GWS Giants star Toby Greene vows to bring aggression to AFL Grand Final despite ban
By Ed Jackson
Toby Greene will be playing the familiar role of the villain in GWS's AFL fairytale.
He doesn't care.
All Greene knows is he gets a chance at winning a premiership with the Giants - an option that was out of his control as he watched on nervously while his teammates overcame Collingwood in a nail-biting preliminary final at the MCG last weekend.
Greene's one-game ban for unnecessary contact with the eye region of Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale is the latest in a long line of indiscretions for the talented forward.
The suspension won't change his aggression levels for Saturday's grand final with Richmond - with one caveat.
Toby Greene was breathing a sigh of relief after his teammates lived to fight another day without him (Getty)
"I probably won't be going near anyone's face but I'll be playing how I usually play," Greene said.
Just a week before his run-in with Neale, Greene was fined $7500 for a similar incident with Western Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli in an elimination final.
In total the 25-year-old has been suspended for seven games across his 144-game career and racked up over $26,000 in fines.
It's a record that is sure to have the majority of the crowd at the grand final booing him relentlessly.
But if Greene is affected by the intense scrutiny he's been under for the past fortnight, he did a good job of playing it cool in front of a large media pack on Monday at Giants' HQ.
Greene's trademark aggression sets the standard for the Giants who have bullied opponents (Getty)
"I'd rather not be doing this but it's all part of it," Greene said
"There's been a few stories along the last couple of weeks but it's all played out well and we're in a grand final so I'm happy.
"It's just part of it, playing AFL footy. I guess I always compare it to EPL players and I love my soccer, the scrutiny they face is 10 times this, so I always refer back to that."
Greene's AFL journey began as a teenager in the Giants' foundation list, where he said life was a lot tougher for him and his teammates than it is now.
Greene and key forward Jeremy Cameron were neighbours at the club's Breakfast Point home in those early years when it was opposition players dishing out scoreboard punishment on the expansion team.
Jeremy Cameron has also silenced his criticis this finals series with his dominant performances (Getty)
And while plenty outside the club may not like Greene's style, Cameron says it's part of a winning mentality which has set a path to the club's maiden grand final appearance.
"He's always making headlines and that sort of thing but he's never changed the way he's played," Cameron said.
"He's always played with that attitude and to be honest he just wants to win and he wants to win each and every week.
"He's always had that, even when we were getting beat early days."
Greene's return is one of several selection calls Giants' coach Leon Cameron faces before the clash with the Tigers.
Lachie Whitfield is set to return from having his appendix removed while Stephen Coniglio hasn't given up hope of making a return from torn cartilage in his left knee.
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