Magpies star Jordan De Goey has been slammed for his decision to knock back Collingwood’s five-year deal, opening the door for the club to keep Brodie Grundy instead.
De Goey infamously brought the Magpies into controversy during the Mid-Season bye after he headed to Bali and was filmed partying in a nightclub where he engaged in lewd behaviour with a female patron.
The Magpies pulled their contract off the table when he returned to Australia, but after committing himself to the club and his fitness, De Goey finished one of Collingwood’s best in their dream finals run.
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With a five-year contract back on the table, complete with the clauses, AFL360 co-host Mark Robinson said De Goey needed to be “a man” and take the deal.
“It’s a proper contract stand-off now,” AFL360’s Gerard Whateley said.
“He’s rejected the five-year offer with the behavioural clauses that were put to him. He wants something that’s less onerous.”
But that attitude didn’t sit right with Robinson.
“Well, bad luck (Jordan) – Collingwood stand your ground,” he said.
“You know Jordan, you got your hand back no doubt, you played magnificent football. But you’ve got a history and the club has said: ‘We will pay you a lot of money but we want you to behave’ – and you’re saying you want specifics about my behaviour? No common sense!
“We’re not going make a list of if you do that you’re OK, if you do that no you’re out.
“Common sense behaviour! You’re a man! Take the deal.
“If you don’t want the deal, you don’t want to make the changes – goodbye! You are just a footballer, that’s all you are.
“You’re a good footballer but you are not bigger than the club.”
Robinson said the Magpies could instead focus on retaining ruckman Grundy, who looms the likely player to exit given his big-money deal.
“I hope (De Goey) stays, but if he’s digging in saying: ‘I don’t know about my behaviour’, Collingwood and (club president) Jeff Browne should say: ‘OK thanks a lot, we’ll keep Brodie Grundy’,” Robinson said.
“One of them has got to go – if his 800 (thousand per year) goes, then Grundy can stay. So this is a really big decision by Collingwood. Do they buckle to De Goey after what’s happened? Wow.”
The Age journalist Michael Gleeson had reported De Goey thinks the behavioural clauses are “too arbitrary” and he’s simply told the club no and “stuck his ground”.
The Bali incident wasn’t De Goey’s first time in hot water after he was arrested in the US and spent a night in a New York jail cell in the off-season.
De Goey also has previous drink driving offences and other road misdemeanours on his record since arriving at the Magpies with pick five in the 2014 Draft.
