GWS youngster Joe Fonti has admitted Toby Greene’s exit “hurts a little bit”, saying it is not easy when your captain abandons you, as the Giants returned to pre-season training without their games and goals record-holder.
Greene left the Giants on the opening day of free agency to join Geelong as an unrestricted free agent on a deal through 2029, AFL.com.au reported. He returned to Victoria mainly for greater family support.
Speaking as the Giants’ first-to-fourth-year players returned to training on Monday, Fonti said he respected his former skipper’s decision.
“It’s obviously hard when your captain abandons the side,” he said.
“But I know Toby’s a great fella and he would have had his reasons, and I suppose that justifies it for him, so I can respect that.
“Obviously it’s not easy when your captain abandons you, so it hurts a little bit. But onto bigger and better things, I guess.”
Read more: Toby Greene Completes Free-Agency Move to Geelong
A changing of the guard at GWS
Greene leaves as the Giants’ games and goals record-holder after 282 matches and 450 goals. He became co-captain in 2022 before taking the role outright in 2023 and holding it for four seasons, and GWS received Band Three free agency compensation, currently pick No.26, for his departure.
He is one of five experienced Giants to leave this off-season, with Jesse Hogan, Jake Stringer, Lachie Whitfield and Kieren Briggs also gone, taking a combined 1,088 games with them, according to AFL.com.au.
The club has described the overhaul as a “reset” rather than a rebuild. “It sounds really cliche, but we just take it one day at a time,” Fonti said. “It’s still pretty early to say.”
Tom Green in the frame for the captaincy
Tom Green, who missed the entire 2026 season after rupturing his ACL in February, recommitted to the Giants last week with a two-year extension through 2029 despite rival interest, particularly from Tasmania.
Read more: Tom Green Weighs Two-Year GWS Offer as Tasmania Circles
“It’s definitely really special that he’s committed to the club,” Fonti said. “He’s one of our best leaders, really well-spoken, and a great role model. To have him potentially step into that captaincy role would be really special.”
Fonti also named Connor Idun and Sam Taylor among the club’s leadership options and said he would be happy with a sole captain or co-captains.
Green, Idun, Taylor and Lachie Ash were at training on Monday even though senior players were not required back yet. North Melbourne, Essendon and Richmond also began their pre-season on Monday, Brisbane Times reported.
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