GWS star Toby Greene in hot water for fat shaming rival player: ‘it’s always a good bit of fun’
GWS firebrand Toby Greene is once again facing scrutiny after a fiery Sydney Derby performance that included fat-shaming a rival player.
The Giants captain made headlines for calling rival Tom Papley ‘overweight’ during a half-time interview.
The comment came as Papley returned from a hamstring injury and played a lively opening half before GWS swamped the Swans with an 11-goal blitz on their way to a 5.12 (102) to 8.10 (58) victory.
However, Greene also raised eyebrows with a high forearm that collected Isaac Heeney in the second quarter.
That incident is expected to draw attention from the match review panel.
Greene and Papley were central figures in several heated exchanges before the break.
Toby Greene and Darcy Jones of the Giants celebrate victory with the Sydney Derby Cup
Tom Papley was on the receiving end of Greene’s bizarre half-time comments about his weight
Despite trailing by 28 points at halftime, Greene didn’t hold back in his comments.
He questioned Papley’s fitness, hinting he couldn’t maintain his intensity all game.
‘He’s looking overweight,’ Greene told Fox Footy with a smirk.
The AFL is now reviewing both Greene’s comments and on-field conduct.
A textbook spray and a classic taunt were all that was needed to power GWS to a comeback win over Sydney.
Hunting a top-four spot, Giants coach Adam Kingsley had let it rip at halftime after the Swans had slammed through six straight goals to set up a 28-point lead at Engie Stadium.
His words had an immediate effect.
The Giants returned serve with eight straight goals – nine in total – in the third quarter to set up a 44-point victory.
GWS coach Adam Kingsley launched a spray for the ages at half-time to help his side to victory
‘It was a good one. It was direct,’ skipper Toby Greene said of the spray.
‘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.’
GWS move to fifth (13-6) with their sixth consecutive win ahead of the weekend’s clashes, while Sydney languish in 10th (9-10).
Greene had also lit the fuse at halftime with his ‘overweight’ comment about Papley.
Papley had made a point of celebrating his first major on return from a hamstring by making a beeline to Greene in the second quarter.
‘Nah, it’s always a good bit of fun,’ Greene said with a grin.
Kingsley, who described his spray as delivering ‘reminders’, doesn’t expect Greene to be sanctioned for the halftime comment.
It comes after Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko received a $3000 fine for his 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.
‘I’d be pretty disappointed if he got fined,’ Kingsley said.
‘They’re (the players) trying to put each other off, and they’re doing it all within the rules, of course.
‘Winners are grinners, and if you’re not, you move on.’
Greene’s halftime antics come after a quiet week – uncharacteristically devoid of banter, at least from the Giants – between the cross-city rivals.
‘We don’t need to be winning any verbal battles. We need to be winning the physical battle out in the field,’ Kingsley said.
