2010 Collingwood premiership player Dane Swan believes Jordan De Goey’s recent drink-driving charge will be the making of the 21-year-old’s AFL career.
De Goey’s ban from training with the senior group is still place after being caught drink-driving two weeks ago, with the youngster instead spending his days working as a tradie while continuing his pre-season with the Magpies’ VFL side at night.
Swan, who is no stranger to off-field drama from his own playing days, is confident the midfielder will have big season for the Pies once he breaks his way back into the senior team, believing the “penny had dropped” for him.
“I learnt the hard way as well. There’s only so many times you can play up,” the 2011 Brownlow Medallist told SEN Breakfast.
“This will be the making of him. He’s a very good player…he is going to have a really good year.
“He’s just copped it. That’s the problem of playing at Collingwood, when you’re going well it’s really good but when you play up it’s really bad, because you are on the front and back pages for a month.
“What’s done is done. You can’t let that define you. You have got to let your football define you because in the end, if he has a really good year, no one is going to remember what he did in February.
“He has got to let the footy do the talking, he’s got to work harder and earn back some trust which is very hard to do.
“From what I’ve heard, the little bits of information that are coming out of the footy club, he is really doing that… he is really putting his right foot forward. Look out for a big year once he gets back in to the side.”
Swan was arrested in 2003 following a brawl at Federation Square, and was eventually charged with 13 offences including assault and intentionally causing serious injury. He was eventually convicted of affray and forced to do 100 hours community service.
The former midfielder has cited the conviction as a turning point in his AFL career, revealing he was close to giving the game away following the incident with only then coach Mick Malthouse’s decision to hand him a second chance keeping him at the Pies.
He went on to play 258 AFL games, win three club best-and-fairests and five All-Australians alongside the 2010 premiership and his 2011 Brownlow.
Collingwood’s leadership group will reportedly meet next week to decide whether to allow De Goey to resume training with the AFL group.
Listen to Dane Swan's chats with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson on SEN Breakfast below: