‘De Goey will change ways if made a Saint’

FORMER St Kilda coach Grant Thomas says the Saints would be “derelict in their duty” not to make a massive play for Jordan De Goey as Collingwood officially withdrew a contract offer for the wayward star.

The Pies met with De Goey on Monday afternoon for high-level talks after his nightclub antics threw a further cloud over his future.

De Goey jetted back into Melbourne from Bali on Sunday, but missed training on Monday ahead of a potential punishment from the club over his antics.

The Pies were reportedly prepared to defer contract talks with free agent De Goey to ensure he proved he could behave in coming months but it is understood the deal was taken off the table over the weekend.

The deal was for two seasons plus a trigger for an extra two years. As talks about his Bali jaunt dragged on, it seemed likely on Monday that no resolution would be achieved until Tuesday.

Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said the Saints had to launch a bid for De Goey given he had done little wrong.

St Kilda is leading the chasing pack of clubs and would offer a long-term deal of five years, which would need to eclipse Collingwood’s offer of about $800,000.

Broadcaster Gerard Whateley labelled De Goey “unrecruitable” on Monday but Thomas said that was wrong.

He said De Goey was no choirboy but he didn’t need to be, given club leadership could knock off his rough edges.

“There is nothing dangerous about Jordan,” he said. “If he has the right structure around him, the right management, the right leadership, the right development, he will turn out to be the perfect human being we all wish all of our sports heroes were.

“(St Kilda) would be derelict in their duty if they didn’t (try to recruit him). We don’t have the luxury of being able to draft the best players recently. We have been going to the well of other clubs and grabbing players. Some have worked OK, some not so good.

“De Goey is a proven performer … of course you would get him.”

De Goey was expected to face the music at Magpies headquarters, after landing in Melbourne on Sunday night.

However, the 26-year-old did not arrive alongside teammates, who returned to the club after their bye weekend.

Collingwood officials have said De Goey won’t be returning to training until Wednesday. Most teammates brushed off waiting media as they arrived at the club but defender Jeremy Howe said he had spoken to De Goey. “It’s just support for him, as a teammate, you’ve still got to be there for him” Howe said.