AFL 2024: Tom Green denies Giants ‘reek of arrogance’ as they fight out of slump
It’s been said the Giants ‘reek of arrogance’ in their recent lean run, but star mid Tom Green has no doubt the team’s confidence can guide them out of a slump which has derailed their season.
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It’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, especially in the world of professional sports.
Talk up your team’s chances, but not too much that it sounds like you’re complacent. Be bold about your own ability, but not too much that it becomes hubris.
The Giants have found themselves walking that tightrope in recent times, and in the past month have faced the most criticism they’ve seen during Adam Kingsley’s reign.
After just two wins in their past eight matches, the Giants dropped out of the top eight for the first time this year. Their performances have lacked intensity in patches, for weeks Kingsley has bemoaned his side’s efforts around the contest and now their status as premiership contenders has a serious question mark next to it.
It led Fox Footy analyst David King to claim their current showings ‘reek of arrogance’ and that the Giants are a team in ‘free fall’. It’s a damning assessment of the star-studded team, and it’s one they’re out to disprove this Saturday against Carlton.
“I don’t think we’re an arrogant side,” midfielder Tom Green said. “We’ve got great confidence in ourselves and I think we’ve got great confidence in Kingers.
“We’ve seen last year as well where that can get us, and at certain times this year when we manage to get it right.
“But we do bring on commentary when we have poor results. We’re losing games that we’d like to think we can win. We’d like to think we can win every single game. We need to sort out a few little things and hopefully results will start getting a bit more positive.”
Green regularly finds himself under the microscope as one of the Giants’ stars. His midfield numbers are regularly at the top of the pile, but the commentary can be relentless that he should have more output or be hitting the scoreboard more regularly.
He’s never one to listen too much to the outside noise, but Green admits there are times when he tunes into what others are saying.
And although he’s not at the Brownlow Medal-winning form many predicted of him at the start of the season, he looks back on a 2024 season with at least eight weeks to go with optimism.
“I don’t think I’m oblivious to the football landscape like some people can be,” Green said. “But I also understand that those opinions, they don’t see inside the footy club. They don’t know what we’re trying to do or where it’s going wrong.
“I haven’t reflected too much (on the year) because I’m trying to get us into finals. I think it’s been good and I’ve been able to contribute most, if not, every single week.
“There’s been periods throughout the season where I’ve got a little bit more attention than I ever have in terms of tags and that sort of stuff. And so that’s presented a great challenge that I’ve really enjoyed taking on and trying to work through.If anything, that’s a compliment to you in the way that an opposition coach thinks that you can really influence the game.
“I reflect on every single game, good or bad, about myself, the team and what we wanted to achieve from it. I’ll speak to family members and people whose football opinions I trust – I value Kingers’ opinion highly as a smart football person … and Ben Hart, another great footy brain.
“The beauty of football is every seven days you’ve got a game and there’s a new story that comes out of that. So once we’re done reviewing it, I’ll move on and get ready for Carlton.”
This Saturday’s game against the Blues comes at the perfect time for Green and the Giants. Where most teams would fear the idea of taking on the competition’s second-best team when results haven’t been going their way, Green believes it plays right into GWS’ favour.
“There’s no better way to get yourself out of a form slump than taking a big scalp against a really good side, and that’s what we’re looking to do.”
During the game, Green is set to run shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the competition’s most in-form players, Patrick Cripps, in a salivating midfield. Cripps has registered at least 40 disposals in each of his past two games. In his two most recent meetings against the Giants, he averages 40.5 disposals, 13 clearances and 22 contested possessions.
Coming through in his draft year, Green was often compared to Cripps for his ball-winning ability and tenacity in the contest.It’s an element he has always showcased in the AFL, but he knows he can look to the Carlton captain for a guide in how to have even more influence as he looks to help lead the Giants out of their current rut.
“He’s a guy that I’ve watched a lot of growing up particularly and really idolised,” Green said.
“But going up against a guy like that who is a Brownlow Medallist, and may very well be on his way to another one, is a great challenge and it’s really exciting for all of us.
“One of my great strengths is at stoppages and then using my hands to get others involved. That stuff, whether it’s score involvements or metres gained, isn’t always going to be my case if I’m shovelling it out of a pack to someone and letting them run or deliver it inside 50.
“That’s my main role and contributing to that every single week, dependent on my role.
“At the moment, we’re not playing football that’s good enough (to be in finals). So I need to keep playing my role and as a leader of the football club, try to bring those around me along to dial us all into what we need to do to get us into September.”
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