Matthew Lloyd says Toby Greene’s controversial marking style must be outlawed for player safety

AFL great Matthew Lloyd has called for Toby Greene’s studs up marking style to be outlawed despite the dynamic Giant escaping penalty for his controversial action. VOTE HERE

Toby Greene fends Nic Newman off with his foot. Picture: Phil Hillyard

AFL great Matthew Lloyd has called for Toby Greene’s studs up marking style to be outlawed despite the dynamic Giant escaping penalty for his controversial action.

Greene was cleared of thrusting his foot out during a marking contest and into the path of approaching Swans defender Nic Newman.

Match review officer Michael Christian deemed the action careless but below the force required for a charge.

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But Christian said a free kick should have been paid against Greene and that the message should be sent out that the act is unacceptable.

Lloyd, a member of the AFL Hall of Fame and five-time All-Australian forward, said such an incident could not escape penalty beyond this year.

“Within the rules we have right now, he gets away with it,” Lloyd told the Herald Sun in the wake of Christian’s finding.

Toby Greene fends Nic Newman off with his foot. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Toby Greene puts his foot out while marking.

“But I just think that a change has to be made over the off-season and we’ll hold our breath for the remaining games that Toby Greene plays this year.

“We cannot go into next season having that as a legal tactic, because I fear for what could happen next to a player and any time a player is coming in on Toby Greene and trying to spoil him, he’d be fearing for what’s coming in his direction.

“I don’t think any player should have to fear that but anything could possibly happen.”

The rule – like every rule – will be reviewed at the end of the season.

Lloyd said that while the league had been strong in its protection of the head and work around bumps, the act must be top of the league’s agenda once this finals series is complete.

“They can’t change them in the finals, but come the end of Grand Final day, that has to be straight away a tactic that can never be used again,” he said.

Christian described the move against Newman as a “careless pushing motion” but the force was below that required for a charge to be laid and Greene – who was fined $2500 for a third misconduct offence for his knee to Swan Isaac Heeney - 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, whilst 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.”

He said Newman’s reaction and a clear medical report indicated it was not worthy of a low impact grading and thus a charge.

Greene was paid a mark by the umpire, but Christian said that it should “absolutely” have been a free kick against the Giants star.

Toby Greene prepares for this next match.

“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.

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.”

Giant Jacob Hopper received his fourth fine for making contact with an umpire, while Sydney’s Zak Jones was fined $2000 for engaging in rough conduct against GWS co-captain Callan Ward.