- Toby Greene reveals financial repercussions of assault case
- GWS star says he had no comprehension of the consequences
GWS Giants captain Toby Greene has opened up about the financial toll of his infamous assault of a pub bouncer, labelling it a ‘very stupid moment’.
The incident, which occurred in Caulfield East, Melbourne in 2014, saw Greene and a friend involved in a violent altercation with a security guard at Zagame’s pub after being refused service.
Greene, who was using a crutch at the time because of an injury, stepped in to help his friend who was wrestling with a bouncer.
The bouncer was dragged down stairs, punched, kicked and struck with a crutch during the incident.
Greene faced several charges, including intentionally causing serious injury, unlawful assault and assault with a weapon.
The footy star pleaded guilty to unlawful assault and ultimately escaped conviction in Melbourne’s Magistrates’ Court, but copped a $2,500 fine.
In 2014, Greene and a friend were involved in a violent altercation with a security guard at Zagame’s pub in Melbourne after being refused service
Greene says he had no comprehension of the consequences at the time of the assault
However, the fallout extended beyond the courtroom with fines from the club and damage to Greene’s reputation.
And the repercussions didn’t end there, with the bouncer in question later filing a lawsuit against Greene alleging he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and a broken finger that left him unable to work as a result of the attack.
‘I would love that thirty seconds back,’ Greene told Channel Seven’s Unfiltered podcast.
‘I just had no comprehension of the consequences… It was very stupid. It cost between 250 to 300 grand, I reckon.
‘Once you have a daughter, you value that more than I did at the time.’
Greene also revealed he was ‘very’ close to dying in Bali while on an end-of-season surfing trip late last year.
The footy star thought he knew better than the locals by taking a shortcut across a reef area to get to a popular break.
He misread the situation, and how big the waves were, and was soon in big trouble.
AFL star Toby Greene (pictured with partner Georgia Stirton) came close to dying when he went for a surf on the first day of his end-of-season Bali holiday
The GWS Giants skipper confessed he almost died because he made an silly decision about how to paddle out into the surf
‘The first wave hit me and I could not believe how big and powerful it was,’ he said.
Second one hit me and took my board away, so I’m stuck there, I’m yelling out, the jet ski can’t get to me. Went under two more… had no air in the system.’
Greene eventually got to a point where the jet ski could pick him up, but says it was a close call.
‘If I got stuck where the waves were any longer, I was in big trouble.’
