Veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson has criticised the AFL over the silence from the league after Collingwood star Jordan De Goey was charged with sexual assault.
De Goey and another male were charged earlier this month with indecent assault by Victoria Police for an alleged incident dating back to 2015.
Channel 7 commentator Bruce McAvaney was forced to apologise after Collingwood's win over Geelong on Thursday night, after stating De Goey, who kicked five goals in the contest, had suffered a 'hiccup' in recent weeks.
Speaking about the backlash against McAvaney on Channel 9'sย Footy Classified,ย Wilson said the silence from the AFL over De Goey has been disappointing.
โBruce McAvaney had to apologise after a rare clanger last Thursday night,โ Wilson said.
โIt was uncomfortable viewing, but not as uncomfortable as I felt watching Jordan De Goey play and be fated after playing a great game for Collingwood while facing indecent assault charges, and not as uncomfortable as the AFL itself should have felt.
โWhy should we expect the broadcaster not to muck up and in this case deeply offend people, when we have received no explanation, no public commentary, in fact no communication or leadership at all from the AFL on this issue.
โIt just goes to show that these truly troubling issues and I understand complexities here, are not going to go away just because you've fobbed them off and stay silent.
โI didn't expect to feel so uncomfortable as I did in the end. I know he played a great game of footy and I know that he might be proven not guilty of these charges, but just imagine if he wasnโt.
โThe fact that people were so upset by what Bruce said showed that the AFL really owed us an explanation.
Wilson also said the AFL needed to explain why De Goey was allowed to continue to play despite having the power to stop him playing since Round 8.
โI was surprised, having spoken for background purposes to the AFL leaders on this issue, why they never came out and said anything when they did decide to let him play,โ she said.
โIt was like it was too hard basket, they should have said something.
โThe AFL should have put out some sort of public statement as to why Jordan De Goey is playing and why theyโve decided not to take the position that is possible under AFL rules to actually say, โNo, you canโt playโ.
โThey could do that, if theyโre not going to do that they should have explained why. They should have said thereโs an 18-month legal process. There needed to be an explanation.โ
De Goey will miss significant time however, with the star ruled out for potentially eight weeks after suffering a finger injury, a situation that Wilson thinks could be a blessing in disguise.
โI hate to say it, but itโs probably a bit of a relief in a sense for the AFL PR machine that heโs not going to be playing now for a few weeks,โ Wilson said.
โThey're going to miss him, but itโs also going to be easier for them.โ
