Toby Greene's one-match ban upheld, GWS to appeal
GWS will appeal after Toby Greene's one-match ban was sensationally upheld by the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night in a decision questioned by several former AFL players.
GWS Giants have swiftly confirmed they will appeal Toby Greene’s one-match ban tomorrow night after his suspension was sensationally upheld at the AFL Tribunal.
Greene was banned for the preliminary final against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday in a massive blow to the Giants’ premiership hopes.
Greene is one of the Giants’ most potent weapons in the forward half and was arguably the club’s best player in the semi-final win over the Lions.
The four-man tribunal panel last night ruled he made unnecessary and unreasonable contact to Lachie Neale’s eye region when they tangled in the second-term of the semi-final win over the Lions on Saturday night.
The verdict dismissed evidence from Neale who said last night he felt contact to his nose and face rather than his eye region in the second-term tangle on the wing.
A shattered Greene did not speak to the media upon leaving the tribunal.
But GWS football manager Wayne Campbell said an appeal could be on the cards tomorrow night in last-ditch bid to secure his place against the Pies.
“We thought we presented a really good case,” Campbell said.
“We need to consider our options now. So we will have a look at whether we take it any further.”
Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt said he had expected Greene to "get off", while Graham Cornes tweeted the tribunal decision "was the most unjust one game suspension in the history of the game".
Tigers great Matthew Richardson tweeted "give me a spell" while Daniel Harford tweeted it was "manifestly unjust".
Collingwood great Mick McGuane said the Giants had to appeal, which the club confirmed it would shortly after the verdict was announced.
Give me a spell
— Matthew Richardson (@mattricho0) September 17, 2019
Regarded as one of the league’s bad boys for his lengthy rap sheet, Greene was cleared of a similar serious misconduct charge last week after pulling Marcus Bontempelli’s hair.
Greene’s player advocate Adrian Anderson last night said there was enough doubt in the tangle of arms and legs with Neale to be unsure of the intention or force of the contact.
The Toby Greene suspension is embarrassing for the Match Review system. Not enough courage to make a call last week and gets sent to tribunal. Less evidence, poor vision this week but the MRO can hand out 1 week?
— Nathan Brown (@NathanBrown_07) September 15, 2019
Whether you love or hate the way Greene plays, that’s unjust.
Anderson rejected “outright” that it was an attempt to rake Neale’s eye.
“The number of times in a game of football that you might experience some incidental contact in the eye region is a common occurrence in terms of what happens unintentionally in a game of football,” Anderson said.
Tribunal appeal only costs five thousand bucks and could be on the grounds of the decision being manifestly excessive. Could be Thursday appeal. Wayne Campbell says the Giants will consider their options. https://t.co/irZg59T7sa pic.twitter.com/GQcPx9cLPS
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) September 17, 2019
Greene was adamant he made contact with Neale’s face as part of an attempt to reach for the bobbling ball.
“I use my left hand in an attempt to snatch the ball,” Greene said.
“I try to grab the ball as I see it bobbling, but then it goes under Lachie Neale’s face, which I can’t get to.”
But AFL legal counsel Nick Pane QC said it was clear Greene clawed at Neale’s eye region with his left arm and delivered a jolt to his nose with his right hand from underneath the pack.
Pane said Greene’s evidence was totally inconsistent with the video footage.
“You see a rake from Toby Greene over Lachie Neale’s eye region with his left hand,” Pane said.
“Neale’s immediate reaction is to put his hand horizontally over his eyes. In my submission that is suggestive of the point of contact, as opposed to forceful contact just to the nose.
“He (Neale) was vulnerable, he was being held down, tackled by two players, and unable to defend himself whatsoever. Any contact to the eye region has the potential to cause serious injury.”
This seriously must be the most unjust one game suspension in the history of the game. Yes, he can be a serial pest but surely you have to commit a crime to do the time. One game for a swinging round arm... one game for... who knows what? Who benefits most I wonder? https://t.co/Bbrt047v9m
— Graham Cornes (@Cornesy12) September 17, 2019
Earlier, Neale said he was unsure if he felt any contact to the eye region.
“I can’t really recall anything to my eye region, it all happened pretty quick,” Neale said.
“I remember grabbing my face afterwards, my nose was little bit sore, and took a few seconds to gather myself.
“I got up and kept playing. I felt something on my face, my eyes pulled up fine from the incident.”
Originally published as Toby Greene's one-match ban upheld, GWS to appeal