Mark Stevens

Biography

AFC Debut Number: 89               AFC Debut Game:  Round 1 v Carlton, 1998

AFC Career Guernsey Number: 19

In the space of 12 months Mark Stevens went from a North Melbourne fringe player to a Crows premiership player after winning the 1998 grand final against his old club.

Stevens, from Heyfield, Victoria, played just 21 games in three years with North Melbourne before he was traded to Adelaide at the end of 1997. A key position player who had faced plenty of competition at North, he quickly became an important tall option for Adelaide, playing in defence in the 1998 premiership win. He finished fourth in the best and fairest in1999 but broke a leg early in the next season before returning for the SANFL finals.

The following year Stevens returned to the AFL in style, finishing runner-up to Andrew McLeod in the 2001 Club Champion award (he polled votes in every game he played), and he was placed third in 2002. His importance to the team was recognised by him winning the Club’s Best Team Man Award twice. Injury troubles returned, however, restricting him to only 13 games in his last three seasons.

He struggled through the first two games of the 2005 season, reaching his 100th Club game milestone in the opening round, but retired from the AFL and SANFL a few weeks later. Mark then returned home to play with Heyfield, where he won a premiership playing alongside brother Andrew.