TOBY Greene and coach Leon Cameron have both declared that any contact the Greater Western Sydney forward made with an umpire at three-quarter time was not intentional.
Greene was talking with Matt Stevic when the superstar forward appeared to bump into the umpire as he walked past him on the way to the Giants’ team huddle at the final change.
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The Match Review Officer is sure to look closely at the incident and consider whether it was intentional and led to unnecessary or unreasonable contact.
"I don't know what it was. It was just in the moment and certainly would never touch him," Greene told Channel Seven after Giants' thrilling one-point win.
"I was just talking to him about something in the game, but yeah."
Greene kicked three goals in the first half as he drove the Giants to a 23-point lead at the main break, but had less impact in the third term as he gave away free kicks and failed to hit the scoreboard.
"I just had a quick look. Very hard for me to comment on it,” Cameron said of the incident.
“Clearly it's a talking point but all I know is it wouldn't have been intentional.
“I love the way he goes about things, I know he's a talked-about player but I'd like to really hone in on the positive stuff. I thought his first three quarters were unbelievable in terms of the footy he played.”
Jesse Hogan threatened to blow the game wide open with several strong grabs and shots on goal but couldn’t quite leave his mark on the scoreboard.
The 26-year-old hit the post twice from set shots in the third term but kicked a goal after the three-quarter time siren to give the Giants a much-needed steadier and a 19-point lead after the Swans had pressed hard.
Hogan finished with two goals but looked dangerous throughout the match and looms as a crucial player for the Giants as they prepare to take on Geelong in a semi-final next week.
"It was his first final in his 99th game. It's interesting he plays his 100th game next week in Perth in a final,” Cameron said.
"He's only just starting to scratch the surface if we can get his body in a really good shape for the remaining part of this final series.
"Not many players take six contested marks in a game. He's something that we need and I thought he was a really towering figure throughout the game down in our front half.”
Cameron was also full of praise for key defender Sam Taylor in what he called an “enthralling duel” with Lance Franklin.
The 22-year-old Taylor often had the better of Franklin in their aerial battle and ended with nine intercepts in his 12 disposals while the Swans superstar kicked three goals and had a chance to put his team in front in the dying stages.
“The script was there to be written, he had a shot with about a minute to go,” Cameron said about Franklin’s late shot on goal.
"Looking from the sidelines sometimes you can get sidetracked as a coach when these two go head-to-head.”
