AFL bad boy Jordan De Goey has been hammered for his decision to reject a new Collingwood contract based on clauses relating to his behaviour.
But he's found an ally in the players' association, which released a statement on Tuesday taking aim at the Magpies for inserting the additional caveats for the 26-year-old superstar.
De Goey is undoubtedly one of the most talented players at the club but off-field incidents have peppered his career.
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He was arrested in New York late last year and charged with forcible touching and assault over an incident in a nightclub. Those charges were later downgraded in court and he was found guilty of second degree harassment.
He returned to the field for the Magpies and things were seemingly going smoothly until the mid-season bye, when he took a trip to Bali where a video was leaked of him touching a woman inappropriately.
Again, De Goey was able to make a successful return to football and he was a star of Collingwood's late-season run into finals, and played a big role in the club's two wins before losing to Sydney in the preliminary final.
But this week he has again hit the headlines in a negative way. Respected commentator Gerard Whateley described the situation between De Goey and Collingwood as "a proper contract standoff".
Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes could not believe the player would baulk at signing a new deal with the club that stuck by him throughout his controversies.
"Has there been an AFL player in the history of the game that has been more poorly advised than Jordan De Goey?" Cornes said on SEN radio.
"There hasn't been a premiership win in the history of the game where players haven't sacrificed something, and you only need to look at Geelong for the recent example of that.
"Jordan De Goey's not willing to sacrifice. Being an adult and being a professional with the history that he has had and still earning massive money on a five-year deal because he's unhappy with a couple of behavioural clauses in that contract."
The players' association released a statement on Tuesday supporting De Goey's decision to not sign the new contract, which has reportedly been changed twice by Collingwood in an effort to appease the player.
"Players are also bound by the code of conduct, AFL rules and other policies, which provide options for sanctions where appropriate and permitted in different circumstances, as well as broader legal principles applying to all employees," the AFLPA said.
The Magpies had an offer on the table prior to De Goey's controversial Bali trip. It was reported that deal was worth around $800,000 a season.
If the midfield-forward does leave the club, the positive for the Magpies is they could use that cash to retain ruckman Brodie Grundy, who wants to stay but is in danger of being forced out in a salary cap squeeze.
Cornes says no player is bigger than the club, and warned Collingwood not to bend over backwards to accommodate De Goey.
"(Collingwood fans) should be offended by this and should be questioning whether this guy actually wants to be all in and be the grown up, professional player that he can be," Cornes said.
"They won some pretty big games without him in their line-up, so life will move on, he's replaceable."
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