Matthew Lloyd calls for Toby Greene’s marking style to be banned

TOBY Greene’s marking technique has split the football community with one former star saying the act must be outlawed while another said the Giants forward had every right to protect himself.

IT’S the marking technique that has split the football community.

But five-time All-Australian and AFL Hall of Fame member Matthew Lloyd has declared that Toby Greene’s fly-kick mark style has no place in the game.

The star Giant, 24, kicked three goals and notched 27 disposals in Saturday night’s dominant win over Sydney at the SCG, but has come under fire for his thrusting leg when marking.

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Greene — who was last year fined for misconduct after getting Bulldog Luke Dahlhaus in the face — uses his foot to protect himself in marking contests.

He employed the technique on several occasions on Saturday night, the most blatant being when he flushed Swans opponent Nic Newman in the midriff with the studs of his right boot late in the game.

He was not penalised by umpires, but Lloyd said the act must be outlawed.

“We can’t have this in our game,” the three-time Coleman medallist said.

“Because you know what? (Dahlhaus) had his face lacerated. You can’t get your knee that high, but you can put your foot in a second motion up like that and we are waiting for someone to lose their eyesight. Who knows what could happen to a player if we continue to allow that in our game?.”

Toby Greene kicks Nic Newman in the final quarter. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Port Adelaide premiership player Kane Cornes defended the act and said Greene had every right to protect himself in the contest.

“This is inside the rules. You’re allowed to do that,” Cornes said on Channel 9.

“You’re allowed to keep your eyes on the ball, protect yourself with your knee or your foot. No issue. The outrage over this is far over the top.”

But Lloyd said while the opposing player could expect some contact, “you shouldn’t have to expect that a boot can come in your face”.

“If we allow for that, we are asking for serious trouble in our game,” Lloyd said.

The marks in question will be looked at by match review officer Michael Christian — who fined Greene $1500 for the boot to the face of Dahlhaus last year — on Monday.

Toby Greene raises his boot as he takes a mark against the Swans. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Former match review panel member Nathan Burke declared that the action was “not on” and said he believed Greene would be fined again.

“(Last year) basically we said, ‘You shouldn’t be able to do that, we don’t want kids doing that, we don’t want other players doing that,’ so we made a sanction. So there is precedence there,” he said on ABC radio.

“The difference in this one is that you get a bit more licence when you’re going for a mark.

“Three of them where he was leaping as high as he can off the ground, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt, (but) the last one, where he’s got one foot planted (and) sticks the other foot out directly into the stomach of the oncoming Sydney player, I don’t like that.

“I dare say the AFL and Michael Christian won’t like that one, so I’m expecting another misconduct fine.”

Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron backed that Greene should be able to protect himself but would not be drawn on it any further, while star Giants defender Phil Davis said it is “part of the game”.

“Toby’s just protecting his space ... it’s been around the game for many years,” Davis said on 3AW.

“I think if the AFL don’t like the look of it they might have to look into it ... but for me it’s just part of the game.

“The one with Dahlhaus last year was a different set of circumstances, and that wasn’t great, but (on Saturday) night none of those to me looked dangerous or harmful.”

Originally published as Matthew Lloyd calls for Toby Greene’s marking style to be banned