Toby Greene opens up about family, team challenges, and his drive for an elusive flag ahead of game 250

Toby Greene’s 250th game celebration comes with his side heavily under the pump. And the GWS skipper has a secret weapon to snuff out some booing from the Carlton faithful on Saturday.

Toby Greene might already be sick of the fanfare that has come his way as he prepares to celebrate his 250th AFL game this weekend, but there’s one milestone that will mean even more when he runs out onto Marvel Stadium on Saturday to take on the Blues.

For the first time, Greene will have daughter Isla by his side as he runs onto the field. The Giants skipper is hopeful that it might soften the chorus of jeers from Carlton fans that might come his way, well, at least that’s the plan anyway.

Toby Greene is looking forward to running out with his daughter Isla for the first time in his 250th AFL game. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“We’ll see how she goes, because it’s right when her nap time is, so she might crack it,” Greene said. “And she might be getting booed as well.

“I am excited for her, if she lasts the distance. The 12.40 starts smack bang in the middle of her nap, so we’ll just play it by ear.

“I’m sick of the photos. It just makes me realise how long I’ve been here, and I look pretty old now. That’s what I’ve taken from it.

“It’s good that (the game is) in Melbourne for my family, no one has to buy flights so that’s been a win. I just want to try and get a win and hopefully have friends and family in the rooms to celebrate with everyone who’s shared the journey.

“That’s all I’m looking forward to, but worry about that probably once the final siren goes.”

The team-first attitude sums up the incredible journey that Greene has been on since joining the Giants all the way back in 2011.

Taken by GWS with the 11th pick of the 2011 draft – the ninth of 14 players selected by the Giants before their inaugural season – it’s not hard to argue that Greene has created the greatest on-field individual legacy in the orange and charcoal.

Greene is set for more time in the midfield as he looks to lead the Giants’ back into finals contention after a poor run of form. Picture: Phil Hillyard

A slight midfielder out of the Oakleigh Chargers who excelled in the under-18 championships, his determination around the contest saw him rise up draft boards, and eventually he replicated those qualities at AFL level to become one of the competition’s elite players over the past decade.

He has earned multiple All-Australian blazers, was named the All-Australian captain in 2023, has won multiple Kevin Sheedy Medals as the club’s best and fairest, and is slowly hunting down Jeremy Cameron’s current title as the Giants’ leading goal-kicker of all-time.

But while other inaugural Giants have come and gone, like his good mate Cameron, who now plies his trade at Geelong, Greene has always persevered. And while a move back to Melbourne has never really crossed his mind, his focus has always been on helping build a culture of success at the league’s youngest club.

“I’m probably not a deep thinker too much, I sort of took it as it came and always had fun,” Greene said.

“I could see in the early days when we were not winning many games, if we kept working hard that potentially that might happen and we might start to turn. And it did.

“Obviously, I haven’t got to where I really want to get to. But I’ve always had fun. Even the guys reaching out throughout the week that I’ve played a lot of footy with over my journey, that’s the best bit about it.

“We’re in a great spot and a good young group coming through. But it doesn’t really guarantee anything. You’ve got to keep making it work and make sure it’s a high-performing environment. But the boys are the future of the club, they’re holding it in great stead.”

Clearly where Greene really wants to get to is a premiership. He’s made no secret of that over the years, and his bitter disappointment over the past two seasons after the Giants’ dramatic finals exits were there for all to see.

But on their current form, the skipper knows they’ve got a long way to go to ensure they contend again this season. Their midfield had another poor performance against the Dockers last weekend, and they are set to be without superstar Finn Callaghan for at least a month.

After losing four of their past five matches, Greene is more focused on the Giants’ form than his major milestone. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Yet the Giants, and Greene, tend to rise the moment they start to get written off. And a return to his junior days playing more midfield minutes could help the 31-year-old recapture his best form and get GWS’ season back on track.

“We lost Wardy’s 300th, I still feel bad about that,” Greene said. “I don’t know if (the milestone) has any effect on the players, but hopefully we get a win.

“There’s a few things (to work on). Our pressure, being able to restrict corridor use. Probably overall work rate and desperation in defence was the key finding. It’s something we really want to get going this week.

“We had a pretty strong week this week. And we know what we want to get better at, especially as captain and as a leadership group. We’ve got good focuses that we want to try and nail this week, and going forward.”

Originally published as Toby Greene opens up about family, team challenges, and his drive for an elusive flag ahead of game 250