting-related incidents at Collingwood.
Shaw was banned and fined $20,000 for betting on his then-Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell to kick the first goal of a game.
Shaw and a mate bet $10 each on Maxwell, who usually played in defence, kicking the opening goal of the round 10 game against Adelaide, knowing his captain would start the game in the forward line.
Maxwell didn’t place a bet but was hit with a $10,000 fine, with half that amount suspended, after some family members placed bets on him being the first goalkicker.
In March last year, Collingwood’s Brayden Sier was given a suspended $5000 fine by the AFL after placing bets totalling less than $50 during the 2017 season. None of the bets involved matches the Magpies played in.
In 2017, Melbourne forward Jake Melksham was fined $10,000 by the league for misleading AFL investigators during an inquiry into activity on his betting account.
In March 2015, another Collingwood player, Jack Crisp, was fined $5000 by the governing body for bets totalling $129 on AFL markets while at his former club Brisbane in the 2014 season.
And in 2011, Essendon assistant coach Dean Wallis was banned by the league for 14 games for betting on three AFL games.