GWS Giants Captain Toby Greene Reveals Punching His Father in Dressing Room
GWS Giants captain Toby Greene has disclosed the shocking reason behind punching his father in the team dressing room following an AFL match. The 32-year-old football star explained he knocked his dad, Michael Greene, to the ground when his drunken antics became unbearable.
Drunken Behaviour Leads to Violent Confrontation
'I knocked him out in the change rooms because he was drunk and carrying on,' Greene stated in the new Amazon Prime documentary Final Siren: Inside the AFL. 'He's pretty loud and boisterous and he's extremely drunk. And I was just embarrassed and just told him to f**k off and punched him.'
The Giants veteran described the rift with his estranged father as particularly difficult, as Michael Greene is the reason Toby first picked up a football. 'Like, the reason I love footy is because of him,' Greene said. 'So, yeah, it's hard. That's what I'll take with me, and then you learn your lessons from some things that he's done that you can't do.'
Father's Troubled History with the Law
Michael Greene has a long history of legal troubles, including being jailed for nine months after headbutting a female police officer and resisting arrest at the 2019 grand final. He assaulted the officer while being removed from the MCG for intoxication after watching his son's team lose to Richmond.
Previous charges against Michael Greene include:
- Assault
- Stalking
- Theft
- Multiple driving offences, including drink-driving and driving while disqualified
In 2004, he was convicted of resisting arrest and received a community-based order, along with being required to undertake a sex offenders program for stalking offences. Court records suggest he may suffer from schizophrenia and has battled drug addiction for years.
'Ten, 15 years [of] drinking alcohol and drugs [have] probably taken a fair toll on his body and brain,' Toby Greene remarked about his father.
Greene's Controversial Career and Personal Life
Since his AFL debut in 2012, Toby Greene has established himself as one of the league's most talented and hard-nosed players, but he's no stranger to controversy on the field. Last season, he faced scrutiny for fat-shaming rival player Tom Papley during a half-time interview.
In the Final Siren documentary, Greene also addressed another contentious incident, stating he will 'never have a beer' with Marcus Bontempelli after being charged with serious misconduct for hitting the Bulldogs superstar in the face and pulling his hair during a 2019 finals match.
His wife, Georgia Greene, shared the horrific abuse their family has endured from so-called footy fans. 'People are saying "I hope family members die" or "you should kill yourself",' she revealed. 'Or I have a DM saying "you know, I saw him cheating with girls" and "has he bashed you up?"'
Looking ahead, Greene aims to lead the Giants further up the ladder after the team finished fifth in 2025, only to fall to Hawthorn in the first week of the finals.
