Giants mull challenging Greene's AFL ban

Greater Western Sydney will look at all of their options as they mull challenging the two-game AFL suspension handed to Toby Greene.

Toby Greene of the Giants

GWS will strongly consider challenging the classification of Toby Greene's two-match AFL suspension. (AAP)

Greater Western Sydney will strongly consider challenging the classification of Toby Greene's two-match suspension at the AFL tribunal.

Greene was offered the ban by the match review panel on Monday after he was reported for striking Western Bulldogs' midfielder Caleb Daniel during the Giants' two-point win in Canberra on Friday night.

Daniel left the field in the third quarter at Manuka Oval with blood coming from his mouth after Greene caught him high with a round-arm left fist.

The MRP assessed the incident as intentional conduct with medium impact to the head.

Greene is able to avoid a three-game ban with an early plea, but the club could challenge the classification of the incident in a bid to lower the penalty to one game.

"We're going to have a good discussion about whether or not we do contest the two-week suspension," coach Leon Cameron told Fox Sports News on Monday evening.

"We'll make a decision on (Tuesday) morning.

"We'll have a look at all things and compare (similar incidents).

"But it's disappointing that we are going down this track because we are going to lose him, whether it is a game or two games, we'll find that out over the coming day or so.

"There's a number of things we just want to have a look at to see ... whether or not there is an angle to go down."

A field umpire's comments to Greene added an extra layer of intrigue as the umpire in question was overheard on the Seven Network's broadcast telling the 23-year-old he'd been warned he had been close to the edge for two weeks.

The MRP threw out a headbutting charge against Greene last week, while the week before he was fined for striking.

Cameron expressed disappointment that umpires could have pre-conceived ideas about AFL players.

GWS football chief Wayne Campbell contacted the AFL umpiring department to clear the air on that front over the weekend and Cameron said he is satisfied with the outcome.

Regardless of the course of action the club decides upon, Cameron hopes the incident will prove a turning point for Greene, who he defended as "a really good kid".

"There's no doubt this is going to shock and disappoint him," he said.

"Maybe this is what he needed to make that shift.

"But it's just an impulse decision that you can sometimes make ... I don't want him to lose that competitiveness. He's just got to make sure he controls those really sticky situations when they come around."

Greene is equal-second in the race for the Coleman Medal with 20 goals so far this season.

He will miss games against St Kilda and Collingwood if he accepts his ban and an additional clash with Richmond if he unsuccessfully challenges the suspension.


Share
3 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world