Toby Greene is more than content to be living in Sydney right now. Compared to Melbourne’s footy fishbowl, where he’d be recognised on just about every street corner, there really is no place like Olympic Park.
“I’m not great at starting small talk, so it’s good,” he said after the team trained in oppressive heat on Wednesday.
“It’s completely different in Melbourne – their love for the AFL down there is phenomenal, so we’ll feel that on Friday night. Being up in Sydney a bit away from it, I kind of like that.”
That is especially the case this time of year, when half of the chat about Greater Western Sydney’s preliminary final against Collingwood is actually about Greene against Brayden Maynard. Agitator v agitator – one reformed and the other very much making headlines. A box office match-up worthy of 100,000 at the MCG.
But it also applies to Greene’s entire 2023, during which the Giants foundation player has been afforded the time and space to grow into his role as sole captain – away from the glare of his native Victoria.
The 29-year-old has always been a terrific forward, albeit one blighted by ill-discipline and a capacity to divide opinion as much as Maynard is now.
‘Didn’t expect to be here’: GWS’s late-season streak has surprised even captain Toby Greene.Credit: James Brickwood
Less clear was whether his skill set extended to individual leadership when, in February, Leon Cameron’s coaching successor, Adam Kingsley, did away with the co-captaincy Greene had shared with Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly, and elevated him as the one and only.
The transformation has been striking; so much so that Greene was in August named All-Australian captain. Suffice to say he is a major reason the Giants have defied the odds to return to the finals for the first time since 2021, and then seen off St Kilda in the qualifiers and Port Adelaide in the semis.
“I probably didn’t expect to be here, I’ll be honest,” Greene told an unusually large media contingent. “But now that we’re here and with what we’re doing, we deserve to be here. Footy’s funny, it can change a lot in a few months and a few weeks. It probably happened a bit quicker than we thought, but we’re here now and out to make the most of it.
“I feel like the group really backs me in [as captain], and I feel the love from them,” he said. “So as the year’s gone on I’ve probably felt a bit more confident. Not on [the] field, more during the week. It’s more getting a good gauge on how we’re training, how the boys are going individually on the field … and taking a bit more of a role on game day.”
The Giants train in soaring temperatures at Sydney Olympic Park on Wednesday.Credit: James Brickwood
On account of his chosen club, Greene’s talents have not been regularly showcased on a stage anywhere near as big as they perhaps warrant. That will change on Friday against the Pies, who he has played only three times in the past five years for many reasons, including his suspension for the heart-stopping four-point 2019 preliminary final win, and an injury earlier this season.
In those three fixtures he has an excellent record with nine goals, but the fact he only managed one major while playing directly against Maynard must surely not be lost on Collingwood coach Craig McRae.
“It’ll be a great battle, whoever it is – him, [Isaac] Quaynor, or [Jeremy] Howe,” Greene said. “It’ll be good fun. They’re all bloody good opponents, so I’ll give it my best showing.”
He displayed an equal level of respect for Nick Daicos, who is in line to make his return after seven weeks sidelined with a knee injury, but indicated GWS may physically test the 20-year-old Brownlow Medal contender.
“He’s a star; we’ve seen what he’s done this year, but it’ll be hard for him,” Greene said. “It’s a pretty significant injury, I can’t imagine he’d have done a whole heap of footy coming into the game. If we get the chance to tackle him that’d be nice, but he’s a good player and we’ll respect him.”
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