He will not be able to play VFL, but he will be able to train with the Pies' senior side and he will be available to play finals if Collingwood, who sit third on the ladder, make them. Dillon confirmed on Wednesday that Stephenson's betting consisted of three multi-bet wagers - not one solitary bet - with the investigation only concluding on Tuesday. The multi-bets included legs on Collingwood to win, Collingwood's winning margin, Stephenson to kick a goal, Stephenson to kick three or more goals, Collingwood teammates to kick a goal, Collingwood teammates to kick two or more goals, and Collingwood teammates to have in excess of a number of disposals. All the bets - on games against the Bulldogs in round four, Essendon in round six and St Kilda in round nine - were unsuccessful. The AFL's integrity unit interviewed Stephenson, his Collingwood teammates, reviewed the games in question and reviewed betting records relating to the games.

Stephenson was co-operative with investigators who concluded there was "no evidence to suggest there was any intent to influence the outcomes within the contest in relation to the bets" and that the total amount of money bet by Stephenson was $36. Stephenson had put a bet on via a friend's account and on two occasions gave cash to a friend to place the bet for him. Dillon said Stephenson self-reported to Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh on May 19 and was remorseful, with the AFL's legal counsel saying it was a hypothetical question as to whether the player's breach would have been discovered if he had not self-reported. "We audit the accounts of all players and league officials and we receive information through various different means," Dillon said.

"The fact he came forward and self reported has been reflected in the suspended part of the sanction." However Dillon said Stephenson's actions had compromised the integrity of the game. Factors affecting the penalty included how the penalty will act as a deterrent, the number of bets and the value of the bets, the player's age, experience, whether he was playing in the games and his attitude to the investigation. Dillon said if Stephenson had not self-reported he would have received a penalty in the range of 22 matches. The penalty not only costs Stephenson his reputation but will also cost him up to $46,000 in potential earnings he would have received had he played every game for the season. Stephenson said in a statement that his betting had been "acts of stupidity" that he felt guilty about. "It was an incredibly naive thing to do," he said.