Aussie Freedom Fighters #5 Jordan De Goey

Jordan De Goey, I salute you as a freedom fighter.

In your stand against relentless public persecution of athletes by the media you are practising freedom of speech. When you talk about unfair media reporting, you are right to warn that “This will end in tragedy if no one speaks up.” (Nine people die of suicide every day in Australia and 75% of them are male. It is an issue that does need to be addressed. Public bullying like what is happening to you might not be a danger to your life because you have a good support group, but not everyone is as well supported as you are.)

You have shown great courage in speaking up when many people are criticizing you for being a young adult human being.

I met you at a Christian charity dinner earlier this month. I told you how I had succeeded in making former Collingwood defender Jack Frost a symbol of freedom in Indonesia, through a photo of mine of Frosty wearing his number 45. In Indonesia this number is strongly associated with 1945, the year when fascist freedom was defeated by Australia and Australia’s allies and when Indonesia proclaimed national independence after centuries of colonialism. I urged Jack to hang on to that number and when Jack went to play for Brisbane he still wore number 45.

I told you at the dinner that, if I got the chance, I would like to help you become a great symbol of both freedom and discipline. As I recall you really liked that idea.

This previous weekend’s events in Bali, Indonesia, and the strength you have shown in speaking up against persecution convince me that I was right. The pile-on of people criticising you for being publicly exposed as a human being is a gutless mob. You are the one showing honesty and courage.

May I take photos of you in footy action in your footy gear to make that dream of mine of making you a symbol of discipline and freedom come true?

The Christian group at that dinner have tried to shut down my attempts to talk with Collingwood people like you. They might not care about the importance of free speech like I do.

If that’s the case, so be it.

I’m with you, Jordy.

Geoff Fox, 11 a.m., 20th June, 2022, Melbourne, Down Under

PS Remy Jackson (pictured below) who was in the controversial footage of De Goey has rejected the over-reaction.