Jordan De Goey future: St Kilda coach Brett Ratten says club has discussed Collingwood free agent
St Kilda coach Brett Ratten has revealed the club has discussed the merits of recruiting Jordan De Goey and the criteria it would need the Magpies free agent to meet.
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St Kilda coach Brett Ratten admits the Saints have discussed the prospect of recruiting Jordan De Goey but says they will look at “all the evidence” around his off-field indiscretions before making a play for the off-contract star.
The Saints were linked heavily to DeGoey in the wake of the Magpies pulling a four-year, $3.2 million deal off the table following his behaviour on mid-season trip to Bali which resulted in the club imposing a suspended $25,000 fine.
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While St Kilda officials were adamant no formal offer had been put to DeGoey, who is out of contract at the end of this season and with Collingwood parking talks on a new deal, Ratten said his club would do “homework” on any free agent who was potentially available.
Ratten was conscious any new player would have to fit in with the “culture” he and the coaching staff were trying to develop at St Kilda.
“We‘d have to do our homework and have a look at exactly what has happened and take all the evidence because as you do when you bring in any player, especially opponents from another club,” Ratten said on Wednesday.
“You’re looking at the on field performance, and you’re looking at what you’re trying to build as a football club and culture and that as well. So we take in both sides of the equation, and then we make decisions around there and all those free agents will be singled out and sort of maybe targeting one or two, if it’s possible.
“We do assess everything they do on and off the field.”
Ratten deferred any potential decision to the club’s list manager, James Gallagher, but confirmed DeGoey’s name had been “brought up”.
“Our club looks at all free agents in the competition. He’s one of those but you know, that’s more of a question for at least management and what we do as a club going forward,” Ratten said.
“So yeah, he’s a name that’s been brought up, as has probably 15 others, maybe 20 others that are out (of contract). We look at everyone that is there as a free agent.”
Ratten said while the focus this week has been on AFL players for their behaviour when it comes to social media, after Magpies Jack Ginnivan and Issac Quaynor were also cautioned, was a lesson for everyone about what isn’t acceptable.
“I think it‘s a constant reminder for everybody. I don’t think it’s just about players. I think it’s a sign you’re not allowed to just throw things willy nilly out there and be disrespectful to people and things like that,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter if you play AFL work at the bank or a schoolteacher or just a mum at home. You don’t get the right to do that. And that’s the biggest message … to the broader community about how we respect people.”
EX-SAINTS COACH URGES CLUB TO CHASE DE GOEY
Jon Ralph
Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas says the Saints would be “derelict in their duty” not to make a massive play for Jordan De Goey as Collingwood officially withdrew a contract offer for the wayward star.
The Pies are meeting with De Goey on Monday afternoon for high-level talks after his nightclub antics threw a further cloud over his Collingwood future.
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The Herald Sun reported on Monday the Pies could be prepared to defer contract talks with De Goey to ensure he proved he could behave in coming months ahead of a deal to sacrifice his free agency.
But it is understood that deal had already been taken off the table over the weekend.
That deal was for two seasons plus a trigger for an extra two years.
As those talks dragged on it seemed likely on Monday that no resolution would take place until Tuesday.
Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas told the Herald Sun on Monday the Saints had to launch a bid for De Goey given he had done little wrong.
St Kilda is leading the chasing pack of clubs and would need to offer a long-term deal of up to five years.
But the Saints are yet to lodge any formal offer for the star midfielder as they assess the free agency landscape in the next 12 weeks.
Broadcaster Gerard Whateley labelled De Goey “unrecruitable” on Monday but Thomas said that was incorrect.
Thomas said De Goey was no choirboy but didn’t need to be given the club’s leadership could knock off his rough edges.
“There is nothing dangerous about Jordan,” he told the Herald Sun.
“If he has the right structure around him, the right management, the right leadership, the right development, he will turn out to be the perfect human being we all wish all of our sports heroes were.
