By Andrew Wu
Collingwood star Jordan De Goey has broken his silence on his latest off-field controversy, hitting out at media over the reporting of his big night in Bali, as a woman seen partying with him came out in support of the player.
De Goey is expected to return to Melbourne on Sunday, the centre of another overseas drama which has cast doubts over the restricted free agent’s prospects for a big contract.
The Magpies star issued a statement slamming media coverage after footage was posted on social media of him dancing, mimicking a sex act and attempting to expose a woman’s breast at a nightspot on the holiday island during his mid-season break.
Screenshot of Jordan De Goey in a Bali nightclub during his mid-season break.
It came after De Goey was strongly criticised on radio and TV football talk shows in the 24 hours since the video emerged on a social media account of one of his fellow revellers.
“I want to take the opportunity to thank my family, friends and supporters who have checked in or sent messages of support in the past 24 hours,” De Goey wrote on Instagram.
“I want to openly address the relentless pursuit and persecution of athletes by the media to create an uneducated, bias and ill-informed narrative that has gone too far.
“I am one of the lucky ones with amazing support, however not all athletes are so lucky.
“This will end in tragedy if no one speaks up. It’s time for change. #enoughisenough”
The Magpies have confirmed they are looking into the video.
De Goey appears to be attempting to pull a woman’s top to expose her breast in the video, but she pushes his hand away. One of the women dancing with De Goey, Remy Jackson, took to social media on Saturday to defend the player.
“Hey everyone, I can’t believe the backlash towards Jordy & Myself over here in Bali... nothing to see here,” Jackson wrote on Instagram.
Jordan De Goey.Credit: AFL Photos
The AFL declined to comment when contacted on Saturday and has left the matter in Collingwood’s hands for now.
Magpies players are due to resume training early in the week after their mid-season break to prepare for a crucial game against Greater Western Sydney.
The issue is an unwanted distraction for the club, who dropped out of the eight but, after four wins in a row, are in the hunt for an unlikely finals berth in rookie coach Craig McRae’s first season at the helm.
“The Collingwood Football Club is aware of video footage involving player Jordan De Goey that was taken in Bali in recent days,” the Magpies said in a statement on Saturday.
“The club will comment further as soon as it is in a position to do so.”
The latest drama involving De Goey comes with the 26-year-old out of contract at the end of the season.
Geelong champion and Giants football director Jimmy Bartel said De Goey’s habit of finding off-field trouble would hurt his commercial value by deterring other clubs from signing him, and had given the Pies the “whip hand” in contract negotiations.
“There’s such a thing as a boofhead tax when it comes to your contract,” Bartel said on 3AW. “That’s putting it very simply. A player who has rough edges or instances off the field you can get a discount of their market value because it eliminates other clubs.
“The impact of that storyline going to another club it makes other clubs pull out of the race for their services.”
AFL great Leigh Matthews defended De Goey, who was heavily criticised by former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes and Tony Shaw for travelling overseas during the season, saying he was sympathetic to a player unwinding during a break.
But he said the episode had reinforced the Magpie’s reputation for being “unreliable”, “undisciplined” and a “party animal”.
“In terms of what he’s worth in percentage of the salary cap, he shouldn’t be paid A-grade money, which is $800,000-900,000, because he’s not reliable enough to be able to do it often enough,” Matthews said.
Magpies players are on a mid-season break for the bye and the club, which has a 13-day break between games, had no issue with De Goey being in Bali.
De Goey was found guilty of conduct unbecoming by the AFL in March over an incident at a New York nightclub in October last year, and ordered to donate $10,000 to the Salvation Army. The Magpies stood him down for three months, though he has returned to play 12 of the club’s 13 games this season.
He pleaded guilty in New York’s criminal court to harassment in the second degree, which is a violation, but did not record a conviction after the more serious charges of forcible touching were dropped. Assault charges were also dropped.
The court required De Goey to remain arrest-free for a year and complete 10 therapy sessions concentrating on anger management and alcohol treatment.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.