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Toby Greene heading to AFL tribunal after GWS Giants captain hit with suspension

The Giants and Lions are both facing major headaches ahead of a crunch AFL clash on Anzac Day.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·5-min read

The GWS Giants will challenge a one-game ban handed to skipper Toby Greene at the AFL tribunal, as well as that offered to forward Jesse Hogan. Greene came in for scrutiny after colliding with Jordan Boyd during a marking contest in the Giants' 19-point win over Carlton on Saturday night.

In scenes reminiscent of Peter Wright's collision with Harry Cunningham that resulted in the Essendon player getting a four-match ban, Greene jumped in the air and made contact with his shoulder directly to Boyd's head. Greene didn't appear to know where the ball was, and braced for impact when he collected Boyd in the face.

Toby Greene and Lachie Neale.
Toby Greene is in hot water ahead of the Giants' clash with Brisbane Lions. Image: Getty/Fox Footy/AAP

Greene and fellow forward Jesse Hogan were both offered one-game bans by the match review officer on Sunday and will miss the clash with Brisbane in Canberra on Anzac Day unless they are successful at the tribunal. Hogan landed a left-handed blow to Blues defender Lewis Young's face during a scuffle in the goal square during the final quarter.

The Giants players will argue their case at the tribunal on Tuesday. It comes a week after Lions forward Charlie Cameron escaped his one-match suspension due to "exceptional and compelling circumstances" owing to a clean record across 207 games.

Greene has a history of run-ins with the AFL match review officer and tribunal, but GWS coach Adam Kingsley was adamant his captain didn't deserve to be suspended for the Boyd incident. The Carlton player suffered far less damage than what Cunningham did in the Wright incident.

"There won't be anything in that," Kingsley said after the Giants' 17.15 (117) to 15.8 (98) win. "He's allowed to contest the ball, isn't he? He's allowed to launch at the ball?

"And if you're running and launching at the ball, and you've got your eyes for the ball, and you're trying to take a chest mark, and you get knocked ... free kick against? It's hard being Toby."

But David King said in commentary for Fox Footy: “He’s in trouble. I think Toby’s in trouble. As soon as you stop going for the ball ... You can’t put yourself above the other player. The rules have changed.”

Toby Greene, pictured here collecting Jordan Boyd in the face with his shoulder.
Toby Greene collected Jordan Boyd in the face with his shoulder.

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Lions sink to unwanted first at home amid horrible scenes

The Lions are facing issues of their own heading into the Giants clash, but they're more to do with their flagging form. Chris Fagan's side were reduced to their lowest score ever at the Gabba, going down by 26 points to the high-flying Geelong.

Brisbane lost 9.9 (63) to 4.13 (37) in torrid conditions caused by heavy, driving rain - marking a third-straight loss at home for last year's grand finalists. In 2023 the Lions won all 13 games they played at the Gabba, but it isn't the same fortress 12 months later.

Brisbane Lions players, pictured here after their AFL loss to Geelong.
Brisbane Lions players look on after their loss to Geelong.

Fagan said Geelong outsmarted his side in the wet, but he doesn't think it's time to panic despite just two wins in their first six games. "We created a bit of a fortress for ourselves and right now that's being challenged," he said.

"We've got to stay positive, keep working and I know it'll turn around. I don't think there's anything in particular teams are doing to us to make it occur, it's just one of those things in sport. We haven't put in any disastrous performances but we've found ways to lose, without taking credit away from our opposition.

"We exaggerate where teams are on the ladder at this point of time in the year. Go and have a look at the ladder after 13 games last year. Swans and Giants had won five games, Carlton four-and-a-half."

All three of those sides that Fagan mentioned finished inside the top-eight, while the Giants and Blues made the preliminary finals. "We're 2-4. It doesn't look good, but there's a lot of this season to go and I've got strong belief in our group," Fagan added. "There's some reasons for it. We have to stay positive and work our way out of it. We've got to find a way to win on Thursday, just have to find a way."

But Lions fans weren't impressed by the way the side played in the wet conditions. The performance was labelled 'pathetic' and 'horrible' by some.

with AAP