Brisbane Lions legend Alastair Lynch says the AFL’s handling of Toby Greene case has been a fiasco
Brisbane legend Alastair Lynch has lashed the tribunal’s handling of Toby Greene’s suspension, declaring the “fiasco” has caused a “greater black eye” than the GWS star was ever going to inflict on Lachie Neale.
GWS
Don't miss out on the headlines from GWS. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The tribunal’s handling of the Toby Greene fiasco has given the sport a far greater black eye than the Giants’ actions were ever going to do to his opponents.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan and midfield gun Lachie Neale have done all in their power to help clear Greene for GWS’s preliminary final against Collingwood.
Neale told the tribunal he could not recall feeling any contact to his eyes in the semi-final incident at the Gabba.
The reality is, the modern-day tribunal does not care what the opposition player has to say as the player’s code remains strong. They now rely much more on the medical report.
The report was clear in respect to Neale’s eyes.
However, given Greene was handed a one-week ban, the Lions have every right to feel aggrieved by the whole process.
What makes this so frustrating is that Greene was the Giants’ best player in their three-point win over the lions.
Had he been rubbed out it could very well be the Lions taking on the Pies on Saturday night.
How was the contact to Neale considered worthy of a suspension when a fine was considered sufficient penalty for the incident the week before with Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli?
That incident — the Giant’s 17th career charge — earned him a $7500 fine for serious misconduct.
Surely no one who has seen both incidents would argue the Neale one was more serious, dangerous or illegal that the Bontempelli one.
MORE TOBY GREENE NEWS:
Toby Greene's one-match ban upheld, GWS to appeal
GWS Giants seething Toby Greene has been cited for making facial contact with Lion Lachie Neale
GWS Giants defeat Brisbane Lions in physical, brutal semi-final at the Gabba
Greene seems to have been suspended for stupidity.
It almost feels like a retaliation for failing to learn his lesson from the hefty fine he received the previous week yet since the AFL tribunal points system has been scrapped, there’s supposedly no accumulative effect available to be calculated.
GWS also have the right to feel frustrated at the inconsistency which is why they will challenge the verdict in of the AFL Appeals Board tomorrow.
In isolation, I feel Greene will be able to have the penalty overturned on appeal.
But I understand the AFL’s frustration that a hefty fine wasn’t a deterrent for a similar incident.
Greene argued in front of the tribunal that he had been attempting to control the loose ball and hold it in the pack of players in an attempt to win a holding-the-ball free kick, which was subsequently paid.
The defence seemed to be stronger and the video evidence less conclusive than the previous week when TV footage showed a number of scratches and bruises across the Bulldogs star’s face and neck.
Coach Leon Cameron would be disappointed in his star player for again putting himself in such a situation.
The Greene situation proves that fines are not the deterrent the AFL wants them to be.
Greene obviously felt confident to plead guilty for the Bontempelli incident because it was immediately apparent there was no appetite from any quarter to suspend him.
It meant he wasn’t cross-examined and there was little in the way of a forensic analysis into his actions.
To me the whole Greene v Bontempelli case appeared to be simply a negotiation over the size of the fine as it would be difficult to suspend him due to lack of conclusive evidence in the case.
I’m not complaining that he avoided a ban for the first incident, but simply suggesting if the AFL had pushed for one then the Giants would have been forced to prove his innocence and a decent precedent would have been set.
And the Neale situation the following week probably wouldn’t have happened.
While Giants supporters would be frustrated with Green again putting himself in this position, it’s hard for them to comprehend that his suspension is the same penalty as Tom Hawkins’ one-week ban for an off-the-ball hit.
There simply was not a strong enough deterrent and now we face the embarrassing situation where the tribunal is attempting to tell us the second incident was worse than the first.
Originally published as Brisbane Lions legend Alastair Lynch says the AFL’s handling of Toby Greene case has been a fiasco