By Dan Cancian For Daily Mail Australia
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Essendon has reportedly entered the race for Jordan De Goey, with senior players involved in the recruiting drive to lure the Collingwood star to Tullamarine.
De Goey will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, but the Magpies are confident he wants to remain at the club and are preparing to table a two-year deal worth approximately $800,000-a-season.
The 26-year-old’s future appeared uncertain after his well-publicised antics in Bali during a mid-season break, but De Goey has since avoided off-field drama and Collingwood are eager to retain his services.
Essendon have wheeled out an ambitious plan to land Collingwood gun Jordan De Goey
According to the Herald Sun, however, the Bombers are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to land the superstar midfielder/forward.
The presentation Essendon gave to De Goey reportedly featured a number of senior players, including Jake Stringer, who plays a similar role to the Collingwood gun.
Pairing Stringer with De Goey in red and black would be a mouthwatering prospect for Essendon fans and daunting proposition for opposing coaches.
The Bombers have plenty of room under the salary cap to make the deal work from a financial standpoint, but other factors may work against them.
De Goey kicked two goals and finished with 26 disposals on Saturday, as the Magpies lost 11.12 (78) to 10.12 (72) loss to Geelong in an epic qualifying final at the MCG
Jake Stringer was involved in the recruiting drive to lure De Goey to Essendon
Chief among them is that Essendon’s immediate future remains shrouded in uncertainty, with the Bombers yet to appoint a permanent head coach after Ben Rutten was fired at the end of the season.
Essendon’s 11th hour attempt to lure Alastair Clarkson to the club came too late, as the four-time premiership-winning coach had already agreed to join North Melbourne.
De Goey has been in outstanding form for Collingwood this season, kicking 17 goals and averaging 21.6 disposals and five clearances per game, despite missing six matches.
The star midfielder/forward kicked two goals and racked up 26 disposals in the Magpies’ 11.12 (78) to 10.12 (72) loss to Geelong in an epic qualifying final at the MCG on Saturday.
The Pies gun has kicked 17 goals this season, averaging 21.6 disposals per game
Collingwood had planned to offer De Goey a four-year deal worth $800,000-a-season, but pulled the deal off the table after his Bali shenanigans. According to the Herald Sun, a new two-year extension would in all likelihood contain clauses related to off-field behaviour.
Given De Goey’s track record, the Magpies are expected to wait until the end of the year to negotiate the deal, which will need full approval from the board.
The Saints had also emerged as a potential suitor, but their interest is yet to translate into a concrete offer to the player.
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group