Hardwick sympathetic but expects Greene ban to stand

Damien Hardwick has predicted Toby Greene’s one-match suspension will be upheld by the AFL tribunal, but the triple-premiership coach says he wouldn’t ban the GWS captain.

Greene will front the tribunal on Tuesday night to challenge his rough conduct charge, with teammate Jesse Hogan also set to contest a striking ban.

Both star forwards are in danger of missing the Giants’ difficult assignment against the Brisbane Lions in Canberra on Anzac Day.

All-Australian captain Greene, who has a long history of indiscretions, faces his first suspension in more than two years over his mid-air bump on Carlton defender Jordan Boyd.

Greene led at the ball and jumped for a mark but turned his body just before a collision and made contact with the head of Boyd, who was going back with the flight of the ball.

Boyd got up immediately to take a free kick and played out the match.

Greene’s actions were graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.

Excitement machine Greene has a long rap sheet, but hasn’t been suspended for more than two years. (Steven Markham/AAP PHOTOS)

“It’s a challenge. I think under the letter of the law at the moment he’s probably in trouble,” Hardwick said on Fox Footy on Monday night.

“But I’m of the opinion that at the end of the day Toby jumps and tried to contest and then tried to protect (himself).

“If it’s me personally, I’m probably letting him off, but the reality is I think the AFL tribunal will probably give him a week.”

Collingwood coach Craig McRae said the Greene-Boyd collision highlighted a “delicate balance” for players and coaches.

He also underlined the importance of the AFL protecting players’ heads, noting Magpies defender Nathan Murphy announced his retirement this month because of concussion.

“You want your players to attack the footy hard and then there’s consequences,” Pies premiership mentor McRae said on Fox Footy.

“He (Greene) is going to have to attack the footy but then there’s consequences, isn’t there?

“There’s always going to be grey (areas) in our game and we’ve got to live with it.

Jesse Hogan’s ‘good bloke’ reputation will help him at the tribunal, saws former teammate Max Gawn. (Steven Markham/AAP PHOTOS)

“I’ll leave it up to others to dissect it within an inch of its life but I’ll say that I’m a massive advocate for protecting the head in the game.”

Melbourne captain Max Gawn said the Greene-Boyd collision divided opinion amongst his Demons teammates.

“This is the new sling tackle for 2024, going for a mark and getting someone,” Gawn said on Triple M.

“It seems to be that every year there’s a new tribunal decision where you go, ‘Wow, that’s out of the game now.’

“It feels like it’s now going for a mark and defending yourself. When I watched it, I thought, ‘Yeah, he’s suspended’. But it split the change room.”

Hogan’s left-handed blow to Blues defender Young’s head during an off-the-ball scuffle in the goal square was graded intentional conduct, low impact and high contact.

Gawn joked that his former Melbourne teammate Hogan will get off his striking charge because he’s “a great bloke”, but added Greene would be “pushing uphill” to do the same because of his long tribunal rap sheet.

The light-hearted comments poked fun at Brisbane goal-sneak Charlie Cameron being able to escape his one-match suspension last week under “exceptional and compelling circumstances”, owing to a clean record.

West Coast could seek to use the same “exemplary character” clause to free Tom Barrass of his one-match ban after the defender was charged with rough conduct over a dangerous tackle on Fremantle’s Michael Walters.

Part of Brisbane’s defence was that Cameron has played more than 200 games without suspension, while Barrass has played 138 since his debut in 2015.

“You’d have to ask the people that are defending Tom but all I know he’s a pretty good fella,” Eagles assistant coach Jarrad Schofield said.