AFL 2022: All the latest on Jordan De Goey’s court case and return to Collingwood training

Jordan De Goey’s manager has spoken at length about the Magpies star’s off-season dramas and 2022 plans, and why a booze ban is not on the agenda.

Controversial Collingwood star Jordan De Goey doesn’t have an alcohol problem or anger management issues, according to his manager Ryan Vague.

But the Magpie midfielder/forward is committed to becoming “the best version of himself” ahead of a crunch 2022 AFL season.

In the wake of his US court dramas, which ended on Saturday after he was ordered to undergo anger management and alcohol therapy sessions as well a club-imposed program with the Salvation Army, De Goey is determined to make amends after pleading guilty to a harassment charge over a New York bar room brawl late last year.

Vague said De Goey was prepared to work hard to regain the trust of the club and was willing to meet with the AFL if required.

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But he stressed it was unlikely there would be any further sanctions.

“We are not facing any (further) sanctions or any more from the footy club apart from the program put around him, the Salvos and a few other things we will work on,” Vague said on SEN.

“He will comply and meet with the AFL, but at this stage, everyone is comfortable with, in some ways, his penance of a stand down and time away from the footy club is enough.

“I don’t see any extra sanctions will come and we have all got to that point (in) agreeance.”

Jordan De Goey returns to Magpies training. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

De Goey returned to Collingwood training last week after a three-month exile.

Vague said De Goey is unlikely to have a self-imposed alcohol ban as he goes into the final year of his contract with the Magpies.

“That hasn’t been something that at the moment we have been looking at,” his manager said.

“I know with the (New York) charges there was a bit of alcohol (involved) and the anger stuff that comes from the (education) sessions that he has to do. He will undergo that education and will be very compliant, and will be willing to do so.

“He doesn’t have an alcohol problem or an anger management problem, but he is willing to do that education.

“At this stage we don’t see Jordan doing a self-imposed alcohol ban, but if the time comes and he believes it would be better for him, he would consider it.

“But at this stage, from all the parties, we don’t see that being an issue.”

Vague said he believed the 25-year-old was as fit as he could possibly be – and hadn’t lost his touch with the ball – after a return to Collingwood training last week.

“We’d love to say we could forget about the last three months, but he has been doing his training (away from the club),” Vague said.

“He wants to have a big 2022 and I still believe the best version of Jordan De Goey is going to be this year upcoming.

“He is completely committed to that, so I hope he can go from strength to strength on the back of last year and really prove himself.”

De Goey is still a matchwinner, says Mick McGuane Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Asked if a fit and focused De Goey could become the best player in the competition, Vague said: “I definitely think he wants to be. Jordan can be anything Jordan wants to be.

“He has shown brilliance, but (his) consistency probably hasn’t been there, but I wouldn’t put a ceiling on it.

“I would love to have a situation mid-season where you say, ‘He’s flying and in Brownlow contention’, but he just needs to work hard, put it together more consistently.”

De Goey, who finished fourth in Collingwood’s best-and-fairest last year, is keen to spend more time in the midfield this season.

He comes out of contract later this year, with his form and off-field behaviour being a big pointer to the future in terms of potential negotiations with the Magpies or offers from rival clubs for 2023 and beyond.

He has had some frank discussions with new Collingwood coach Craig McRae, who reached out in the situation, despite De Goey’s exclusion from the club.

“Jordan understands the seriousness of the situation and he did from the start, he’s extremely remorseful for putting himself in that place, and his actions, and he has apologised for that,” Vague said.

“Now we have got some really good things in place at the club, he had some good support around him from a professional sense.

“Craig reached out early in the piece … He has been really good for Jordan

“They have had plenty of contact throughout and as we worked through stuff with the club a couple of face-to-face meetings.”

Humbling experience awaits De Goey

— Rebecca Williams

Jordan De Goey will work with the city’s homeless and vulnerable as part of a club-imposed program with the Salvation Army which the charity says will be “grounding” for the Magpies star and a reminder of his privilege.

De Goey’s US court drama came to a close on Saturday when he was ordered to undergo anger management and alcohol therapy sessions after pleading guilty to a harassment charge over a New York bar brawl. He apologised for his actions as part of a plea deal.

After a dramatic off-season which threatened his career, the 25-year-old was reinstated to the Magpies’ AFL program on January 21.

De Goey had been stood down from the club since October 31 last year.

As a condition of his return to training, De Goey agreed to club-imposed terms which included an acceptance of continuing further off-field support from health professionals and a commitment to permanent, part-time work with the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army said it would meet with Collingwood this week to discuss in more detail the work De Goey would undertake with the charitable group.

Collingwood's Jordan De Goey shakes hands with Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle at the Salvos footy finals lunch in Bourke St headquarters. Picture: Michael Klein

Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle said De Goey would likely spend time working at the Salvo’s Bourke Street cafe helping and talking to vulnerable and homeless people.

