Toby Greene signs six-year contract with GWS Giants

GREATER Western Sydney has avoided a year-long controversy by signing Toby Greene on a six-year mega deal worth up to $1 million a year.

Toby Greene of the Giants.

GREATER Western Sydney has avoided a year-long controversy over Toby Greene’s signature by locking him away for the next six years.

The massive deal worth as much as $1 million a year avoids the Josh Kelly-style circus that dragged on well into 2017.

FREE AGENT: WILL MONSTER OFFER KEEP LYNCH AT SUNS?

ROOKIE BIBLE: ALL THE CHEAP PLAYERS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER

ROOKIE BIBLE: GUIDE TO MATURE-AGED PLAYERS

SUPERCOACH: HOW TO PLAY AND WHO TO PICK

Restricted free agent Greene had last year told the club he would be open to a long-term deal.

The deal is shaded in length by Lance Franklin’s nine-year contract and Tom Boyd’s seven-year deal but is one of the longest existing deals in the AFL.

The Herald Sun has confirmed his contract will be one of the major announcements at a midday press conference in Sydney.

GWS co-captain Phil Davis, at 27 emerging as a consistent and reliable defender, is also expected to be recontracted soon given he is out of contract at year’s end.

Greene has transformed himself from a wayward-kicking midfielder with an unlawful assault fine on his record into one of the AFL’s elite players.

He has kicked 89 goals and averaged 20 possessions in the past two years, winning the Giants’ 2016 best-and-fairest award.

Toby Greene has signed with the Giants for another six years.

Only a string of notable MRP incidents last year took the gloss off another spectacular season.

He was suspended for a hit on Western Bulldog Caleb Daniel, linked to headbutting and misconduct charges and avoided suspension for a bizarre boot to the face of Bulldog Luke Dahlhaus.

Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon said over the summer Greene was a game-changing player worth seven figures a year.

“Toby Greene is the player who I would be throwing all the money at,” Lyon said.

“You need to put Greene in the ‘Buddy’ (Franklin) category for his ability to influence and win games.

“He is more important than Kelly. He is a better player than Kelly because he is multidimensional. I’m not knocking Kelly, he is extraordinary. That’s how highly I rate Greene.

“Greene won the game for them, he is a game-winner. He would have to be in the three or four highest paid players at GWS.

“As an open market proposition, he is up there with the very best. He is worth $1 million.”

The Giants also have Ryan Griffen out of contract until the end of the year but have managed to sign up most of their young stars.

Despite speculation of a player exodus despite the loss of Boyd, Adam Treloar and a handful of players pushed out by salary issues, GWS has established a strong record of keeping players.