Toby Greene verdict as it happened: AFL unhappy as GWS star banned for three matches

The AFL hierarchy is privately disappointed with the three-match suspension given to Toby Greene.

League sources said the view was that the tribunal had been too lenient given that the jury had found the Giants star’s conduct to be aggressive, demonstrative, disrespectful, and intentional. The only finding he had been cleared of was “forceful” contact, and yet he had received a three-game ban rather than the six that the AFL had pushed for.

It is open for the league to appeal the sentence and request a greater penalty. This was being discussed in the aftermath of the verdict, but the AFL had to take into account a range of factors including the chances of success and the potential for disrupting the finals series.

It would also be a significant departure from standard practice, which is to accept the tribunal’s verdict. The impact on grassroots umpiring is a major concern for the AFL, in particular for chairman Richard Goyder and chief executive Gillon McLachlan.

Thanks for joining us today. It’s been a big one, with a four-hour tribunal hearing ending in a three-match suspension for Toby Greene. But the AFL, unhappy with the decision, have left the door ajar for an appeal.

And the AFL grand final is officially bound for Perth too.

Stay with us for all the best footy news and analysis.

Until next time, goodbye.

“If I’m honest I find it personally hard to reconcile...that it was only three weeks,” McLachlan said.

“I find it perplexing. I’ve spoken to the lawyers about our appeal rights.”

The Brownlow Medal will be held on Sunday, September 19.

A grand final parade in Perth is also being considered.

Victorian sports minister says “it wouldn’t be responsible” to host the game with fans and that the decision has been made in the interests of football.

In exchange, the MCG’s grand final contract has been extended by a year to 2059 while the MCG will get an extra four games next season. The 2023 and 2024 AFL drafts will be held in Victoria while regional Victoria will get extra AFLW matches.

Pakula says it is “extremely disappointing.”

As expected, the AFL in conjunction with the Victorian Government have confirmed the grand final has been moved to Perth.

The match will remain as scheduled on Saturday, September 25, with a kick-off time to be advised.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and Victorian sport minister Martin Pakula are about to hold a press conference at Marvel Stadium. While this is expected to be an announcement about the location of this year’s grand final, we will keep you updated with any reaction to Toby Greene’s ban.

For more on the grand final, click here.

In summary: Greater Western Sydney will try to win this year’s premiership without star forward Toby Greene after he was suspended for three matches for making contact with an umpire.

Greene’s advocate Ben Ihle had pushed for the Giants vice-captain to be fined $20,000 to $25,000 but the jury of Richard Loveridge, Shane Wakelin and Stephen Jurica instead handed him a penalty that will wipe him out for the rest of the finals.

Toby Greene will not play again this season.Credit: Getty Images

The sanction was well short of the minimum six matches called for by the AFL, which wanted a ban that would send a message to players at all levels that such behaviour was unacceptable.

Greene has been suspended on seven occasions for a total of 10 games during his 10-year career. This was the fifth time in his past three finals campaigns he has been sanctioned.

The Giants face Geelong in a cut-throat semi-final this week for a berth in the preliminary final against Melbourne.

Read the full story here.

The AFL hierarchy is privately disappointed with the three-match suspension given to Toby Greene.

League sources said the view was that the tribunal had been too lenient given that the jury had found the Giants star’s conduct to be aggressive, demonstrative, disrespectful, and intentional. The only finding he had been cleared of was “forceful” contact, and yet he had received a three-game ban rather than the six that the AFL had pushed for.

It is open for the league to appeal the sentence and request a greater penalty. This was being discussed in the aftermath of the verdict, but the AFL had to take into account a range of factors including the chances of success and the potential for disrupting the finals series.

It would also be a significant departure from standard practice, which is to accept the tribunal’s verdict. The impact on grassroots umpiring is a major concern for the AFL, in particular for chairman Richard Goyder and chief executive Gillon McLachlan.

Steve Goodie started umpiring for the Gippsland Umpires Association six years ago and is currently their coach.

But he knows footy from all sides – as a player, as a coach, as a club president, and as a fan. He says the three-match ban handed to Greene is warranted.

“The hardest thing is separating the elite level from the local,” he said, adding that while Leongatha favourite son Matt Stevic – a former GUA umpire, himself – didn’t report Greene on the spot, the cameras caught it later from all angles.

“There is a duty of care to the game,” Goodie said.

“At the elite level, I think three weeks is warranted. I have no qualms about that.

“If they’d have given him a $10,000 fine and said that’s a no-no, at local level that just doesn’t cut it. It’ll have an influence on kids, and umpiring is a hard enough game as it is.

“You’d love to get Toby in a room and just ask him – was it intimidation, or a brain fade? What were you doing? If someone did that to me, I don’t know how I’d react.”

Goodie said a player had charged at him before.

“I put my hand up and just said stop, and spoke to the young fella after the game,” he said.

“That’s how I dealt with it – I’m big enough to look after myself. But if it happened to a kid [umpiring], they could just walk away from the game.

“You just can’t do it. I had another guy absolutely clean me up and I let it go. If it happened again tomorrow, I’d yellow card him. It’s his job not to hit me.”

Two of the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s most decorated umpires say the Toby Greene case has reinforced the message that umpire respect is paramount.

Russell Davidson, who umpired 220 VAFA senior games and a record seven A-grade grand finals, is the VAFA’s field umpire senior squad coach. He said the commentary this week had reinforced the game’s “no touching umpires” policy.

“I’m pleased there was a guilty verdict and there have been some measures taken to protect this from happening in future instances,” said Davidson, who also umpired 106 VFL matches.

“The tribunal had a job to do to protect the integrity of the game and ensure the umpires are sacrosanct, and I think in some small way they’ve done that.”

Read the full story here.