Toby Greene fined by MRO but cleared over kicks while marking
GWS star Toby Greene has been fined by the match review officer — but not for his kung-fu kick marking style. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
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TOBY Greene was careless but unpunishable for his kung-fu kick marking style.
But it should have been a free kick, AFL match review officer Michael Christian has admitted.
Greene has come under fire for his controversial marking style in which he raises his leg and occasionally thrusts his foot in an effort to create and protect space.
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Christian assessed the three occasions in which Greene employed the tactic against Sydney, the most obvious of which against Swans defender Nic Newman.
He described it as a “careless pushing motion” but the force was below that required for a charge to be laid and Greene was let off without sanction.
“It’s important in the context of the marking contest that you’re allowed to protect the space and protect yourself,” Christian said.
“In the situation with Nic Newman, while Toby was attempting to do that, he did that in a careless manner. The conduct was careless, but then it comes down to a question of impact.
“I didn’t believe taking into account the reaction from Newman, the fact that he was able to play on, the visual look of the impact and also a medical report which was clear, that there was enough impact to get to low in that particular case.”
Greene was paid the mark, but Christian said that it should “absolutely” have been a free kick against the Giants star.
“Absolutely. And I think the AFL have conceded that — that it should have been a free kick to Newman and the mark should not have stood to Greene,” he said.
The rule will be assessed at the end of the season, but Christian said he believed that labelling the incident as careless sent a message that it was not on.
With greater impact, he said Greene would have been penalised.
But he said the action itself was leaving Greene open to charge.
“What you’re doing … particularly with the Nic Newman situation — you’re opening yourself up to charge by acting and doing that in a careless way,” he said.
“It’s a hypothetical to try and work out any individual case, but in this particular one I certainly believed it was careless, but if there’s more damage then potentially it would have been a charge.”
Originally published as Toby Greene fined by MRO but cleared over kicks while marking