- Magpie’s grand final hero almost broke down after the match
- Kicked two goals in a thrilling four-point win over Brisbane
- Called the premiership win the ‘greatest moment’ of his life
Collingwood grand final hero Jordan De Goey has dedicated his premiership medal to his grandmother Elisabeth as he revealed the incredible win over Brisbane will be the last match she sees.
The electric midfielder scored two goals as the Pies secured a record-equalling 16th premiership and was then embroiled in emotional scenes in the dressing rooms.
De Goey was captured on video placing his premiership medal around his grandmother’s neck after asking her, “Do you want it?”, then calling for someone to take a photo as a beaming Elisabeth bit into the metal as if she was testing to see if it was real. .
De Goey was involved in emotional scenes in the dressing rooms after the match as he presented his premiership medal to his terminally ill grandmother Elisabeth (pictured)
“Unfortunately she has terminal cancer so this will be her last match,” he told the Herald Sun.
“It means the world to me to have her here.
“My grandfather was super influential in my career and unfortunately he passed away. So to be able to see (my grandmother) in the rooms is so special.
“This is a special moment for my family.”
He also described the victory as “certainly the best moment of my life.”
“I’ve put in so much work to get here, and so have everyone else on the team. We’ve all had our setbacks.’
The victory will be particularly nice for De Goey, given the way he turned his career around after running into trouble off the field in the past two years.
Grand final hero described four-point victory as ‘the best moment of my life’
He ended up in a New York jail in October 2021 after an incident at a nightclub and subsequently apologized for his behavior after he was caught in a controversial video taken at a club in Bali in June last year.
The latest incident prompted former Magpies president Eddie McGuire to say he was on parole from the club.
However, last September he signed a five-year extension with Collingwood after rejecting a major offer from St Kilda.
“It’s obviously a bit of a stressful time, but deep in my heart I always wanted to stay with the Pies,” he said at the time.
“They just created this family culture and I really thrive on that, as do a lot of the other guys.”
The premiership victory came after De Goey emerged from a highly controversial eighteen months in which he was involved in two off-field incidents.
The 27-year-old kicked two crucial long-range goals to help the Pies to their 16th flag
De Goey provided one of the most crucial moments in Collingwood’s win on Saturday when he marked and kicked a goal after the quarter-hour siren.
His shot never seemed to miss, despite coming from beyond the 50-yard arc, and the crowd went berserk as he gave the Pies a 10-point lead at the first break.
De Goey’s second major came when he met an incredible Nick Daicos handball with just over five minutes to go in the final quarter and his team trailing by two.
He launched the ball from almost right on the 50-yard line and hit the bullseye again, setting up another turning point in the match for a top-shelf effort, also picking up 18 disposals and making four tackles.