Collingwood star Jordan De Goey prepares to face New York court over nightclub incident
Collingwood star Jordan De Goey will face a New York court via Zoom this week, and a leading lawyer has given him hope of resuming his AFL career.
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Jordan De Goey would be confident he can resuscitate his AFL career with Collingwood by dodging an assault conviction, according to one of Melbourne’s leading lawyers.
The Collingwood star is preparing to appear in a Manhattan Court on December 8 New York time via Zoom on assault and harassment charges.
De Goey was given permission by a New York judge to appear remotely, but it is not clear whether the matter will be settled this week or if the appearance is the start of a long-winded process.
De Goey was set to meet with Collingwood coach Craig McRae to explain his circumstances ahead of the appearance on Wednesday night or Thursday morning after the Pies rejected his bid to return to training.
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When the 25-year-old’s fate is revealed by the New York court the Pies will be keen to come to a decision on his future as quickly as possible.
But while the decision would be strongly guided by the Pies football department, the Collingwood board will also have a strong say on his future.
The AFL and AFLPA will also be consulted, with an adverse finding on the assault charges potentially taking the decision out of Collingwood’s hands with the league stepping in.
Collingwood will be open-minded on his future until the decision, and while the Pies have been removed from the legal process they expect to be informed of its resolution by his management.
Leading Melbourne lawyer Justin Quill said on Monday that De Goey’s New York lawyers would be pushing for a plea deal or bond similar to an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal.
In effect, that would be a good behaviour bond that would require De Goey to not offend again for a set period, but would help preserve his AFL contract.
Quill believes that while the Pies could decide to pay out his $800,000 contract, De Goey would be optimistic the legal issues will not see them tearing up his deal.
“A non-conviction bond would mean he cannot commit another offence, and there is always grounds to end a contract on an issue that brings the AFL into disrepute, but in terms of Collingwood, the short answer is no,” he told the Herald Sun.
“The resolution might mean his charges aren’t serious enough (for Collingwood to sack him). It’s not to say Collingwood have to keep him on the books, you can always cut players, but they would have to pay him out.”
Quill said the New York judge would have weighed the severity of the charges when he allowed De Goey to return to Australia despite the case not being finalised.
De Goey has told friends a push-and-shove broke out after patrons helped themselves to drinks from his bottle service, with at least one punch believed to have been thrown.
“As with any court proceeding, a judge will weigh the case on its merits. The judge will weigh the likely penalty and seriousness of the charges against the imposition on an individual.
“He will be hopeful of avoiding a jail term but in theory if he were (sentenced to jail time) there is a US-Australian extradition treaty.”
De Goey has enlisted powerful New York defence law firm Brafman & Associates to help defend him.
The firm has represented the who’s who of New York figures including movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, with De Goey likely to pay tens of thousands of dollars to fund his defence.
Pies block De Goey bid for early return
Collingwood has rejected Jordan De Goey’s plea to be allowed to train with the club on Monday as his manager disputes the decision to stand him down indefinitely.
De Goey flew back into Australia this week and is back in Melbourne awaiting a December 8 appearance by Zoom on Manhattan assault charges.
Collingwood stood him down indefinitely when he was facing those charges as well as forcible touching charges that were subsequently dropped.
His manager Ryan Vague, also his brother-in-law, said on Friday he did not believe the Pies should have stood him down given the uncertainty about the charges.
De Goey has been told by the club he cannot be on Collingwood’s premises with the senior players of five or more years experience returning to the club on December 6.
Vague told SEN both he and De Goey had made overtures to Collingwood to allow him to train with his teammates but they had been told that was not possible.
“The stand down is currently still at play,” he said.
“Jordan and myself reached out to Collingwood asking for him to be reinstated and allowed to attend training on Monday, but the stand down will stay in place.
“We’ll put some arrangements around Jordan, he’ll continue to train. He had an awesome training camp over in California and he’ll continue with that. We’ll work with Collingwood to get back to the club.”
De Goey was stood down by Collingwood with the AFL’s support only hours after his nightclub dispute which saw him fighting a 37-year-old man.
Collingwood says even under the best-case scenario De Goey has again put himself at risk and admitted to being involved in a scuffle after many previous incidents.
“I don’t agree with (him being stood down),” Vague said.
“I understand the club had to make a decision, but I don’t think the stand down should’ve been imposed on him. It would’ve been a hard decision for Collingwood, but I expressed to the football club to allow for some more time.
“The decision was made quite quickly on the Sunday in late October, in our codes and other codes around the country, in my opinion we didn’t have a no fault stand down rule.
“They had to make a decision and we’ll continue to work with them. Jordan is my client, I wish the stand down didn’t happen but we’ll work with that.”
Leading lawyer David Galbally AM SC, a former Collingwood board member, told the Herald Sun this week De Goey’s potential plea deal to avoid a conviction might force him to plead guilty.
He said if he did plead guilty it might allow Collingwood to move De Goey on given repeat incidents including lying to the club about a bar-room fight and a drink driving charge.
Lawyer: De Goey has painted himself into corner
A plea bargain that could keep Jordan De Goey out of a New York jail on the proviso he pleads guilty to assault charges could still impact his Collingwood career.
Leading Melbourne lawyer and former Collingwood director David Galbally AM SC says De Goey will face a challenge to have all charges dropped when he faces a Manhattan court by Zoom on December 8.
