Toby Greene is unfazed by the spotlight ahead of his highly-anticipated AFL season debut on Friday night, says GWS teammate Tom Green.
After missing the first five rounds serving a ban for making contact with an umpire in last year’s finals, newly-appointed co-captain Greene will be looking to lift his struggling side to a needed win when they take on St Kilda at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.
Green felt the star’s return was just the boost the Giants needed with their season quickly slipping away after a 1-4 start.
“He’s used to being in the spotlight now being a good player over a long period of time,” Green told reporters.
“He would have understood that when he misses the first five weeks of the season there’s going to be that game where he’s back, he’s going to be circled so I think he’s handling it fine.
“He’s also a really inspirational leader as well … (he’s) one of our co-captains and I think he’s taking to that role really well.”
The Giants simply must lift if they want to remain in the finals hunt, having lost every second half so far this year heading into a clash with a St Kilda team riding a four-match winning streak.
It’s seen pressure intensify on out-of-contract coach Leon Cameron, but Green said the players should take responsibility.
“That pressure is always going to come to a coach who’s 1-4, out of contract and to be honest, we feel it’s a little bit unfair, at the end of the day, the people out there playing are us and not him,” he said.
“So we certainly are right behind Leon. I absolutely love having him as coach. We’re doing everything we can to relieve some of that pressure off him.
“(Cameron) has talked about there’s going to be a spotlight and the blowtorch put to him with a 1-4 start, but I’ve got great faith we’ll be able to turn that around.”
With Port Adelaide (0-5) to come after the Giants, the Saints would be smelling a 6-1 start as they chase just their second finals appearance in 11 years.
The Manuka Oval clash will also be a battle of hometown stars, with Green up against fellow Canberra product Jack Steele who has been firing for the Saints.
