GWS cheekily used its banner to tease the club as an option for the out of contract Harley Reid before last week’s clash between the Giants and the Eagles, but captain Toby Greene’s case for the teenager is actually compelling.
The spotlight on Reid has been enormous since before he was even drafted in 2023, with claims West Coast shouldn’t pick him for the flight risk, to questions about his fitness and maturity, and now whether he will stay in Perth.
Reid has featured in dozens of back page stories in the West and been the hottest topic of conversation in many footy circles, and Giants skipper Greene has outlined how a move to Sydney would be the perfect change for the young star.
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“My pitch would be – mate, your life here would be the opposite of what it is in Perth,” Greene, who is a Toyota ambassador, told Wide World of Sports.
“If you enjoy getting hassled everywhere you go then stay in Perth, but if you want to come to Sydney and enjoy beautiful weather and beaches and play in a good team, and not have anyone come up to you when you go into a café, then the Giants would be the place for you mate.”
Harley Reid and Toby Greene Getty
Reid has had a mixed season to date. He started a scuffle with Caleb Serong in the western derby that disappointed his former coach Adam Simpson and flipped off a heckling Brisbane fan the following week, but showed his versatility at the weekend with a strong performance across half back.
Greene, who had his own fair share of negative headlines in his younger days, believes the best thing the 19-year-old can do is to simply surround himself with good people and learn from his mistakes.
“I don’t think many players could really understand what he’s going through, at times throughout my career I could sort of relate to that (the external scrutiny),” Greene said.
“You’ve just got to be around good people. Have good people around you, catch up with good people, learn your lessons and just keep working hard on your game and let that do all the talking.
“He’s a bit of a lad and a good man and he just needs to surround himself with good people and he’ll be fine.”
Greene was impressed with Reid’s performance against GWS at the weekend, urging people to give him time to develop.
“He was all right. It was a tough day for the Eagles, they’re a young team travelling away, they’re a work in progress and so is he. He’s got a bit of time to work on his game and he’s obviously in his second year, so he’ll just take a bit of time,” Greene said.
“He’s not like a ready-made AFL player. He’s very good with the ball and he’s super powerful, he’s going to be good to watch for the next few years, he’ll just get better and better.”
The Giants are gearing up for Gather Round, where they face an in-form St Kilda side.
Greene has enjoyed the concept and believes South Australia has nailed the execution.
“I love (Gather Round). I thought it was a great idea, and then Adelaide do it really well,” he said.
“I reckon as a fan or as a young kid it’s just got a great atmosphere, the city is pumping and if you’re going to a few games it’s so easy over there, I reckon they do it really well.
“I was really bullish on (Gather Round in Sydney) before they did Adelaide and I thought Sydney should have got it, but after seeing it in Adelaide, they do it really well, it would be very hard to match it I reckon.”
Greene believes Opening Round is doing a sufficient job showcasing Sydney and is happy for South Australia to hold onto Gather Round.
Toby Greene handballs over Harley Reid in round four. via Getty Images
“(Gather Round) would be good for footy in Sydney. I’m happy with (Sydney) having Opening Round and Adelaide having Gather Round,” he said.
“It would be really interesting to see how it went in Sydney, but I think Adelaide do it really well at the moment.
“It gets us into the market early, gets people talking, there’s a fair few AFL people up in Sydney for the (Opening Round) weekend, having those big Melbourne clubs coming up, it’s really good.
“It’s a good way to kick off the season. I know there’s a lot of people in Victoria who are against it, but there’s a lot of positives about it that they probably don’t see.”
GWS Giants fans pictured during the club’s Opening Round clash with Collingwood. Getty
Despite playing successive games in South Australia across the next fortnight, Greene says the Giants will fly back home and then back in after Gather Round.
This is contrary to how St Kilda has approached the same situation, with the Saints sticking around in Adelaide ahead of round five.
“We talked about it, but we just thought because we travel a fair bit it would be good to get back for four days or so and then head back to (Adelaide),” Greene said.
“We’re used to back-to-back travel, so it’s fine and we get home for four days and then get back there, so it’s fine.”
The Giants have made a habit of teasing Collingwood, particularly following reports they don’t wish to be involved in Opening Round anymore.
The Magpies are gearing up for two straight games interstate, playing in South Australia for Gather Round, before facing Brisbane at the Gabba in the lead up to Easter.
Greene, who has potentially more experience playing successive games on the road than anyone else in the competition, had some advice for the Pies.
“Just enjoy it. It’ll be good for them!” he said.
With South Australia on the mind, the GWS captain says his ideal road trip would be across regional SA and through into Western Australia.
“That would be a bloody good road trip, through regional South Australia. I’d love to get the new Toyota Prado that they’ve got and I’d take that all the way to WA I reckon, along that coastline. I’ve heard it’s unbelievable,” Greene said.
“It’s something I definitely want to do after footy and all I hear is good reports.
“I’d take the surfboard, but I’d be a bit afraid of some big great whites.”
