GWS Captain Toby Greene Unlikely to Return to Victoria, Says Defender Connor Idun
Geelong might be interested in signing GWS captain Toby Greene, but according to Giants defender Connor Idun, there’s no way the 32-year-old will return to Victoria. Idun, who grew up in Geelong and knows both the player and his home well, finds the idea of Greene leaving sunny Sydney simply “funny.”
Greene has played all 270 games of his career with GWS, making him one of the club’s most iconic players. In April, he surpassed Callan Ward as the club’s all-time games record holder when he played his 268th game. As an inaugural Giant, Greene has been a key figure in the team’s development over the years.
Idun described Greene as the “most loyal bloke I’ve ever met” and offered some light-hearted advice if the captain was considering a move. “Check the weather,” Idun said on Tuesday. “He won’t go back, no way. He’s into his spearfishing at the moment, so he’ll need a three-layer wetsuit if he goes down there. I don’t think he’ll like it.”
Greene wouldn’t be the first captain to seek a transfer. Last year, former West Coast skipper Oscar Allen moved to Brisbane, and St Kilda’s Jack Steele joined Melbourne. However, ex-skippers Zach Merrett (Essendon) and Jy Simpkin (North Melbourne) failed in their bids.
Before reaching his milestone 268th game, Greene had considered ending his career as a one-club player. Since becoming the stand-alone captain in 2023, he has led the Giants to new heights and was named All-Australian captain that year.
“I do find it funny, especially the ‘Tubs’ one – most loyal bloke I’ve ever met,” Idun said. “He hasn’t spoken about it at the club, and no one will ask him, but we love the service he’s provided. He’s our captain, and we all love him.”
Other key players, including forward Jesse Hogan, have contracts that expire this year, along with inaugural Giants player Stephen Coniglio and ruckman Kieren Briggs. Idun admitted he wasn’t fully aware of the off-contract situation beyond what he saw on social media.
“We handle it pretty well. Just focus on week by week, as cliche as that is,” Idun said.
Hogan is expected to return for the club’s away clash against West Coast after missing a 14-point comeback win against Essendon due to a corked hip. During that game, Idun displayed the club’s ‘never say die’ attitude with a game-saving smother to deny a certain goal from Bombers youngster Jayden Nguyen in the final quarter.
“(I’ve watched it) a couple of times, yeah. Maybe about 50, if I’m honest,” Idun joked. “We know it’s sort of getting a little bit desperate. If we lost on the weekend, it would make the season look pretty tough. The next three weeks (before the round-13 bye) are going to set us up for hopefully where we want to be in the finals.”
