An injury scare on Wednesday caused alarm at Collingwood, with Jordan de Goey leaving the track early with what was reported as a calf complaint (later, de Goey clarified it was a knock to his knee… and a bit of a carry-on from him). Though the club stated it is no issue, an interrupted pre-season is exactly what the Pies don’t need from their sometimes-superstar.
There are several players in the AFL that need big 2025 seasons. And not just for their own sake – their club is reliant on them.
In this series, I will be taking a look at some of the big names in the game that, for one reason or another, need to lift this season.
For some, it is their own form that has fallen away. For others, it is more about them coming back from injury. And for others, still, it is because their club desperately needs them to be at their best when to contend this season.
For Jordan de Goey, it is a combination of all three.
Being named as an All-Australian player is not the be-all and end-all of whether someone is a champion player.
Far from it.
There are some excellent players in the league who have not been awarded one of those fancy blazers. Josh Dunkley, Stephen Coniglio, and Nick Vlastuin have all had stellar careers without ever being assessed as “good enough” to make the AFL’s team of the year.
However, I don’t think there has been a player with a profile as large as Jordan de Goey that has been snubbed.
And if not snubbed, then not even really considered truly in the running.
Just yesterday, I was speaking to a die-hard Collingwood supporter. Knowing I was going to write this article, I asked her how many AA selections she thought de Goey had to his name? Before she had a chance to respond, I also asked how many Best and Fairest awards she thought he had.
And then, because I’m an ass, before she could answer, I held up a hand showing no fingers.
“None,” she asked? “No way – before Nick Daicos, he was the one that had standout games.”
She wasn’t wrong – Jordan de Goey has been one of Collingwood’s best players for years, now. And despite having plenty of headlines over the course of his career, he seems as though he could be destined to be one of those players that is remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Unless, of course, it all comes together in 2025.
What direction the legacy of Jordan de Goey take? 2025 will play a big role in how he is remembered. Let’s explore a little more.
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