Jordan de Goey in hot water over ugly incident in AFL pre-season game

Collingwood's Jordan de Goey is facing an anxious wait to see if he will be available to play in round one, with a heavy tackle during an AFL pre-season match potentially coming under scrutiny from the match review committee. The 26-year-old had a stellar night for the Magpies in their pre-season clash with Hawthorn, but his tackle on Hawks recruit Lloyd Meek prompted an interesting debate among fans.

The match review panel will likely consider whether or not de Goey had driven Meek into the ground head-first. The initial tackling action was fair, but de Goey rotated Meek in order to bring him to ground, causing him to fall forwards.

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Commentator and former AFL player Garry Lyon pointed out it was the 'follow through' that could potentially land de Goey in hot water. But not everyone was convinced, with many arguing it was right on the edge of acceptable play, considering Meek's Head didn't hit the ground.

De Goey dominated with a game-high 31 disposals and three goal assists, linking well with ex-Hawk Tom Mitchell through the midfield. The Magpies will be desperate not to lose De Goey for their round one clash against reigning premiers Geelong next week.

"The intent of the tackle was great, that's how you want people to tackle, but it's just the follow through," Lyon observed. "There was no malice in it, but it's the kind of tackle everyone should be careful of."

Meanwhile on social media, a substantial debate had erupted. Some fans felt the AFL needs to continue to protect players from head injuries, while others felt De Goey's tackle was nowhere near the level required to attract match review panel scrutiny.

De Goey had a controversial year in 2022, however his off-field dramas ultimately didn't stop he and Collingwood from making an impressive charge to the preliminary finals. The 26-year-old opted to re-sign with the Magpies, despite a tense negotiating period in which he bristled at behavioural requirements in his contract and weighed up a free agency move to St Kilda.

Instead, De Goey will remain a Magpie through the 2027 season, after controversially hitting out at the 'relentless persecution of athletes' following posts on social media which showed him groping a friend while on a mid-season trip to Bali. He also put his prior arrest in New York to bed, pleading guilty to a misdemeanour charge of harassment.

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The news was welcomed by Magpies fans and was no doubt a relief for head coach Craig McRae, who indicated immediately after Collingwood's preliminary final loss that he was prioritising De Goey remaining at the club.

“I grabbed his manager and said ‘let’s get to work on this’, because I’ve said this openly, I want Jordy at our footy club next year,” McRae told reporters post-match. “Now I don‘t know how that’s progressing, but hopefully it’s progressing in the right direction — not because he’s Jordy De Goey, but I just think this environment is the best place for Jordy de Goey.”

"We're delighted Jordan has agreed to extend his contract to stay at Collingwood," Magpies football manager Graham Wright said in a statement.

"Jordan is a talented footballer and his commitment to improve his game has seen him perform strongly this year, particularly during the back-end of the season and during the finals series where he was exciting to watch.

"We feel Jordan's best football is in front of him and, as a club, we will continue to support him as he grows as a player and as a person."

with AAP

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