Toby Greene kicks five goals in Giants’ win over Collingwood

Coach Leon Cameron has hailed GWS’ character in bouncing back from a rough start to the AFL season to grind out a 30-point win over Collingwood.

Stand-in captain Toby Greene booted five goals to inspire the injury-hit Giants to a superb 14.6 (90) to 9.6 (60) victory and get their campaign off the mark.

The Giants were 0-3 heading into Saturday night’s game, and reeling from injuries – before Greene, who Cameron lauded as a “special player” and his inexperienced teammates condemned Collingwood to their second-straight loss.

“Really proud win because we could’ve probably rolled in here and had a really good, solid performance with an extremely young team,” Cameron said.

“We haven’t had a team like that since 2015 – so extremely young.

“Sometimes it’s a danger – you get to halftime or half-way through the third and you’ve had a good crack but then you fizzle out and you don’t get the job done.

“Just extremely proud for them to find a gear, especially when we were under the pump halfway through the last – and then we kick away. “I thought the intensity of the night from all 22 was first-class.

“… It was an unbelievable effort, clearly, offensively, to do what (Greene) did, but to to marshal the troops when we were under the pump, I thought was fantastic.”

It was a dirty night for Collingwood who slipped to 1-3 and had vice-captain Taylor Adams limp off with an MCL injury in the third quarter, while Brayden Sier (illness) was substituted out for Levi Greenwood earlier that term.

In his first game for the season, veteran ruckman Shane Mumford limited the influence of Magpies star Brodie Grundy while Tim Taranto (34 disposals), Jacob Hopper (32 touches) and Jeremy Finlayson (four goals) were all influential.

Jack Crisp (30 touches), Steele Sidebottom (30), Jack Madgen (25) and defensive duo Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore all worked hard for the Magpies.

The Giants burst out of the blocks when Bobby Hill soccered through the opener – but Collngwood responded through debutant Beau McCreery’s toepoked first goal.

In a cagey first quarter there was no more scoring action until Finlayson dobbed a long-range set shot after the siren.

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Greene snared three goals in the second quarter, then two in quick succession after halftime, while Jake Riccardi added another to nudge the Giants’ lead beyond four goals in the teeming rain – before a previously listless Collingwood struck back.

Jordan De Goey and Josh Daicos’ instinctive snaps provided a spark, with Will Hoskin-Elliott adding another goal before Harry Himmelberg’s strike gave the Giants some breathing space at the final change.

There was controversy early in the fourth term when Collingwood star Sidebottom was penalised for a deliberate rushed behind – with Finlayson taking full advantage.

From there, the Giants largely held firm through Collingwood’s attempts to surge, and kicked away late through Josh Kelly and Finlayson.