GREENE URGED TO KEEP LIVIN’ ON EDGE

A screen shot shows Giants star Toby Greene came in contact with umpire Matt Stevic in Launceston.

FORMER Carlton enforcer David Rhys-Jones has warned the Giants they risk losing a brilliant match-winner if they try to curb Toby Greene’s competitive instincts.

Rhys-Jones, like ex-field umpire Derek HumpherySmith, felt a fine would have been sufficient for Greene making contact with umpire Matt Stevic in Saturday’s win over the Swans.

Instead, the 27-year-old forward will sit out the rest of the finals series and the first two rounds of next year if GWS loses to Geelong on Friday night.

Greene’s now been found guilty 22 times and been suspended for 11 matches – still only halfway to matching Rhys-Jones’ rap sheet – and fined almost $30,000.

Rhys-Jones had periods in his 182-game VFL/AFL career when he tried to rein himself in, but found that made him go “into my shell” and not produce his best football.

“He is who he is. It’s part and parcel of how he plays,” Rhys-Jones said.

“Maybe he’s got to be a little bit smarter in the way he goes about things, but that’s white-line fever for you.

“You cop the good with the bad and you don’t want

to take that natural enthusiasm out of him or he’s not going to be the same player.”

Rhys-Jones said he could relate to what Greene was going through, from being “scrutinised within an inch of his life” to being cited for some incidents other footballers wouldn’t.

“This one didn’t look great, but everyone’s jumping up and down as if he’s committed a crime.”

Collingwood premiership player and News Corp columnist Mick McGuane differed to Rhys-Jones in that he approved of Greene’s sanction.

But McGuane agreed with Rhys-Jones that the best footballers play on the edge and it is often their point of difference.

“It’s clearly disappointing your best player, or arguably your best player, continues to find himself missing at the pointy end of the year,” McGuane said.

“It’s the old saying, ‘You can’t get a kick in the grandstand’, so you’ve got to learn to control your emotions.

“If there’s any element of doubt, you’re better off deviating, shutting your mouth, keeping your elbows alongside your hips.”