Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes believes Collingwood should hold off on re-signing Jordan De Goey until well into the season, despite a strong start.
After a controversial off-season saw him briefly stood down by the club, De Goey began the season in fine fashion, picking up 27 disposals and kicking two goals in Collingwood’s Round 1 win over St Kilda.
Despite the strong performance, one which saw him pick up nine coaches’ votes, Cornes has urged the Magpies to proceed with caution on re-signing De Goey, who is a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
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“I don’t think they need to (blink first in negotiations),” Cornes said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
“It’s a fascinating one, but isn’t it a situation where the club just comes out and says, ‘We’re putting all contract negotiations off until later in the year’?
“Good luck if he does (sign elsewhere). He owes this club, and I know it doesn’t work that way anymore, but there is a little bit of loyalty that is required here. I think Jordan De Goey needs to pay them back, not only with his footballing ability.
“You could not responsibly sign him now, and I’d be saying it’s a two-year deal if they do re-sign him. He’s going to want a long-term deal, he’s 27 this time next year. Are you comfortable giving him a long-term deal?”
However, Footy Classified host Craig Hutchison suggested that Collingwood could be better served by re-signing De Goey sooner rather than later.
“Ironically, the best deal Collingwood is going to get is right now, by a long way,” Hutchison said.
“As the weeks go on, peoples’ preparedness to remember what happened is going to diminish as his performance goes up. By Round 16, they might be wishing they did (re-sign him early).
“I don’t think they’re going to need to (give up a long-term deal). He’ll take two or three years.”