In a nail-biting horror final match on Friday, the GWS Giants beat the Sydney Swans. Toby Greene was remark of the week with an acerbic personal attack on his opponent, casualty Tom Papley. Less than a minute after the half-time siren, Greene let off an explosive shot, labelling Papley “fat.” His unbelievably inflammatory statement made a clearly volatile situation on the field even worse. This particular match made history as … The Giants eventually ran away with a 15.12 to 8.10 win, extending their winning streak to six and putting them fifth on the Australian Football League (AFL) ladder.
The heated battle pitted Greene against opponents of more than just verbal exchanges, but physical brawls. Prior to the opening bounce, he had a tremendous tussle with Swans back Dane Rampe. This laid the groundwork for a fiery first half. The Giants actually had a hard time coming out of the gate, down by 35 points at intermission. In the first period, they could manage only three goals. When the action restarted, they had to find the back of the net first to stay in contention for a top-four finish.
Greene’s physicality was on display all game. It reached a controversial apex when he was penalised for scoring by giving away a free kick for hitting Isaac Heeney in the head with his arm. Each of these incidents would, at the very least, trigger a review from the match review officer. It will ramp up the heat even further to an already rancorous rivalry.
Commentators decried the rising militarization on the field. Commentator Alastair Lynch had observed Papley’s crazed state completely, saying he had “the mad eyes going. NFLPA president Jonathan Brown previously characterized those on-field exchanges as a “cage match.” He noted the disorderly interactions that Papley had with multiple Giants players, including a confrontation with Toby Greene.
Not deterred by the chaotic opening stanza, Greene came out just as aggressive in asserting his will on the fight. Papley underwhelmed on return from injury, with Fox Sports’ Healy remarking, “He’s looking a bit overweight, we’ll see how he goes (in the) second half.” This comment summarized Greene’s devil-may-care combative style and baseline desire to provoke his opponents.
The Giants’ win not only strengthened their position in the league but highlighted their resilience in overcoming a sluggish start. The win leaves the Swans sitting 10th in the overall standings heading into the weekend’s action.
