By Vince Rugari
Toby Greene reckons it’s “fair enough” if people view him as a dirty player, but the Giants skipper will escape sanction for his attempted kick at Dane Rampe’s groin region in Friday night’s fiery Sydney derby.
Greene was one of the central figures in Greater Western Sydney’s stunning 44-point comeback win over the Swans – albeit mostly for non-football actions, and a suspension that makes him the player most charged by the tribunal in VFL/AFL history.
He will sit out Thursday night’s crucial clash with the Western Bulldogs after attracting a one-match ban for striking a defenceless Isaac Heeney on the back of the head in the first quarter – an action he conceded was “stupid”, and something he thought he had eradicated from his game.
Then at half-time, Greene called Swans firebrand Tom Papley “overweight” in a half-time interview he said he also regrets, revealing that Papley had been sledging him while he was talking to Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon.
But footage unearthed by Nine’s Footy Classified on Monday night shows Greene involved in another incident that was assessed by the AFL’s match review officer, with the 31-year-old throwing his foot backwards and in between Rampe’s legs.
The AFL’s new football boss Greg Swann has confirmed Greene will escape any further punishment because he did not connect with Rampe, who played on unencumbered.
Giants captain Toby Greene.Credit: AFL Photos
“Whether we think that’s a thing that we want in the game is a separate thing, which obviously we don’t,” Swann said on SEN Radio on Tuesday morning.
Giants chief executive David Matthews defended Greene on the basis that he had been provoked by Rampe.
“There’s a fair bit going on before the siren and Rampe thumped him in the back. It should have been a free kick,” Matthews said on SEN. “If the free kick was paid or Toby was protected a bit more, we probably don’t find ourselves in this circumstance. But at the same time, you don’t like seeing that action, but the action didn’t have a consequence. So we all move on.”
Greene is now ahead of former Carlton firebrand David Rhys-Jones, having been charged a record 26 times in his career – during which time the perception of him has shifted from despised villain to an admired competitor, respected club captain and skipper of the 2013 All Australian team.
Tom Papley chats with Toby Greene on Friday night.Credit: via Getty Images
But by his own admission, even after all these years, he still can’t help but react whenever the “red mist”, as described by former Giants football director Jimmy Bartel on Footy Classified, descends during an emotion-charged contest.
“Well, not much goes through my head, mate,” Greene said on the Ausmerican Aces podcast, which was recorded before footage of the Rampe incident emerged.
“I’m not thinking too much. I was just probably highly emotional and got don’t argued sensationally by Isaac and then did what I did, which if I had my time back, I would love it back, but that’s not possible.
“I turned around and gave away a free kick, which was ours originally, and then ran off and gave away another free kick, so it was a bad minute for me. But yeah, there was a fair bit of niggle throughout the game from the first centre bounce ... and [I] probably let that get the better of me in terms of getting emotional and pretty wound up.
“I’ve been guilty of it previously in my career, and it was certainly a slip-up ... I’d like to learn my lesson, and I thought I was almost past that, but clearly not. So, mate, a bit to work on and yeah, flat I’m not playing Thursday night against the Dogs.”
Asked what he would say to those who would consider him to be a dirty player, Greene said: “It’s probably fair enough.
“What I did was pretty dirty, and I’ve done that in my career, but I mean, I don’t go out there premeditating anything. It’s just something I need to get better at in my game.
“People can say what they want. I’ve been called lots of things throughout my career, and I’ve just got to worry about making sure I’m playing every weekend. That’s what I’m worried about.”
Teammate Stephen Coniglio, who will captain the Giants on Thursday night against the Western Bulldogs in the absence of Greene and injured co-vice captain Josh Kelly, said he was disappointed Greene wouldn’t be taking part in a match that will help shape their top-four chances.
“Whenever he’s walked a line, he’s made some really good decisions in the last couple of years, and it’s fuelled a couple of our really good performances,” Coniglio said. “We just need more of those decisions.”
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