Jordan De Goey’s ‘apology’ torn to shreds after Collingwood punishment

Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey learnt his fate on Tuesday after his Bali saga, but the punishment handed down hasn’t sat well with fans.

Collingwood star Jordan De Goey has been handed a suspended punishment of $25,000 by his football club following his Bali nightclub video scandal.

De Goey has a history of off-field indiscretions and has been heavily criticised as footage emerged of his interaction with a female after he decided to jet overseas for a break during the bye round.

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The footballer on Tuesday also offered an apology to the club’s fans as part of a statement released by the Magpies.

He said he had “betrayed” the club’s trust and also revealed he was recently diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“The Collingwood Football Club strongly condemns the disrespectful conduct of player Jordan De Goey shown in footage taken in Bali where he chose to spend the mid-season bye period,” the club said in a statement on Tuesday after widespread criticism over its silence.

The club announced De Goey was already involved in a counselling program with a club psychologist but stated he will undertake further behavioural education for his conduct.

The suspended $25,000 fine means De Goey won’t have to pay a cent if he stays out of trouble for the remainder of the 2022 season.

The club said De Goey had accepted the disciplinary action. But the punishment, along with De Goey’s statement didn’t sit well with fans.

Collingwood’s statement was quickly dissected and torn apart by fans, with one journalist labelling it “a lot of words without punishment”.

Fans aren’t happy. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

“That Collingwood statement is a lot of words to say there’s no punishment. No suspension, a fine De Goey will never pay. The words are strong but the actions are not. If you do ‘strongly condemn’ the ‘disrespectful conduct’ towards women, then you must reprimand the behaviour,” Seven News’ Ryan Daniels tweeted.

Herald Sun editor Scott Carbines was equally as cutting in his assessment of the club’s words: “Jordan De Goey did not miss any matches after what happened in NYC and he won’t pay any fine for what happened in Bali. For Collingwood to claim its “very strong position is that disrespect towards women, in any form, is never acceptable and we strongly condemn it” is a farce,” he tweeted.

The Herald Sun’s Chief Football Writer Mark Robinson torched the “non-punishment” handed down and believes it leaves women worse off.

“Really strong and really powerful words but the actions didn’t back up the words. I mean a $25,000 suspended fine is not a penalty. It’s an ‘if you do it again punishment,’” Robinson said on AFL360.

“Well he might not do it again so what’s the punishment? Other than the gross embarrassment that’s surrounding Jordan at the moment or he should be embarrassed by what’s surrounding him, Collingwood has tough-talked this one but the actions are really poor and I’m really disappointed in the AFL.

“I’m incredibly disappointed. Don’t sit there, AFL and Collingwood, and tell everyone from your soapbox that the respect for women is paramount and then oversee a non-penalty. What are women supposed to think about this, seriously?

“They’ve let the female community down.”

Fans however also took issue with De Goey seemingly attempting to link his poor behaviour off the field to his recently diagnosed ADHD.

Jordan De Goey, I’m glad you’ve admitted to your mistakes but you don’t have the right to say that your ADHD is an excuse for what happened. I had ADHD growing up & I never accepted that as an excuse for something I did wrong. Don’t use an disability as an excuse for what you did

— Robbie Thornton (@RobbieThornton) June 21, 2022

Umbrella News’ Cade Lucas said he was “tired” of the chronic condition being used as an excuse whenever a “high-profile person is caught”.

“If Jordan De Goey has been diagnosed with ADHD, then good for him. I hope he gets the help he needs and it changes him for the better,” Lucas tweeted.

“But as someone who has struggled with it for years and continues to do so, I’m getting pretty tired of it being trotted out every time a high-profile person is caught being an arsehole.

“ADHD may help explain some of his behaviour, but it may not as well, and it certainly doesn’t excuse it. Yet bringing it up now, after the 379th time he’s been in trouble, makes it look like an excuse.

“The last thing people with ADHD, who might be struggling to hold down a job, complete school, maintain relationships, is to have people think it’s a convenient excuse or that everyone with it is a troublemaker like Jordan De Goey.

“Again, if De Goey has been diagnosed with ADHD and feels it is contributing to his behaviour, then I hope he gets help and becomes a better person. But people like him and the people who advise them need to think hard before putting it out there.”

If Jordon De Goey has been diagnosed with ADHD, then good for him. I hope he gets the help he needs and it changes him for the better. 1/

— Cade Lucas (@cadelucas) June 21, 2022

De Goey released a statement shortly after his punishment had been handed down.

“I unreservedly apologise to the Collingwood Football Club, its members, supporters and the wider community for my conduct in Bali and I accept full responsibility for my actions,” De Goey said.

“The actions shown in the video footage are disrespectful and I accept that I have betrayed the trust the club showed in me by allowing me to take my mid-season break overseas.

“I fully accept that as an AFL player, I have a unique leadership role in the community and with that role comes responsibility.

“My actions have fallen short of the standards expected of me as a person, as an AFL footballer and as a representative of the Collingwood Football Club.

“I had worked hard this year to establish trust and confidence in me to make better decisions and through no one’s fault but my own, I have undone that trust.”

De Goey also revealed he was recently diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and believes it is a contributing factor in the “mistake” he made.

“Late last year, I was diagnosed with ADHD and I am trying to become more aware of why I make mistakes that I do,” he said.

“I have again made a mistake – this is an ongoing journey for me – and I remain absolutely committed to changing.

“I will be seeking further support to take the appropriate and necessary steps to learn and improve as a person.

“Again, I apologise for my disrespectful conduct. I understand that I have let many people down and that I have much work to do to again rebuild trust.

“I am committed to making myself the best person I can be and I believe that the best chance I have to do that is in an environment where I have the support of my teammates and the club.”

Woman at centre of De Goey scandal

The announcement came just hours after De Goey’s former coach Nathan Buckley said the star should accept whatever offer the Magpies put in front of him as new reports emerged about the club’s decision to take a potential $3.2 million contract extension offer off the table.

De Goey earlier issued a statement blaming the media for the storm that has erupted over his situation. He took aim at media outlets for “the relentless pursuit and persecution of athletes” to “create an uneducated, bias and ill-informed narrative that has gone too far”.

The woman alongside De Goey in the video, Remy Jackson, also spoke out in defence of the AFL star on social media on the weekend.

“Hey everyone, I can’t believe the backlash towards Jordy and myself over here in Bali. Nothing to see here,” Jackson posted on her Instagram story.

Veteran journalist Caroline Wilson reported on Footy Classified on Monday night there’s a “very good chance” De Goey won’t be at Collingwood next season.

De Goey is expected to return to the club on Wednesday for his first training session since his trip to Bali.

There was another huge development in the hours following the announcement with Collingwood CEO Mark Anderson fronting the press and revealing contact talks with De Goey have been shut down until the end of the season.

It comes as the club also announced it will not be taking any disciplinary action against rising stars Jack Ginnivan and Isaac Quaynor, who on Tuesday issued formal apologies following their TikTok video scandal.

Originally published as Jordan De Goey’s ‘apology’ torn to shreds after Collingwood punishment