Greene will miss the Giants’ game against the Brisbane Lions on Anzac Day after being suspended for the first time since infamously colliding with an umpire during an elimination final against Sydney in 2021.
The tribunal upheld a rough conduct charge against Carlton defender Jordan Boyd in the Giants’ loss on Saturday.
It brings Greene’s total number of games missed due to suspension to 15 over his 221-game career.
The Giants star led at the ball and jumped for a mark, but he turned his body just before colliding with Boyd’s head, which was moving back with the ball.
Boyd got up immediately to take a free kick and finish the game.
Greene’s actions were categorised as careless conduct, medium impact, and high contact.
“Greene abandoned his attempt to mark the ball and turned his body to brace for impact,” tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said.
“Noting again that Greene admitted this was a high bump.”
Greene testified that he had his gaze fixed solely on the ball and only realised too late that he would be unable to take the mark.
Greene’s legal representative, Anais d’Arville, claimed that his actions were not unreasonable given the circumstances.
“The whole time I thought I was a good chance to take the mark,” Greene was quoted as saying.
“At the last moment I realised he was going to touch the ball before me, then I braced for impact.”
While Greene will miss the Anzac Day match against the Lions in Canberra, fellow star GWS forward Jesse Hogan is available to play after his one-game suspension for striking was overturned.
The match review officer banned Hogan after determining that an incident with Carlton defender Lewis Young was intentional, had low impact, and involved high contact.
However, the tribunal panel dismissed the charge, stating that Hogan did not use enough force to qualify as low-impact.
“Hogan gave impressively candid evidence, including admitting he did swing with force to try and push Young,” tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson stated.
“We are not clearly satisfied there was anything more than negligible.”
Hogan admitted that he and Young exchanged “some words” and that he felt “a little harshly treated.”
“We got into some push-and-shove and it ricocheted off his arm and initially thought I scraped his nose,” he told the court.
“When I first did it, I didn’t believe I’d landed anything.
“Until he said I’d ‘get a week for that’, I didn’t understand anything.
“We discussed it after the game.” We smoothed it over immediately afterwards.”
GWS football manager Jason McCartney addressed the club’s big night at the tribunal.
“We’re pleased with the outcome of the tribunal with respect to Jesse’s case where the charge of striking was dismissed due to the negligible nature of the incident,” the judge said.
“We are naturally disappointed that Toby’s rough conduct charge was upheld, but we recognise the importance of protecting players from head-high contact whenever possible.
“We took the charge further given our belief that this was a genuine marking contest which routinely happens within our game.”
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