Collingwood star Jordan De Goey says he always wanted to remain a Magpie, despite a lucrative offer from St Kilda.
An off-contract De Goey agreed to a five-year deal with the Magpies last month, having spurned free agency and a monster deal from the Saints, who are in desperate need of blue-chip talent.
The match-winning forward-midfielder said on Wednesday that coach Craig McRae’s support had been pivotal in him remaining with the Magpies.
Staying true: Jordan De Goey said he always wanted to remain a Magpie, despite a lucrative offer from St Kilda.Credit:Getty Images
“Yeah, for sure. Obviously, it’s a bit of a stressful period of time but, at the bottom of my heart, I always wanted to stay at the Pies,” De Goey told reporters.
“At the end of the day, it was good to get the deal done. I think we have a really good, emerging list, and I am just happy to be a part of it.”
A point of contention between De Goey and the Magpies had been their push for behavioural clauses, coming after a turbulent year. Last summer he was arrested in New York and charged with forcible touching and assault after an incident in a nightclub. Those charges were later downgraded in court, but he was found guilty of second-degree harassment.
There were more calls for his sacking when mid-year he found himself in the spotlight for his partying on a trip to Bali. The latter prompted the Magpies to withdraw their initial contract offer.
As negotiations intensified last month, the two parties ultimately agreed to behavioural clauses for the first two seasons of his new deal.
On the field, De Goey was instrumental in the Magpies’ vaulting from 17th last season, to falling just short of a grand final berth. He averaged 20 disposals in 19 games, booting 18 goals.
He was also dominant in the Magpies’ opening two finals, having been best afield in the loss to Geelong and the win over Fremantle. But he could not drag the Pies past Sydney in the preliminary final.
Meanwhile, young defender Will Kelly has signed a one-year contract extension with the Magpies.
Kelly, the son of Magpies premiership player Craig, joined the club as a father-son pick in the 2018 national draft.
“We see a lot of potential in Will based on what he has shown us during his time in the VFL and his few appearances at AFL level,” Magpies football department chief Graham Wright said.
“While he hasn’t had much opportunity in the AFL due to injury, we believe we will see Will’s football progress in 2023 and utilise his athleticism more across both programs next year. As a versatile tall, Will can play both ends of the ground and we are eager to see what he will bring next season.”
