GREATER Western Sydney feels it got the punishment handed out to Toby Greene just right as the young midfielder prepares to tackle his 50th game in career-best form.
Greene was handed a hefty five-game ban by the club following his wild night out in Melbourne during GWS' bye back in May that resulted in him being hit with a raft of assault charges.
There were cries from some at the time that the punishment was too harsh, but the 20-year-old has responded superbly.
A little quiet in his return game against Adelaide in round 16, Greene has since produced more than 31 possessions, almost five marks and five tackles per game in matches against Fremantle, Geelong and Richmond.
He managed 27 touches, four marks and a career-high 10 tackles in last week's competitive defeat to the Tigers at the MCG.
Giants co-captain Callan Ward, who was a part of the group that determined Greene's ban, believes it was the right call.
"I feel like we got it right," he told reporters following training on Wednesday.
"I think he realised that he really did stuff up.
"Since then he's come back and played some really good footy and that's all we're asking from him."
There was some initial uncertainty over Greene's response to the ban, with reports emerging his manager Paul Connors and the AFL Players Association were encouraging him to appeal.
But that was quickly extinguished as Greene accepted his punishment and, like his co-captain, GWS coach Leon Cameron has been thrilled by his response.
"He's responded like any good young kid that has good values," Cameron said. "He just put his head down, his bum up and he's done the work.
"He wants to win the respect of his players, his coaches, his family, and I think he's done a fantastic job.
"I actually thought Toby handled it better than a lot of people when it happened.
"He just copped it on the chin, he understood he did the wrong thing and he's proving to everyone what a good person and good footballer he is at the moment."
Greene will become the eighth Giant to bring up 50 games for the club, following the likes of Ward, Devon Smith, Tom Scully, Adam Treloar and Jeremy Cameron.
Ward leads the way with 59 games for GWS and will be right in the mix for All Australian honours at the end of this season.
The 24-year-old, who also made 60 appearances for the Western Bulldogs before moving to Sydney, is currently first in total clearances and third in centre clearances in the AFL.
He is also seventh in tackles and 11th in average disposals with 26.2 per game, lifting him to a lofty 17th overall in the Official AFL Player Ratings.
"He's been terrific," Leon Cameron said. "If I was picking it (the All Australian team), I'd definitely have him in there.
"He leads by example, whether we're in Perth or Melbourne or here in Sydney, it doesn't matter.
"He has a great attitude of 'anytime, anywhere' and I think that's reflective of his season so far.
"I think he's up in that elite company of midfielders now."
Ward, GWS' best and fairest in 2012, insists he hasn't thought about the possibility, but acknowledged it would be a dream come true.
He did agree, however, he was playing the best football of his young career.
"I feel like I am," he said. "I feel like I'm improving every year and so far this year I've been very consistent.
"But I have to finish off with four really good games."
