GWS Giants’ star Toby Greene set for a hostile reception at the Gabba
Brisbane youngster Hugh McCluggage expects Toby Greene to deal with a vocal Gabba crowd after escaping suspension during the week but he’s not the only Giant the Lions have to stop.
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Toby Greene must battle hostile forces on and off the field on Saturday night with the Lions fully expecting the Gabba crowd to aid their fight to nullify the Giants star.
In what already shapes as an Origin-style Queensland versus NSW clash, Greene’s presence will ensure plenty of spice with the home team keen to make use of every voice in the crowd to push home their advantage.
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Young Lions star Hugh McCluggage says there is no team plan to try and target or rile Greene but he can’t say the same for the Gabba faithful.
Greene copped a $7500 fine on Monday after pleading to serious misconduct following the Giants’ elimination final win over the Western Bulldogs.
His detractors were furious there was no ban imposed with Lions fans not slow to express their anger through social media.
On Friday afternoon, the official AFL website posted a poll titled “Charlie Cameron or Toby Greene …Who would you pick first?”
While there were some sensible responses in favour of Greene, it was also the trigger for some to unleash abuse in his direction.
McCluggage expects Saturday night’s clash to be “nice and heated” but there’s also admiration for the qualities in Greene’s locker.
Asked if there was a specific plan to upset Greene, he told The Saturday Telegraph: “No, there’s not. We’re not employing anything in particular for one player.
“He’s (Greene) one of those players I feel like fans love to hate.
“They seem to go for small forwards that get under peoples’ skin. But I think people secretly love it when those guys come to play.
“He’s great for their team. You walk a little bit taller when those sort of guys are around you and in your team.”
But Greene is not the only face the Lions must close down if they are to shatter the Giants’ hopes of a first flag.
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One Giant McCluggage knows well and has pencilled in as a huge threat is Tim Taranto.
The duo were picks two and three in the 2016 draft.
“With Andy (No.1 pick Andrew McGrath) and Tim I’ve kept a close eye on both of them and they’re both going really, really well.
“Tim will be an important player for us to try and nullify on the weekend because he’s playing some really good footy.
“When good teams lose players they always seem to be able to find a way to get someone to step up and Tim’s been that for the Giants.
“He played well last year as well, obviously, but he’s taken another step this year. They’ve had a few injuries and he’s had to shoulder a bit more of the load.
“But they’ve got a lot of quality players. You’ve got the class of Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield, Jacob Hopper, Tim (Taranto) and Matt De Boer. There’s not really any one player you can single out because they’re a well-rounded aside with a lot of threats.”
Despite losing last week’s qualifying final at home to Richmond, McCluggage is adamant confidence in the camp remains undented.
“We didn’t play too badly last week, we just weren’t very accurate in front of goals and our efficiency going inside 50 didn’t give us the best opportunity to kick goals,” he said.
“So we’re going to have to fix that.
“(Home advantage) isn’t an advantage if you don’t go out there and use it by playing well, especially early on. It can definitely help us and gets some momentum.
“It can be intimidating for opposition teams. They get really loud and really excited.
“There might be a bit of (the crowd) wanting to beat the NSW team as well.”
TARTANTO, HOPPER READY TO SHINE
Ben Horne
There’s usually no coming back from losing your captain and captain-in-waiting to season-ending injuries.
But these are the two men making the impossible possible for GWS. Midfield generals Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto were always going to be crucial to the Giants success this year, following the off-season departures of Dylan Shiel and Tom Scully.
But no one could have foreseen the enormous responsibility that would ultimately fall on their young shoulders.
Inspirational skipper Callan Ward went down in round four never to return and Stephen Coniglio hasn’t played in eight weeks, with no certainty of returning even if the Giants get past the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.
It’s a double-blow that would have destroyed the finals ambitions of most teams, but at GWS in has stepped the double-act.
“With Wardy going down at the start of the year and Cogs obviously being injured, there has been more opportunities and more challenges as well. But I feel like it’s something we’ve really tried to embrace and thrive upon,” Hopper said.
“Ever since Timmy came to the footy club we have just had that instant connection and bond being younger mids and similar people.
“Just to progress and continue to play more and more footy together, we’ve grown to the point where we’re just super comfortable with each other’s games. I feel like we can really complement each other and we just love playing footy with each other.”
Originally published as GWS Giants’ star Toby Greene set for a hostile reception at the Gabba
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