Greene vows knees up

GWS hard nut Toby Greene says he will use his knee for protection if he finds himself in the same situation as he did with the Western Bulldogs’ Luke Dahlhaus three weeks ago at Etihad Stadium.

Speaking for the first time since he was reported and fined for the incident, Greene was apologetic for catching Dahlhaus’s mouth with his studs, but said there was no intention to hurt him.

“I can’t guarantee in my next marking contest that I won’t protect myself with my knee,” he said.

“That’s just how I play footy. And from what I’m aware, you’re allowed to do it.

“If your eyes are on the footy, I thought you were entitled to do what you want to protect yourself. That was my thoughts on it. I think that’s a natural reaction, to protect myself when I go for marks.

“That’s all I thought it was. It’s unfortunate he got hit in the head but obviously I didn’t mean to kick him in the head.”

It was a clash that divided the game. There was an argument that Greene had the right to protect the space around the ball from opponents.

But others argued because it was a bouncing ball, and not a mark, Greene should not be allowed to fend off a tackler with his boot.

“That might have been the difference, but it was still the same action,” he said.

“I was going up to mark the footy. It’s unfortunate I got Luke in the head but I didn’t mean to do that. I was just protecting the space.”

Greene was reported for the incident, his fifth run-in with the match review panel this year. He was suspended for a week for striking the Bulldogs’ Caleb Daniel in Round 6 and copped a two-match ban for punching Richmond’s Alex Rance in Round 18. He maintains the Daniel clash was unintentional but the Rance blow was entirely his fault.

“The Rance thing was really stupid,” he said. “The Daniel thing, I didn’t mean to hit him in the head, but I guess if you play on the edge like I do, things like that are going to happen.”