“(St Kilda) would be derelict in their duty if they didn’t (try to recruit him). We don’t have the luxury of being able to draft the best players recently. We have been going to the well of other clubs and grabbing players. Some have worked OK, some not so good. De Goey is a proven performer in the top echelon of AFL players. Of course you would get him and back your system in.”
“There are so many scallywags in the AFL we don’t even hear about or know about. That is because the club covers it up. Jordan is not on his own
“He is in a pretty big group out of 850 odd AFL players. Jordan De Goey is not the only naughty boy. It’s like the classroom. 10 per cent studious nerds, 70 per cent who sat there and got along and the blokes like me up the back causing havoc.”
De Goey was expected to face the music at Magpies headquarters, after landing back in Melbourne on Sunday night.
However, the 26-year-old did not arrive alongside teammates, who returned to the club after their bye weekend.
Collingwood officials have said De Goey won’t be returning to training until Wednesday. Most teammates brushed off the waiting media pack as they arrived at the club, but Collingwood defender Jeremy Howe said he had spoken to De Goey.
“It’s just support for him, as a teammate, you’ve still got to be there for him” Howe said.
“As a club we’ll just deal with it when Jordy comes in.”
The rest of the Magpies’ squad had a light training run on Monday afternoon.
Collingwood, which sits ninth on the ladder, will face off with Greater Western Sydney at the MCG on Sunday.
Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge said on Monday the Pies could not penalise De Goey but should remind him of his obligations to the club.
“It would be a discussion to Jordan about putting yourself in a position not to get filmed,” he told SEN.
“Make a decision on where you go next break, don’t go to a place you know there will be 1000 cameras waiting for you to make one slip up. That is what the discussion will be. I don’t think they can punish him unless they told him not to go to a nightclub
“He hasn’t done anything for them to come down hard apart from bringing unwanted media attention but it wasn’t his fault. Someone filmed him and sent it back to the papers.
“That is today’s generation. You haven’t been somewhere if you haven’t put it on Instagram or Snapchat. If you went to Bali and didn’t post on it, who said you were there?”
“They may not let him go next time but as far as what he has done it is nothing wrong, he was out there doing what every other player has done but it’s a story because of what he has done in the past and the club he plays for.”
Where’s Jordy?
—Chris Cavanagh
Collingwood star Jordan De Goey has been unsighted at Olympic Park this morning and is expected to miss the club’s afternoon training session.
The Magpies play GWS on Sunday.
While his teammates returned from their bye break today, De Goey isn’t expected back at the club until Wednesday following his controversial mid-season trip to Bali.
De Goey was set to face the music at Magpies headquarters on Monday, after reportedly landing back in Melbourne on Sunday night.
However, the 26-year-old did not arrive alongside teammates, who returned to the club after their bye weekend.
Teammates brushed off a waiting media pack as they arrived at the club, unwilling to talk about De Goey’s situation.
The Magpies are set to hit the training track at 2pm.
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Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge said on Monday the Pies could not penalise De Goey but should remind him of his obligations to the club.
“It would be a discussion to Jordan about putting yourself in a position not to get filmed,” he told SEN.
“Make a decision on where you go next break, don’t go to a place you know there will be 1000 cameras waiting for you to make one slip up. That is what the discussion will be. I don’t think they can punish him unless they told him not to go to a nightclub
“He hasn’t done anything for them to come down hard apart from bringing unwanted media attention but it wasn’t his fault. Someone filmed him and sent it back to the papers.
“That is today’s generation. You haven’t been somewhere if you haven’t put it on Instagram or Snapchat. If you went to Bali and didn’t post on it, who said you were there?”
“They may not let him go next time but as far as what he has done it is nothing wrong, he was out there doing what every other player has done but it’s a story because of what he has done in the past and the club he plays for.”
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Originally published as Jordan De Goey future: St Kilda coach Brett Ratten says club has discussed Collingwood free agent
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