'Not going to cut it': AFL great's brutal Jordan De Goey truth bomb
Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes says he expects Collingwood to part ways with Jordan De Goey after the latest off-field controversy involving the 25-year-old star.
The Pies have stood down De Goey as further details of serious criminal charges laid against him have been released by the New York Police Department.
SAD: AFL WAG reveals shocking diagnosis at 26, one week after wedding
YIKES: Eddie Betts pinged in breach of mandatory quarantine rules
De Goey pleaded not guilty to forcible touching and assault charges on Sunday and is due to face court again in the United States on December 8.
It is unclear if the Collingwood dynamo will be allowed to return to Australia in the meantime, but COVID-19 restrictions could make that difficult.
In a statement from the NYPD seen by AAP, De Goey was charged with forcible touching - grabbing private areas outside of clothing without permission - of a 35-year-old female.
De Goey was also charged with allegedly punching and kicking the woman's 37-year-old male friend, who came to her assistance.
The former first-round draft pick was arrested by police inside the Dream Hotel at 2.44am on Saturday morning local time, after the alleged incident at PHD Rooftop Lounge.
De Goey has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Cornes said that while De Goey is innocent until proven guilty, the latest scandal will undoubtedly put his future with Collingwood in serious jeopardy.
“I think they will be (finished with De Goey). I’m not going to say that he won’t play for Collingwood again, but in terms of his long-term future I can’t see there’s a way beyond next year that he’s at Collingwood,” Cornes said on SEN’s Whateley.
“I think Collingwood have suffered from players such as Jordan in the past, he’s not dissimilar to the ‘Rat Pack’ of Collingwood back 10 years ago when there was a little bit more leeway with indiscretions. That’s not going to cut it anymore.
“I think with the developing group, they’ve got a new coach coming in, the issues they’ve had in a whole raft of areas, it’s time they’re going to have to sever ties with Jordan .... I don’t think they can afford to carry players with the character of Jordan De Goey considering this isn’t his first (off-field controversy).”
Cornes referenced the fact De Goey was granted permission to travel to the States to work on his fitness, making the scandal even harder to stomach for AFL fans and the Victorian public.
“On Friday morning here, you couldn’t go to regional areas in Victoria - and you‘ve got an athlete who has been given an exemption and granted the luxury to be able to travel overseas for what we were told was training purposes,” he said.
“To see the images and the videos coming through social media, which were tracked down, it’s about the most embarrassing thing I can remember of a player who, a week prior, was telling us how fit he was going to be and how hard he had been training.
“Well I saw him in a robe carrying on like an absolute pork chop and shirtless in a bar and clearly consuming alcohol and those types of things when those of his fellow Victorians had just been allowed to take their mask off outside and travel to regional areas.
“It’s not going to cut it, particularly in these times. How many chances does this guy need?”
Jordan De Goey stood down by Collingwood
De Goey travelled to the US during the off-season to undergo an intensive fitness program in California as he attempted to capitalise on an outstanding end to the 2021 season.
The explosive midfielder-forward was only able to leave Australia under a permit due to his sponsorship and work arrangements with Monster Energy.
De Goey's friend Luke Dyson is also facing a forcible touching charge, as well as allegedly striking the man in the face with a glass.
De Goey spent several hours in a holding cell, before being released from custody after pleading not guilty to all charges.
Collingwood acted swiftly to the charges being laid and on Sunday stood down De Goey from club duties indefinitely.
He was approached by reporters after leaving court but declined to answer any questions.
De Goey has played 118 games and kicked 155 goals for the Magpies after debuting in 2015.
He finished fourth in the club's best-and-fairest award this year.
De Goey is out-of-contract at the end of next season and was hoping to set himself up for a new career-defining deal.
Only last month, Collingwood football boss Graham Wright spoke about how the Magpies were keen to secure De Goey - and other stars Darcy Moore and Brayden Maynard - on long-term contracts.
with AAP
Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.
