Under-fire Collingwood star Jordan De Goey has apologised for his “actions and behaviors” and admitted “I’m not a perfect person” in a 75-second video issued by the club.
De Goey doesn’t specifically mention any of his recent misdemeanors – including a video from his Bali trip in which he pulls down a woman’s top – but was asked by a club representative for “his message” to the women at the club.
“I do want to come out and say … I’m sorry for that. I’ve got a lot of important women in my life,” De Goey said.
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“I understand you need to show respect to women at all times.
“I’ve got a responsibility to the wider community, and I need to keep working towards that.”
The 26-year-old said scrutiny following the Bali scandal had “weighed pretty heavily” on him.
“I thought I’d just wait until I’ve got a clear mind to come out and apologise for my actions and my behaviors. I don’t condone that behavior at all. And I’ve got a lot of work moving forward.”
De Goey has been in the news since he was criticised by Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes for his decision to travel to Bali, shortly before the vision of him exposing the woman’s breast emerged.
De Goey then attacked media for their coverage of the trip, and revealed he had been diagnosed with ADHD.
Earlier this week, the club announced it had dealt De Goey a suspended $25,000.
In the video, De Goey also again addressed his ADHD diagnosis, but said he was not using it as an excuse.
“I just wanted to let people know that I was dealing with some stuff on the side throughout the first half of this year, and also now it’s something I’m learning a lot about,” De Goey said.
“You know, I’m not a perfect person. I don’t think I ever will be, but hopefully I can make some changes so these mistakes don’t happen again.”
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