Stevens, 28, said he missed training after pinched a nerve behind his shoulder blade while lifting weights. A prolapsed disc ended his 2007 season after just three games.
He told the Herald Sun the rumours began when his pinched nerve coincided with a scheduled visit to his neck surgeon.
"How can a story start from something so small?" Stevens asked.
"I've worked so hard to get where I am and thought, here we go again, people making up bulls***"
"It had nothing to do with the neck. This has been blown out of all proportion.
"I pinched a nerve when I was doing a shoulder-press and because I missed training, because I had an infection in my knee, everyone thought it was my neck.
"When it happened, I knew it was different, you know when you've done something to a nerve because it's a totally different pain.
"Two days later it had settled down, it was fine."
"It's frustrating because everyone was ringing me, and I'd be walking around the street and people would always ask, 'Are you right?'. Truthfully, I couldn't be in better shape for round one. Put your house on that I'll be playing round one."
Stevens missed Friday’s NAB Challenge match against the Western Bulldogs, but trained before the game and again this week.
"I did 100 per cent today, no dramas, and all the competitive (work), so I'm ready to go round one," he said.
