Toby Greene verdict LIVE updates AFL unhappy as GWS star banned for three matches
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The AFL hierarchy is privately disappointed with the three-match suspension given to Toby Greene.
League sources said the view was that the tribunal had been too lenient given that the jury had found the Giants star’s conduct to be aggressive, demonstrative, disrespectful, and intentional. The only finding he had been cleared of was “forceful†contact, and yet he had received a three-game ban rather than the six that the AFL had pushed for.
It is open for the league to appeal the sentence and request a greater penalty. This was being discussed in the aftermath of the verdict, but the AFL had to take into account a range of factors including the chances of success and the potential for disrupting the finals series.
It would also be a significant departure from standard practice, which is to accept the tribunal’s verdict. The impact on grassroots umpiring is a major concern for the AFL, in particular for chairman Richard Goyder and chief executive Gillon McLachlan.
In summary: Greater Western Sydney will try to win this year’s premiership without star forward Toby Greene after he was suspended for three matches for making contact with an umpire.
Greene’s advocate Ben Ihle had pushed for the Giants vice-captain to be fined $20,000 to $25,000 but the jury of Richard Loveridge, Shane Wakelin and Stephen Jurica instead handed him a penalty that will wipe him out for the rest of the finals.
Toby Greene will not play again this season.Credit:Getty Images
The sanction was well short of the minimum six matches called for by the AFL, which wanted a ban that would send a message to players at all levels that such behaviour was unacceptable.
Greene has been suspended on seven occasions for a total of 10 games during his 10-year career. This was the fifth time in his past three finals campaigns he has been sanctioned.
The Giants face Geelong in a cut-throat semi-final this week for a berth in the preliminary final against Melbourne.
Read the full story here.
The AFL hierarchy is privately disappointed with the three-match suspension given to Toby Greene.
League sources said the view was that the tribunal had been too lenient given that the jury had found the Giants star’s conduct to be aggressive, demonstrative, disrespectful, and intentional. The only finding he had been cleared of was “forceful†contact, and yet he had received a three-game ban rather than the six that the AFL had pushed for.
It is open for the league to appeal the sentence and request a greater penalty. This was being discussed in the aftermath of the verdict, but the AFL had to take into account a range of factors including the chances of success and the potential for disrupting the finals series.
It would also be a significant departure from standard practice, which is to accept the tribunal’s verdict. The impact on grassroots umpiring is a major concern for the AFL, in particular for chairman Richard Goyder and chief executive Gillon McLachlan.
Steve Goodie started umpiring for the Gippsland Umpires Association six years ago and is currently their coach.
But he knows footy from all sides â€" as a player, as a coach, as a club president, and as a fan. He says the three-match ban handed to Greene is warranted.
“The hardest thing is separating the elite level from the local,†he said, adding that while Leongatha favourite son Matt Stevic â€" a former GUA umpire, himself â€" didn’t report Greene on the spot, the cameras caught it later from all angles.
“There is a duty of care to the game,†Goodie said.
“At the elite level, I think three weeks is warranted. I have no qualms about that.
“If they’d have given him a $10,000 fine and said that’s a no-no, at local level that just doesn’t cut it. It’ll have an influence on kids, and umpiring is a hard enough game as it is.
“You’d love to get Toby in a room and just ask him â€" was it intimidation, or a brain fade? What were you doing? If someone did that to me, I don’t know how I’d react.â€
Goodie said a player had charged at him before.
“I put my hand up and just said stop, and spoke to the young fella after the game,†he said.
“That’s how I dealt with it â€" I’m big enough to look after myself. But if it happened to a kid [umpiring], they could just walk away from the game.
“You just can’t do it. I had another guy absolutely clean me up and I let it go. If it happened again tomorrow, I’d yellow card him. It’s his job not to hit me.â€
Two of the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s most decorated umpires say the Toby Greene case has reinforced the message that umpire respect is paramount.
Russell Davidson, who umpired 220 VAFA senior games and a record seven A-grade grand finals, is the VAFA’s field umpire senior squad coach. He said the commentary this week had reinforced the game’s “no touching umpires†policy.
“I’m pleased there was a guilty verdict and there have been some measures taken to protect this from happening in future instances,†said Davidson, who also umpired 106 VFL matches.
“The tribunal had a job to do to protect the integrity of the game and ensure the umpires are sacrosanct, and I think in some small way they’ve done that.â€
Read the full story here.
Chief football writer Jake Niall has his say on the verdict:
The tribunal’s sentence is enough to send a message, and in the range I felt about right, given that Toby Greene won’t play again this season. The AFL wanted a heftier ban, to reinforce the sanctity of umpires - a standard they’ve allowed to be eroded lately by not taking tougher actions until now - and will be slightly peeved. Is it enough for the penny to drop for Toby? We can only hope, no matter the odds against.
GWS have just released a statement, confirming they have accepted the tribunal’s decision.
Greene said: “I acknowledge contact was made with umpire Stevic as I walked to the three-quarter time huddle during Saturday’s game and I regret this accidental contact occured. I apologise again to Matt for this accident, as I did earlier today during the tribunal hearing. It was not my intention to make contact with Matt while we were engaged in discussion at the time.
“I have complete appreciation for the role umpires play in our game and understand how critically important it is that they are respected at all times.
GWS football manager Jason McCartney said: “We accept the tribunal’s decision and we won’t be appealing the sanction handed down today.â€
During his 10-year AFL career, Greene has now been charged 22 times by the match review officer, suspended seven times for a total of 11 matches as well as being fined $29,350.
Greene has been suspended for three matches.
The Giants player was not on the call because he was on the road to the airport in Tasmania.
That means that pending an appeal, Greene’s season is over and depending on how far the Giants progress in this finals series, the star forward could also miss up to two matches at the start of the 2022 season.
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