Steele Sidebottom

Steele Sidebottom (born 2 January 1991) is a professional Australian rules football player currently playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Sidebottom was selected by Collingwood with selection 11 in the 2008 AFL Draft. Sidebottom had a 10-goal best-on-ground performance in the 2008 TAC Cup Grand Final. He is strong overhead and in one-on-one contests. An AIS/AFL Academy graduate and Vic Country representative in 2008, Sidebottom also was selected in the All-Australian team following the 2008 AFL Under 18 Championships.

A midfielder, Sidebottom became a star player for Collingwood. He has won the Copeland Trophy twice as the club's best and fairest (2017, 2018) and also played in premierships in 2010 and 2023. Sidebottom has been named in the All-Australian team in 2018 on a wing in addition to finishing second in the 2018 Brownlow Medal. He has been the co-vice captain of Collingwood since the 2015 season.

Career
Sidebottom made his AFL debut vs St Kilda in Round 7, 2009, where St Kilda defeated Collingwood by 88 points.

In the semi-final against Adelaide of the 2009 AFL Season, Sidebottom had his first major breakthrough, where he notched up 25 disposals in a come-from-behind win.

In 2010, Sidebottom played in all but one game for the Magpies, including both the drawn Grand Final and Grand Final replay. At 19 years of age, he was the youngest member of Collingwood's 2010 Premiership side.

On 6 October 2017, Sidebottom won the Copeland Trophy.

In the 2018 Brownlow Medal count, Sidebottom finished in second place (his career best).

In 2020, Sidebottom was handed a four match suspension for breaching the AFL's COVID-19 protocols, after he and teammate Lynden Dunn had shared an Uber together and visited several homes, with the night concluding with Sidebottom being driven home by police.

In 2023, Sidebottom played his 300th AFL game, becoming the 4th Collingwood player to ever do so. He injured his MCL and did not play until Round 18. Sidebottom later kicked a 60-meter bomb in the final to give Collingwood the premiership.

Statistics
Updated to the end of the 2023 season.

! colspan=3 | Career ! 309 !! 190 !! 128 !! 4158 !! 3143 !! 7301 !! 1561 !! 1158 !! 0.6 !! 0.4 !! 13.5 !! 10.2 !! 23.6 !! 5.1 !! 3.7 !! 101
 * 2009 || || 22
 * 11 || 3 || 3 || 82 || 85 || 167 || 42 || 44 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 7.5 || 7.7 || 15.2 || 3.8 || 4.0 || 0
 * bgcolor=F0E68C | 2010# || || 22
 * 25 || 24 || 13 || 253 || 209 || 462 || 105 || 101 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 10.1 || 8.4 || 18.5 || 4.2 || 4.0 || 1
 * 2011 || || 22
 * 25 || 25 || 13 || 275 || 214 || 489 || 128 || 107 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 11.0 || 8.6 || 19.6 || 5.1 || 4.3 || 4
 * 2012 || || 22
 * 24 || 14 || 13 || 377 || 258 || 635 || 133 || 89 || 0.6 || 0.5 || 15.7 || 10.8 || 26.5 || 5.5 || 3.7 || 7
 * 2013 || || 22
 * 23 || 19 || 10 || 361 || 194 || 555 || 120 || 77 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 15.7 || 8.4 || 24.1 || 5.2 || 3.3 || 7
 * 2014 || || 22
 * 19 || 14 || 14 || 327 || 181 || 508 || 109 || 78 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 17.2 || 9.5 || 26.7 || 5.7 || 4.1 || 9
 * 2015 || || 22
 * 16 || 7 || 8 || 251 || 186 || 437 || 85 || 53 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 15.7 || 11.6 || 27.3 || 5.3 || 3.3 || 9
 * 2016 || || 22
 * 20 || 17 || 7 || 273 || 241 || 514 || 108 || 90 || 0.9 || 0.4 || 13.7 || 12.1 || 25.7 || 5.4 || 4.5 || 7
 * 2017 || || 22
 * 22 || 16 || 9 || 344 || 256 || 600 || 115 || 93 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 15.6 || 11.6 || 27.3 || 5.2 || 4.2 || 14
 * 2018 || || 22
 * 26 || 12 || 14 || 361 || 403 || 764 || 133 || 96 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 13.9 || 15.5 || 29.4 || 5.1 || 3.7 || 24
 * 2019 || || 22
 * 23 || 10 || 7 || 339 || 253 || 592 || 141 || 84 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 14.7 || 11.0 || 25.7 || 6.1 || 3.7 || 7
 * 2020 || || 22
 * 9 || 5 || 3 || 112 || 101 || 213 || 33 || 38 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 12.4 || 11.2 || 23.7 || 3.7 || 4.2 || 6
 * 2021 || || 22
 * 21 || 8 || 5 || 272 || 228 || 500 || 114 || 62 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 13.0 || 10.9 || 23.8 || 5.4 || 3.0 || 0
 * 2022 || || 22
 * 25 || 12 || 7 || 274 || 175 || 449 || 110 || 74 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 11.0 || 7.0 || 18.0 || 4.4 || 3.0 || 3
 * bgcolor=F0E68C | 2023# || || 22
 * 20 || 4 || 2 || 257 || 160 || 417 || 85 || 72 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 12.9 || 8.0 || 20.9 || 4.3 || 3.6 || 3
 * - class=sortbottom
 * 2019 || || 22
 * 23 || 10 || 7 || 339 || 253 || 592 || 141 || 84 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 14.7 || 11.0 || 25.7 || 6.1 || 3.7 || 7
 * 2020 || || 22
 * 9 || 5 || 3 || 112 || 101 || 213 || 33 || 38 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 12.4 || 11.2 || 23.7 || 3.7 || 4.2 || 6
 * 2021 || || 22
 * 21 || 8 || 5 || 272 || 228 || 500 || 114 || 62 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 13.0 || 10.9 || 23.8 || 5.4 || 3.0 || 0
 * 2022 || || 22
 * 25 || 12 || 7 || 274 || 175 || 449 || 110 || 74 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 11.0 || 7.0 || 18.0 || 4.4 || 3.0 || 3
 * bgcolor=F0E68C | 2023# || || 22
 * 20 || 4 || 2 || 257 || 160 || 417 || 85 || 72 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 12.9 || 8.0 || 20.9 || 4.3 || 3.6 || 3
 * - class=sortbottom
 * bgcolor=F0E68C | 2023# || || 22
 * 20 || 4 || 2 || 257 || 160 || 417 || 85 || 72 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 12.9 || 8.0 || 20.9 || 4.3 || 3.6 || 3
 * - class=sortbottom
 * - class=sortbottom
 * }

Notes

Honours and achievements
Collingwood
 * 2× AFL Premiership (Collingwood): 2010, 2023
 * McClelland Trophy (Collingwood): 2010, 2011
 * AFL Minor Premiership (Collingwood) 2010, 2011 2023
 * NAB Cup (Collingwood) 2011

Individual
 * All-Australian team: 2018
 * 2× Copeland Trophy: 2017, 2018
 * Collingwood co-vice captain: 2015–
 * Gary Ayres Award: 2018
 * Anzac Day Medal: 2016 (round 5)
 * 2× 22under22 team: 2012, 2013

Personal life
His older brother Ryan plays cricket for the Victorian Bushrangers.