4 days ago
Toby Greene under fire over 'dirty' act as swipe at Swans rival divides AFL world
Toby Greene could find himself in hot water with the AFL's Match Review Officer after a controversial hit on Swans star Isaac Heeney. But the GWS Giants captain and his coach have both brushed off Greene's 'overweight' jibe at Swans rival Tom Papley that has divided the AFL world.
The tenth-placed Swans had to beat their cross-city rivals to keep their slim finals hopes alive and looked on track after jumping out to a 35-point lead before the main break. But they kicked just one goal in the second half and GWS launched a stunning third-quarter surge to wrap up a comfortable win.
It could come at a cost though, with Greene facing scrutiny over a number of incidents during the fiery clash. The GWS skipper could find himself in the crosshairs of the MRO after an unnecessary forearm that collected Heeney high, after the Swans superstar had been wrapped up in a tackle.
Heeney was lying on the turf when Greene came into the contest and made contact with Heeney's head with his forearm. Some viewers described it as a 'dirty' act from the GWS skipper, who was immediately pinged for a free kick.
He also caught Aaron Francis off the ball with a swinging arm that saw the Swans player go down, and gifted Sydney a shot on goal. The MRO has taken a dim view on similar acts this season and Greene could be facing his first suspension of the season, ahead of a crucial game against top-eight rivals the Western Bulldogs next Thursday night.
Toby Greene gave away a free kick for this high contact on Isaac Heeney.📺 Watch #AFLGiantsSwans on Ch.503 or stream on Kayo: BLOG MATCH CENTRE
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 25, 2025
I like Toby Greene but he is 100% a dirty player #AFLGiantsSwans
— outbreezy (@outbreezyWC) July 25, 2025
I love Toby, but my god he makes it near on impossible to defend so many of his actions.
— damien clark (@dpclark81) July 25, 2025
I love Greene, been one my fave players for a long time. But the continuous fines for his 'dirty' behaviour / non-footy acts off the ball aren't working. Where's the need to for Toby change his behaviour?! Also MRO, are we serious about the head or not? #AFLGiantsSwans
— Ann Miller (@TidoteAnne) July 25, 2025
RELATED:
AFL fans shower Joel Selwood with support after return of Cats hero
Rival AFL player breaks ranks with statement about Steven May
New blow for Collingwood as important player sidelined for weeks
Toby Greene makes 'overweight' jibe at Tom Papley
The Giants captain also risked copping a fine over his halftime interview with Fox Footy in which he took a shot at Swans sparring partner Papley's weight. Greene was asked about Papley's influence on the first half as the Swans established a solid lead, but the GWS skipper decided to focus on his apparent lack of fitness instead.
'He's looking overweight,' Greene told Fox Footy. 'We'll see how he goes second half.' The comment immediately raised eyebrows around the AFL world, with many insisting Greene overstepped the mark and deserved to be sanctioned, while others thought it was just banter.
I'm a swans fan, that's gold. Play on
— Baz (@SunCstGunnerBaz) July 25, 2025
Does he get a fine for that??
— Tia McQueen (@TiaMcQueen) July 25, 2025
Surely we are not gonna give weeks for banter now are we?
— Logs (@logs1988) July 25, 2025
It comes after Brisbane's Dayne Zorko copped a $3000 fine for a foul-mouth tirade towards the officials bench last week. Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was also fined $20,000 last year for goading Hawthorn players. But speaking after the game, Greene simply put it down to 'a good bit of fun' and Giants coach Adam Kingsley said he'd be 'pretty disappointed' if his captain got a fine.
"They're trying to put each other off, and they're doing it all within the rules, of course," the GWS coach said about players from both sides after Papley had made a point of celebrating his first major on return from a hamstring by running straight towards Greene. "Winners are grinners, and if you're not, you move on."
Friday night's victory was the sixth in a row from GWD and moves them up into fifth (13-6) on the ladder, with Greene revealing it was a halftime spray from Kingsley that sparked the comeback. "It was a good one. It was direct," Greene said. "We deserved it, though. We were pretty ordinary in the first half. Their (Sydney's) work rate and contest were miles ahead of where we needed to be."
with AAP
