Carlton not interested in Collingwood forward Jordan De Goey
Jordan De Goey’s list of suitors is already being trimmed after a key player in the race for the Collingwood forward pulled the pin on its pursuit. Where will he end up and could the Pies land a big fish if he leaves?
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Jordan De Goey’s flirtation with Carlton has lasted only days, with the Blues adamant they are not interested in the enigmatic Collingwood forward.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley made clear on Saturday night De Goey’s only issues with the Pies are financial, as he seeks a pay rise on his current $800,000-per-season deal.
De Goey has finished top-10 in the Collingwood best and fairest only once in six seasons despite his undoubted brilliance and also has an indecent assault charge that he must confront in coming weeks.
He is due at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on October 30, which is during the AFL’s 2020 trade period.
The Herald Sun understands Carlton’s interest in De Goey was never real despite him being linked to the club late last week.
The Blues have cap space if a star player becomes available even as they try to broker a deal for Essendon’s Adam Saad.
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But despite their determination to lure a small pressuring forward Carlton clearly had little faith that they could land De Goey so will not consider a contract.
Any deal that saw De Goey leave would also likely see a club handing up multiple first-round picks.
Carlton will have to find a way to secure Saad with some form of trade with Essendon, with the Blues currently holding picks 7, 27 and 45.
Essendon has also been linked with De Goey, but clearly the player wants to remain at the Pies if they can broker a new deal.
Given his modest season — 14 goals in 10 games — he would not be expected to figure in the club’s top-10 in the Copeland Trophy.
But a two-season deal which gives him a chance to prove his brilliance and prospects of a pay rise as he becomes a free agent would clearly suit both parties.
COULD CAMERON BE PIES’ SILVER LINING?
— Jay Clark and Sam Landsberger
Collingwood’s dream of poaching Coleman Medallist Jeremy Cameron could become a reality if Jordan De Goey accepts fierce rival Carlton’s godfather contract offer.
Coach Nathan Buckley conceded De Goey was chasing the biggest bag of cash, which is unlikely to come from the Magpies given their salary cap constraints.
There is no way Collingwood could afford both De Goey, 24, and Cameron, 27, in the same forward line next year.
But De Goey’s departure would free up $800,000 for the Magpies to splash at Cameron, leaving them as the wildcard in the race.
RELATED: DE GOEY CONTRACT CALL COMES DOWN TO MONEY
If the planets align they could even profit from their matchwinner’s departure, given they would receive a bonanza of high draft picks for trading De Goey and could then sign free agent Cameron for nothing.
List manager Ned Guy worked as a player agent at Hemisphere, which manages Cameron, before joining the Pies.
“Elements of people on (De Goey’s) side would like to see him remunerated as well as he possibly could,” Buckley said after his team was ambushed by Geelong on Saturday night.
“I think that’s (money) what it comes down to.”
De Goey sacked agent Ben Niall earlier this year. He is managing himself, with support from dad Roger De Goey.
The Magpies desperately want to bolster their offence and Buckley said the game had evolved from one-dimensional full-forwards, possibly such as Ben Brown and Paddy McCartin.
“The way the game is played, and the way it’s being contested and defended, the bigger, more cumbersome forwards are not your answer,” Buckley said.
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Cameron‘s agility and running power is one of his greatest weapons and GWS has a five-year deal worth as much as $750,000 a year on the table.
Geelong is also hotly pursuing the spearhead.
De Goey knocked back a bumper $5 million mega offer from North Melbourne in 2017, but may not be prepared to sacrifice as much cash this time.
“The only time I thought (leaving) was when my manager was on the phone said ‘North have upped their offer and (said) it was $1 million,” De Goey said in 2018.
“$1 million-a-year for five years’, and that’s when I was like, ‘Oh s**t’.
“Everyone wants to be a millionaire, don’t you?“
Collingwood is also on the verge of signing star defender Darcy Moore, with the All-Australian revealing an announcement was imminent.
The club remains confident De Goey will also stay and has high hopes for injured teenage goalkicker Will Kelly.
“We would’ve played Will Kelly all season if we could’ve. We think he’s a really likely type,“ Buckley said.
The Magpies are also bullish about 194cm Mark Keane, although they are unsure which end of the ground he will settle.
But Cameron would be an instant fix for a club which has won a final for three-straight years and, as Buckley pointed out, only played three bad games.
They were destroyed by Geelong (68 points), West Coast (66), and Melbourne (56) and got within three goals in the other 16 matches.
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Originally published as Carlton not interested in Collingwood forward Jordan De Goey