Greene keen to kick on
Forward plans to follow Box Hill pipeline to top level
SECOND-CHANCE Hawthorn forward Fergus Greene has ambitious plans to follow the pipeline of Box Hill talent transformed into Hawks firstteam regulars after admitting he believed his AFL dream was over.
The Box Hill forward kicked 53 goals in a breakout VFL season and was signed as a delisted free agent by Sam Mitchell’s Hawks last week.
The 24-year-old has always attempted to play like athletic forward Jack Gunston and now has a chance to fill the hole his departure to Brisbane creates.
He says he would set himself up to fail if he believed he could replace the brilliant three-time premiership star but Greene believes the second chapter in his career can be more fruitful than his four years at the Western Bulldogs.
As a young 190cm forward he spent two years injured and another in Queensland hub life out of the senior side and aware Bailey Dale had taken his spot as a medium-sized forward.
Now after being given the career lifeline that he never expected he says the smooth progression of so many players from Box Hill to Hawthorn means he will make up for lost time.
“It’s pretty cool. I was lost for words when I found out I was playing at Hawthorn. I am still battling to put a label on my feelings. For a long time I thought the dream was probably over,” he told the Herald Sun.
“To have to think I might have had one crack at my dream and it’s done, it was a really horrible way to feel. So I owe a lot to Box Hill. I am so happy to get another crack at it.
“I guess you can get some confidence out of Jai Newcombe’s (progression from Box Hill) but I look at James Blanck just as much. As a 20-year-old we played a fair bit of footy together and he slotted in pretty seamlessly. Lachie Bramble did a pre-season with us and then was in the best 22 at Hawthorn by the middle of the year. So it gives you a little bit of confidence that guys with good form at Box Hill haven’t been sitting there waiting too long for an opportunity.”
Greene averaged 3.1 goals across his 17 VFL games this year using his huge tank and strong marking power to play tall and believes he can slot into a Hawks forward line that includes Mitch Lewis and Jacob Koschitzke.
“As a kid I always tried to base a lot of my game on Jack Gunston. He is essentially the ceiling of what you want to achieve in the position I play,” he said.
“But I want to almost distance myself from that. The comparison of him leaving and me coming in won’t be fair on my career, he’s such an elite player.”