Jordan De Goey lived up to his reputation as a big game player in Friday’s 58-57 Preliminary Final win over GWS.
The Magpie was easily best on ground with 34 disposals and a career-high 13 clearances as he willed his side over the line in the one-point victory.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd believes his prelim performance was the best of his entire 157-game career so far.
“He was a four-quarter performer apart from late when they couldn’t get him back onto the field,” Lloyd said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
“He was electric, he was dynamic, he was explosive. He was everything you hoped he would be.
“He was drafted top five for a reason Jordan De Goey, but he hasn’t quite understood what’s required to be an AFL professional.
“But he’s had an outstanding couple of years, it’s probably the greatest game he’s ever played.
“34 disposals, 13 clearances and on the big stage … they (Collingwood) were struggling for a period but I thought De Goey all day and Daicos from halfway through the second quarter turned that game.”
Damian Barrett hailed De Goey for having another huge September campaign.
He kicked 12 goals in the 2018 finals series as a 22-year-old en route to Collingwood playing off in a Grand Final and Barrett thinks he’s been as dominant in 2023.
“The two years they’ve made the Grand Final in recent times in 2018 and now 2023 he’s had blinding finals series,” Barrett said.
“He was extraordinary in 2018.”
Given De Goey has now been best afield in three of his last five finals, Kane Cornes was shocked that the Giants didn’t put more effort into tagging the midfielder.
After GWS let De Goey run relatively unchecked, he expects Brisbane’s Josh Dunkley to mind him in next Saturday’s Grand Final.
“I was amazed at the lack of respect (GWS showed him),” Cornes said.
“From the first minute of the game, he was winning clearances.
“(They tried) Finn Callaghan and Callan Ward on him but they didn’t understand how dangerous he could be.
“They didn’t give him the respect he deserved and I think the Giants will rue that.
“(Josh) Dunkley definitely goes to him this week.”
De Goey will hope to become a premiership player when the Magpies face the Lions in the 2023 AFL Grand Final on Saturday afternoon.