Toby Greene’s first act as All-Australian captain was to apologise to Jacob Weitering

Basking in the glow of being named All-Australian captain, Toby Greene was quick to apologise for an off-the-cuff comment last weekend.

New All-Australian captain Toby Greene has apologised to a rival. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

New All-Australian captain Toby Greene has apologised for “stitching up” Carlton‘s Jacob Weitering with post-game comments about an incident that nearly cost the Blues defender a suspension.

After his GWS Giants qualified for the finals by taking down Carlton last weekend, Greene, who was named All-Australian captain for the first time on Wednesday night, was asked on-field about the incident in which Weitering looked to have grabbed at his eyes.

Greene suggested that Weitering “might be in trouble”, having been being banned himself for similar contact to the eye region of Brisbane gun Lachie Neale in their 2019 final.

Weitering has never played a final, with the Blues entering the post-season for the first time since 2013, and Greene’s comments heightened scrutiny of the incident.

But match review officer Michael Christian assessed the incident only as careless conduct, low impact and high contact, leaving Weitering to accept a $3000 fine. The careless grading was crucial because an intentional ruling would have resulted in a one-match ban.

On Thursday morning, Greene looked to make an apology.

“I actually felt bad for Jacob after the game because I thought when Sarah (Jones) asked about my eye that that’s what he did,” he said.

“I stitched him up a bit mate, so I’d like to apologise to Jacob and I’m glad he’s playing finals footy.

What is Jacob Weitering doing to Toby Greene here?? #AFLBluesGiantspic.twitter.com/6lkAbFuaMv

— Lace out (@laceoutofficial) August 27, 2023

“I’m sure Carlton will have a red hot crack. I sort of stuffed that up after the game. I was under the impression that the cut on my eye was from him and it wasn’t.

“I didn’t realise until like half an hour after the game when someone said ‘you know that cut is on the other eye?’ and I said ‘OK, I’ve got that wrong’.

“I feel a bit bad for him because I almost stitched him up – so, sorry Jacob.”

There was plenty of tribunal fallout from the Giants’ win over Carlton, with forward Toby Bedford handed a one-week ban for a bump on Zac Fisher.

GWS is challenging the decision at the AFL Tribunal next week and Greene is confident they will get the ban overturned and he’ll be able to take on St Kilda at the MCG in an elimination final next Saturday.

“I’m not sure he actually hits him in the head when you ask Zac Fisher and I’m just not sure it was intentionally trying to hit his head, which I think he got charged with,” Greene told SEN.

“We’re confident that we’ve got a strong case and I haven’t been party to the lawyer discussions, but I think that’s what we’re thinking.”