In the swirling storylines of Collingwood’s 2025 campaign — from youth breakthroughs to injury chaos — one name lingers quietly, yet powerfully, in the background: Jordan De Goey.
He’s both the forgotten man of the black-and-white machine and its greatest wildcard in the club’s relentless hunt for back-to-back flags.
De Goey hasn’t played a match since early in the season, his body battered and “broken” by a string of soft-tissue injuries and ongoing physical setbacks. But make no mistake: the Magpies have never lost sight of what he could still bring.
Sources inside the club confirm that Collingwood has made a deliberate choice — to give De Goey time. Not just a few rounds. Not a short rehab stint. But all the time he needs to fully recover and return at 100%, not 75%. The luxury of a deep, well-rounded squad has allowed coach Craig McRae and his high-performance team to resist rushing De Goey back.
Damian Barrett writes:
“They’re playing the long game with De Goey. Because when it counts — in September — he could be the game-changer no one sees coming.”
It’s easy to forget just how devastatingly influential De Goey can be. On his day, he’s a match-winner — a bull through stoppages, a breakaway runner, and a goalkicking threat from inside 50. Few players in the league combine explosiveness, power, and swagger quite like him.
But it’s also fair to say that injuries have dimmed his star in recent times. A once-ironclad place in Collingwood’s best 22 has now become a wait-and-see proposition. Yet the club is unwavering in its belief: a fully fit Jordan De Goey in September is worth far more than a half-fit version now.
The finals calendar is still months away. But if the Pies can get their number 2 back and firing by then, there’s every chance he could light the fuse on another flag surge — just like he did in their 2023 premiership tilt.
For now, De Goey works in the shadows. But come spring, don’t be surprised if he emerges as Collingwood’s most dangerous ace — a wildcard perfectly timed to strike.
