De Goey, 26, has personally said goodbye to the Magpies after a tumultuous week in which his interaction with a woman in Bali during Collingwood’s dismissal, including sexual gestures, was posted on social media, prompting fury at the lack of respect for women.
He was dragged in front of the Magpies brass on his return home, had his contract renegotiations stopped until the end of the season, received a $ 25,000 suspended fine and was ordered to undergo further counseling.
Jordan De Goey is taking football time. Credit: Getty Images
In his statement Tuesday, De Goey, who has a history of courtesy issues, revealed that he had been diagnosed with ADHD last year “and I’m trying to be more aware of why I make mistakes.”
McLachlan said Friday that there was no excuse for De Goey’s latest drama.
“Anyone with medical conditions needs to be taken seriously. Mental health is a real issue, so I’m totally supportive for people to talk about their problems. I think the point I would say here is that it’s an important context, but it’s not an excuse for what’s going on, ”McLachlan said in his fortnightly appearance on 3AW.
The league supreme said he didn’t have a great understanding of ADHD, but added, “When people start getting into all of this, it’s not my space. I’m clear, I don’t think it’s an excuse. It’s worth it. It’s a shame to talk about it because people, I think, it’s important to talk about the conditions they have and receive treatment, but here I don’t think it’s an excuse instinctively … ”
McLachlan said the AFL did not believe it was necessary to conduct its own investigation, convinced the Magpies had done the right thing.
“I guess it frustrated me [De Goey’s actions]. I guess it was a tone I didn’t like and the conversations came up, ”he said.
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“I will not go into individual details other than to say that our position in the AFL is very clear: there is no place other than a behavior in our community that has total respect for women. That is our position. The video has created a debate throughout the community and ultimately Collingwood’s assessment, was a behavior that did not respect women and they have taken action.
“We try to get all the clubs to take care of these issues themselves. The club employees, we had conversations with Collingwood: they’ve taken action. I know people have debated to what extent. He has talks about contracts off the table. , has a $ 25,000 suspended fine and is receiving more advice. A whole host of things are being worked on. We support the actions they took. “
Magpies coach Craig McRae said Friday he didn’t know when De Goey would return to the club, adding that he also didn’t know what had specifically “activated” the player’s decision to stay away from his teammates.
McRae said De Goey was struggling and continued to work with psychologist Jacqui Louder.
“She is OK. I think football clubs offer a great resource for players. In normal life, you don’t get the resources we do to support guys like Jordan. Hopefully, this will help you take the steps you need, ”McRae said.
Rival clubs such as Essendon, St Kilda and North Melbourne have expressed interest in the free agent, in case he does not reach an agreement with the Magpies. According to rival clubs, a change is also possible for Brisbane Lions out-of-contract striker Daniel McStay.
The Magpies also had to deal with controversy from players Jack Ginnivan and Isaac Quaynor, who have since apologized for assessing the appearance of women in a video posted on TikTok.
“I just think the time was right [at its] sadly better, ”McLachlan said.
“This is a game that a lot of people play, boys and girls, men and women, we all have our opinion … Frankly, everything is strange, but I think there is a context here, but the timing is strange. I mean , really [they] he had no idea of the situation. It’s really child’s play and they were attracted to it. “
The Magpies’ culture has been the subject of intense scrutiny following the club’s Do Better 2021 report which found him guilty of systematic racism. The Magpies, now led by new President Jeff Browne, are accepting the change.
When asked if the Magpies had a cultural problem, McLachlan replied, “I think they’re working hard on what they are. These incidents and unfortunate moments this week: Collingwood is working to be better, I know.”
Midfielder Jack Crisp missed training on Friday for personal reasons, but McRae said he will line up against Greater Western Sydney at the MCG on Sunday.
The coach of the great Leigh Matthews, who guided the Magpies until their great success as prime minister in 1990, was invited by McRae to deliver a speech to the players before training. Matthews spoke of the value of teamwork and “playing roles.”
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