Toby Greene was one of the few Giants not to have a picnic last week in the huge win over premiers Collingwood, being well held by Brayden Maynard and mostly being a spectator to the orange tsunami washing past him. GWS have a lovely early draw for fantasy purposes, and with premium forwards in short supply many coaches are looking at Greene as a possible set-and-forget candidate to end up the top six by season's end. Those who have owned him before, however, know how variable his scoring can be. You will be able to get him cheaper at some later point.
Toby Greene was one of the few Giants not to have a picnic last week in the huge win over premiers Collingwood, being well held by Brayden Maynard and mostly being a spectator to the orange tsunami washing past him. GWS have a lovely early draw for fantasy purposes, and with premium forwards in short supply many coaches are looking at Greene as a possible set-and-forget candidate to end up the top six by season's end. Those who have owned him before, however, know how variable his scoring can be. You will be able to get him cheaper at some later point.
Toby Greene put in a vintage performance in the preseason to remind us once again of the sort of player he can be when he's on: a matchwinner who can do it all off his own boot with endless tricks and talent to burn. This doesn't always translate into steady streams of fantasy points, like many permanent forwards, but with players of his ilk it's the average you need to worry about not the variability from week to week. He's going to be thereabouts for top six forwards, especially in exotic scoring, so picking him is not a silly idea.
Mixed signals from Greene
It was a clear yin-yang season for always-newsworthy Toby Greene. His time across half forward was inconsistent as the team struggled with injuries at times, going at 80 points per game. However, he ended up with his most prolific return since 2014 thanks to a monster late-season average of 129 between rounds 17 and 22 once thrust into central midfield to add grunt. If anything is guaranteed, Greene will come out hungrier than ever in 2020. His scoring potential has never been in doubt, but with senior teammates walking back into the midfield, it could force Greene to return to his less fantasy-friendly role in attack. Watch him like a hawk in the preseason and pounce early, especially if there’s indication of a regular midfield role.
Toby Greene has enjoyed not only the added responsibility of the captaincy since his return from injury in the second half of 2019, but also a reversion to his original role of inside midfield which has boosted his statistical output to elite levels in the absence of many of his highly-rated engine room teammates. His forward eligibility has made him nearly a no-brainer to trade in for the run home in salary cap competitions, but this week might present a bit more of a challenge due to the absence of Harry Himmelberg and Jeremy Finlayson. Will Toby's orange bubble burst?
Toby Greene has reverted at times to his original role of inside midfielder this season, covering holes in the engine room left by injured players. The decision to run younger players Jackson Hately and Harry Perryman through the midfield in recent weeks should see him move forward again to start on a half forward flank, a position in which he has fully earned All-Australian honours. For the Giants to finally make that long-awaited run to a grand final and possibly a flag, they need him firing forward of centre to make their attack run at top gear.
Red flags on Greene
Battling an ankle injury, the 2018 season proved forgettable for Toby Greene, dropping from eleventh in the competition for score involvements per game to outside the top 50. After missing 21 games across the previous two seasons, fitness will be of primary concern to the star Giant. He recorded career lows in disposals, handballs, kicks and tackles, and only returned to preseason duties in January after surgery. Having never looking quite right upon return to the senior side late in the season, Greene was predominantly positioned inside forward 50. This is unlikely to be a desired role change by coach Leon Cameron, as Greene is perhaps most influential in his role as a connector from midfield to forward. After a down season, the dynamic Giant may present as a bargain. Have no second thoughts if available from the midway point of the draft.
Toby Greene has made headlines for his tribunal charges and his karate kicks, but it's his statistical exploits that interest fantasy coaches and on that score he has had an extremely forgettable season. At his All-Australian best he is a premium fantasy forward, with a true forward's variability but with an average putting him in the elite category.
Toby Greene promised with one good game in last year's finals series that the Giants might use him as a midfielder if the fitness of players around him allowed it, and he has made the move towards the second half of 2018. This has not led to him dominating on the stat sheet however, so it's a move that benefits the team by providing one more big body at the contest rather than being all that useful for fantasy coaches.
