Collingwood star Jordan De Goey has credited overcoming his trouble-filled lifestyle to a change in friendship groups as he prepares to run out for his 200th AFL game.
The 30-year-old will hit the milestone when the Magpies push for a fifth consecutive victory in a clash with the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
Jordan De Goey in action in June. AFL Photos
Four years have passed since De Goey last courted controversy off the field with alarming conduct at a nightclub in Bali, where he was videoed being “disrespectful” to a woman, as Collingwood said in a statement at the time.
Only months earlier, he had pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment over an incident in New York City, which followed controversies such as the time he got in a fight at a Melbourne bar and broke his hand.
He initially lied about how he’d suffered the injury, telling Magpies bosses he’d hurt his hand while playing with his dog.
De Goey opened up about his maturation as a person in a candid interview with 9News Melbourne ahead of his milestone match.
“You meet people, you change friendship groups … and I think that was part of it for me,” De Goey said.
“It was a bit of a learning experience and it probably took me a bit longer than it did other people, but we got there in the end.”
In December last year, De Goey and his partner Aisha Jade McKinnon welcomed their first baby together into the world.
They called their daughter Tatum Grey.
Asked about life as a dad in the 9News interview, the Magpies star’s face lit up.
“It’s unreal,” he smiled.
“Literally, it’s the best feeling in the world.
Jordan De Goey and Scott Pendlebury at Magpies training. Getty Images
“She can do whatever she wants to do or be whatever she wants to be and I will always support her.”
De Goey is contracted to Collingwood until the end of 2027 and reportedly in talks with the club to potentially re-sign.
Asked what his future had in store for him, he joked he was coming for the games record of teammate Scott Pendlebury.
“I think I’ll play another 250, 300 games,” De Goey laughed.
“So I’ll take over Scott’s record and then we’ll go from there.”