De Goey groping allegation puts heat on Magpies and AFL
The latest allegations against Jordan De Goey â€" in this case a claim of having groped a woman in a New York nightclub before assaulting a man â€" has left the Collingwood star fighting to save his AFL career, and will not only heap pressure on the Magpies but add to the debate on whether the league should introduce a “no fault†stand-down rule.
De Goey was this year cleared of an indecent assault charge related to an incident in 2015. When he was charged in 2020, it sparked calls for the AFL to follow the NRL’s lead and implement a stand-down rule for players who allegedly commit any crime that holds a maximum prison sentence of more than 10 years. Under that system, a player cannot return until the incident is settled.
The Magpies on Sunday took decisive action in this latest incident by standing De Goey down indefinitely, adding to calls that it’s time for a league-wide policy.
The Age last year reported that Kate Jenkins, Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner and a key advisor of the AFL’s 2017 review into the code’s respect and responsibility policy, said she was “not comfortable†with athletes continuing to play while charged with serious criminal offences.
The AFL has resisted change, with matters dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and the league’s integrity unit dealing with a case after police have investigated.
But De Goey’s actions in New York, for which he spent a night in custody and then appeared in a bathrobe in his hearing before a judge where he pleaded not guilty, may ultimately lead to change.
Leading Melbourne lawyer David Galbally AM QC said indecent assault could carry a five-year jail term under Australian law, while gross indecency could bring a penalty of 10 years or more. Regardless, he warned a New York judge may want to send a stern message to a visiting sport star.
Jordan De Goey parties before his arrest in New York.Credit:Instagram
De Goey is due to return to court on December 8, two days after the Magpies’ senior players are slated to begin pre-season training.
This incident also comes in a year when the Magpies have undergone significant off-field upheaval, sparked by the Do Better report into the way they had handled racism at the club. The Magpies have moved swiftly to introduce cultural change, and that will continue under businessman Jeff Browne, who is soon expected to be president.
The question now is: Will a new-look board want anything to do with De Goey, who now has a long list of misdemeanours? He will continue to be paid in the short term but there is no guarantee he will be welcomed back. And what are skipper Scott Pendlebury and his teammates thinking? They were all looking forward to a fresh start under new coach Craig McRae. De Goey’s latest act will now overshadow this, regardless of what transpires.
The Magpies and the AFL spent Sunday trying to piece together details of what went on at the PHD Rooftop Lounge at the Dream Hotel in New York. But what is clear is that De Goey, who was hoping to sign a multimillion-dollar contract extension next season, is now fighting to even fulfil the final year of his current contract. AFL industry figures agree his career is in the balance and could be over.
He was allowed to travel to southern California in October â€" during the break mandated in the players’ collective bargaining agreement â€" to train at The W Training Facility under his Monster Energy partnership. He had spoken about the need to improve his fitness â€" he has begun too many pre-seasons unfit and even overweight â€" and acknowledged he was entering an important contract year.
That a man known for his partying ways had gone overseas to train was backed by club greats Tony Shaw and Travis Cloke, seen as an indication “the penny had dropped,†but it did raise eyebrows elsewhere. And then when he signed his brother-in-law, Ryan Vague, a fireman, to be his new manager, experienced officials in the AFL industry again questioned his decision-making. The belief is that he needs an experienced manager willing to give tough love although, at 25, it’s time he matured.
De Goey must also question his friendship circle and ask whether a true friend would have advised him to be out drinking and partying into the early hours â€" the frivolity was highlighted on a social-media clip of him dancing â€" considering what had gone on this year and the riches on offer next year. His friend, Luke Dyson, is alleged to have struck a man in the face with a glass bottle, and was also taken into custody.
As one rival club official said on Sunday, this should be the time of the year when players, coaches and officials can relax and take a deep breath. For the Magpies, their break is over.
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via Twitter or email.
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