“We run a cafe for people that are homeless — or at risk of homelessness — so it’s practical support in providing meals to people but it’s also spending time with people and listening and having a conversation with them,” Major Nottle told News Corp.

“A large part of the issue that we see everyday and every night in the cafe is just people that are very isolated.

“To have someone like Jordan not just doing the practical things in supporting the program but actually sitting down and conversing is a very helpful thing, too.

“It is a pretty grounding environment. I think what it does is it’s a very powerful reminder to people of what they have and it’s a powerful reminder of what they can give and the impact that they can have on others.

“When you’re involved with the AFL or other elite sports you can very easily get caught up in that bubble and I think what being involved in programs like what we run with the Salvation Army, it can actually take you out of the bubble and ground you and just remind you of what you have and that you’re actually pretty privileged.”

Collingwood reached out to the Salvation Army, which it has held a long association with, about getting De Goey involved in its programs after he previously volunteered with them.

Major Nottle said De Goey - and the Salvation Army - had benefited from his involvement.

“It’s not the first time Jordan has volunteered with us so I think that’s why the idea came to mind that they (Magpies) go there again,” Major Nottle said.

“Jordan volunteered with us a couple of years ago and he was just very, very good to have around.

Brendan Nottle at the Salvation Army’s Bourke St Cafe in 2015.

“We have different people from different walks of life come in and volunteer but Jordan was actually particularly good. I think it is his personality, he has just got a very easygoing, pretty relaxed personality which is good for that environment.

“But I think what Collingwood saw back then was that he also benefited from being around that environment.

“It is a pretty grounding environment and I think he certainly got some benefit out of that and benefit from also seeing that you can use celebrity, if you want to call it that, or being a well-known public figure for real good, for genuine good.

“You can have a significant impact on some incredibly vulnerable people and not just make their day but you can actually be doing some work that helps turn their life around.

“That’s really what we want to see come out of this time that we will be spending with Jordan.”

Major Nottle said De Goey’s involvement would be “structured” by the club but he expected it would be “ongoing” throughout the year and not “hit and miss”.

As he faces a critical season on field in a contract year, Major Nottle suggested the outside outlet could inadvertently help De Goey’s football pursuits.

“I’m definitely not a footy coach but what it can do is broaden people’s perspective on life,” he said.

“So rather than just focusing on the one thing, it can actually broaden their world view, which I think is a really important thing.

“We are just looking forward to having Jordan involved …. we believe that the impact back the other way will be just as important, too.”

McGuane: Time has come for De Goey to repay faith

– Nick Smart

Collingwood star Jordan De Goey has been ordered to undergo anger management and alcohol therapy sessions as his US court drama drew to a close on Saturday.

De Goey, who was welcomed back into the Magpies’ program on January 21, pleaded guilty to a harassment charge over a New York bar brawl and apologised for his actions as part of a plea deal.

The 25-year-old did so when he appeared virtually from Melbourne in Manhattan’s Criminal Court.

His lawyer Jacob Kaplan told the court De Goey had withdrawn his previous not guilty plea to assault and harassment charges to plead guilty to the lesser charge of harassment in the second degree, which is a violation and not a criminal offence.

The court heard De Goey will be required to attend 10 therapy sessions that focus on alcohol and anger management as part of the agreement.

“I would like to apologise for my actions and I appreciate the process going forward,” De Goey told the court.

Collingwood did not comment on Saturday, with a Magpies staffer pointing out the club already addressed the case’s outcome in a statement last week.

Jordan De Goey with coach Craig McRae at Collingwood training. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

With the matter closed, Magpies premiership star Mick McGuane urged De Goey to “silence the critics” with his on-field actions in 2022.

“There’s one thing to do – head down, bum up, silence the critics and play footy,” McGuane said.

“It’s a contract year so he has a breakout year, wins a Copeland trophy, high up in the Brownlow count, helps Collingwood make and win finals and win a grand final, his currency goes through the roof.

“It’s over to him, and if Collingwood don’t want him after what they might see as the torment he’s put them through for a period of time, I guarantee 17 other clubs will jump at him.”

De Goey is set to again play a midfield-forward hybrid role again this season.

McGuane urged him to take his game to another level, pointing out that matchwinners at the Magpies were in very short supply.

“They’ve got two (matchwinners), (Jamie) Elliott is one and De Goey is the other,” he said.

“Both have been on the sidelines for one reason or another at various stages at times when Collingwood have needed them fully fit.

“There’s an argument he (De Goey) can implement in terms of his effectiveness for Collingwood not too dissimilar to what the great Dustin Martin has done at Richmond and the year Jake Stringer had at Essendon,” he said.

“And that means being pretty influential around the centre clearances, midfield stoppages and being that kind of centre forward barometer for your team.

“That’s the modern day model of the midfielder that can also have that creative licence to drift forward.”

- with Megan Palin

Originally published as AFL 2022: All the latest on Jordan De Goey’s court case and return to Collingwood training