Pies urged to stall De Goey decision
COLLINGWOOD should wait until the outcome of Jordan De Goey’s US court case before making a call on his future, a leading lawyer says.
The Magpies are stalling a decision on De Goey as they await findings from the stooddown star’s assault and harassment trial, which has been adjourned until January 28.
Former Collingwood director David Galbally, a Queen’s Counsel, said the club was right to wait for the facts to be put before the New York court because they would help the Magpies determine the seriousness of De Goey’s conduct.
Galbally said news at Wed
nesday’s adjourned hearing that the prosecution would likely offer a plea deal for a downgraded harassment charge was positive for De Goey.
But it still loomed as a “very big call” as to whether the Magpies kept or cut the star.
“You can’t be dealing on the basis of ‘ what if’ or ‘this might have happened’, it’s got to be dealt with what it is … and Collingwood will just look at the facts as they are,” Galbally, of Coulter Lawyers, told News Corp.
“Once Collingwood has got all that information, it will be up then to the club to determine its position.
“They will look to see what
the court’s reasons are for the penalty that is ultimately imposed.
“Whether or not they regard the affair to be significant and serious enough to warrant the justifiable termination of his contract or whether they take the view that the conduct is such that they’re prepared to put him on a ‘good-behaviour bond’ where any transgression whatsoever and you’ll immediately be dismissed.
“It’s a very difficult decision to make.
“I wouldn’t want to be in (Magpies president) Jeff Browne or the board’s position – this is the future of probably Collingwood’s best player.”
Collingwood stood De Goey down after he was arrested over an incident at a rooftop Manhattan bar on Halloween and spent a night in jail.
The 25-year-old, who previously pleaded not guilty, appeared from Melbourne via videolink in a New York court on Wednesday.
Galbally expected the club would want to deal with the matter as soon as the case was over.
He said if he was De Goey’s manager, he would be hanging on every word of the trial’s outcome and use the potential charge downgrading to push his case to return to the Magpies.
Wednesday was the second adjournment of the case in the past six weeks.
Galbally said he expected it to be decided at next Friday’s hearing.
On Wednesday, Collingwood said it would continue assessing the course of the case and awaited an outcome that would “allow for a complete review of the facts and any potential consequences”.
“Until that time Jordan will remain stood down,” the club’s statement reads.
“Collingwood officials have met with Jordan on a number of occasions and he will continue to be paid in full while stood down.”
De Goey travelled to the US in October for a six-week training blitz.