The star Collingwood midfielder, stood down indefinitely by the Pies, flew back into Australia via Sydney on Tuesday but did not answer questions from waiting reporters.
He is facing assault and harassment charges, with the club admitting he had been involved in a scuffle after an argument broke out at an up-market Chelsea nightclub.
De Goey will continue to train by himself after being told by the Magpies he cannot use their facilities, and in a worst-case scenario his case could drag on for several months.
De Goey is hopeful the charges will be dropped or downgraded, with one scenario a good behaviour bond that would see no conviction registered if he does not offend again in 6-12 months.
But as Galbally told the Herald Sun on Tuesday, there are risks with pleading guilty to ensure he does not have to return to face jail time given his list of priors at Collingwood.
Collingwood would have no grounds to sack De Goey if all charges were dropped, but a guilty plea would widen their options in retaining him with an internal suspension or cutting ties with the star playmaker.
“If he is acquitted, if he gets off, that’s the only way to put him in a better light at Collingwood. Based on what I have read he will be hard-pressed not to get out of some charge which would put him in a bad light at Collingwood and in effect mean he couldn’t get back into America again,” Galbally said.
“He will have a number of things going through his mind, not the least of which is that a guilty plea would affect his ability to get back into the country and would affect what happens to him insofar as his football career in Victoria.
“He has put himself into a corner insofar as there is no way he will not face some kind of consequence as a result of his behaviour.”
Galbally said Collingwood’s hierarchy and board would be torn between making a stand and realising De Goey was capable of change.
“Plenty of players have transgressed with the way they have behaved outside football and gone on to contribute in life. Strange as this statement may be, but sometimes it takes a real wake-up call to pull people into line. Then, of course, some people never wake up to the way they behave and are bloody idiots their whole lives.
“Collingwood might need him. He is potentially the player who could win a premiership for us. He can do anything within 10 minutes in a game.”
The Herald Sun revealed last week that De Goey – who was stood down by the Magpies immediately after his messy night out in New York – felt he had been abandoned by the club he has called home for the past seven years.
The club said in its statement when De Goey was charged that he would be stood down “until such time as an outcome to proceedings against him in the United States is reached or a more complete account of events is established”.
De Goey drew support from captain Scott Pendlebury on Tuesday, who told Nine he hoped the star would still be a one-club player. “Even when this incident happened, everyone just went off on tangents about if this happened or that happened. I am a lot more black and white than that - just wait until December 8, see where it lands and we can make an educated call from that. I would love for Jordy to play his whole career at Collingwood,” he said.
De Goey had initial charges of forcible touching dropped in the days after the New York incident.
De Goey back in Australia after arrest scandal
– Will Hogan
Jordan De Goey has landed back in Australia as he looks to defend assault and harassment charges via Zoom on December 8 when he dials into a Manhattan courtroom.
The star Collingwood midfielder had been training in the US in the weeks after he was arrested after an incident in a New York nightclub.
The 25-year-old landed in Sydney airport and did not stop to talk to reporters - he remains stood down by Collingwood.
Next month he will dial into a court hearing but has been cleared to remain in Australia for now.
Magpies football boss Graham Wright said De Goey, 25, would remain stood down at least until the club comes face-to-face with their marquee goalkicker.
“That behaviour over a period of time has found us in a situation where we felt it was the right thing to do for the football club to stand him down,” Wright said last week.
The Herald Sun revealed last week that De Goey – who was stood down by the Magpies immediately after his messy night out in New York – felt he had been abandoned by the club he has called home for the past seven years.
The club said in its statement when De Goey was charged he would be stood down “until such time as an outcome to proceedings against him in the United States is reached or a more complete account of events is established”.
De Goey had initial forcible touching charges dropped in the days after the New York incident.
Will Pies regret standing star down?
– Sam Landsberger
Premiership player Heath Shaw says Collingwood desperately needs to welcome back Jordan De Goey or it could be a long season for a club which finished second-last this year.
The Herald Sun revealed last week that De Goey – who was stood down by the Magpies immediately after his messy night out in New York – felt he had been abandoned by the club he has called home for the past seven years.
The matchwinner is due back in Australia this week and is set to defend his assault and harassment charges via Zoom on December 8 when he dials into a Manhattan courtroom.
“The old saying goes you’re innocent until proven guilty, and at the moment a few of those charges were dropped straight away,” Shaw told News Corp as Shane Warne launched KFC SuperCoach BBL.
“He’s a very good player. He got himself into a bit of trouble over there – but it’s a big asset to lose.
“Especially for a team like Collingwood who have struggled, so I hope he gets back, everything is cleared up and then he’s just back playing footy.”
Shaw was unsure whether De Goey would remain at Collingwood beyond next season, when he qualifies for restricted free agency.
“It might’ve been a bit premature (to stand him down),” Shaw said.
“But at some point clubs think they have to make a stand, and they have.
“It’s not that he’s going to stop training or preparing himself to play, but he just won’t be in at the club.“It’s a sticky situation. It’s very, very grey. I hope he gets back and is playing at Collingwood next year because he’s a gun and his second half of the year was unbelievable.
“If he had a full season of that, who knows what the Pies could do and what he could achieve as well?
“There might be a few tough conversations around that (re-signing beyond 2022), especially if he does stay on next year and the way it’s all been handled now.
“But it is what it is in a way. Clubs make decisions based on the whole club and not based on one player.
“I think he’ll be fine, I think he’ll be playing at Collingwood next year. Beyond that, who knows?”
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