GWS captain Toby Greene admits he ‘wishes we were better’ after Wacky Wednesday controversy
- GWS stars dressed in questionable outfits on Wacky Wednesday
- Including a reference to disgraced rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
- Greene admitted that the saga was a learning experience
GWS Giants skipper Toby Greene has expressed his regret over the club’s recent Wacky Wednesday scandal, admitting that ‘there are things we could have done better.’
Greene, 31, was initially fined $20,000 by the AFL – which was later reduced to $5000 – after an anonymous complaint was made about several of his teammates, namely their inappropriate choice of outfit.
They reportedly included the use of a blow-up doll and a shocking prank involving disgraced rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs – while other players are said to have dressed up as former NRL player Jarryd Hayne and Australian NBA star Josh Giddey.
Hayne’s rape conviction was quashed earlier this year, while Giddey was told in January he would not face charges amid claims he had an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl in 2021.
After the Sydney performance, Giants youngster Josh Fahey, 20, was banned for four matches by the AFL – and Greene was handed his heavy sanction after ‘showing poor leadership’ as club captain.
It’s clear that Fahey was dressed as Hayne.
Two other Giants players — who have not been named — bizarrely chose to dress up as the Twin Towers from the September 11 World Trade Center bombing that killed nearly 3,000 people in 2001.
That wasn’t bad enough, other stars chose to mirror characters in a scene from Django Unchained that featured slavery.
GWS Giants skipper Toby Greene has expressed regret over the club’s recent Wacky Wednesday scandal, admitting ‘there are things we could have done better’
Greene dressed up as Olympic breakdancer Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn – but was fined $5000 by the AFL after failing to show appropriate leadership at the ‘Wacky Wednesday’ party
Giants Young Gun Josh Fahey, 20, was banned for four matches by the AFL for his unacceptable attire
Greene – who dressed as infamous Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn – now realizes that what the group of players found funny could be considered deeply offensive to other people.
“There are things we could have done better, both myself and as a club,” Greene told Channel 7 on Friday.
“We’ve learned them throughout the process and I think all we can do is make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
While Greene wouldn’t rule out participating in future year-end celebrations, he promised to “go with the flow,” before adding that it was unlikely the Giants would “do much next year.”
The Wacky Wednesday celebrations followed a finals campaign to forget for GWS.
Adam Kingsley’s men held a 27-point lead in the qualifying final against Sydney – only to be defeated by eventual premier Brisbane Lions – despite leading by 44 points at one point.
In early 2025, the premiership markets will have GWS at $9 to win their first flag, after Brisbane ($8) and Hawthorn ($8).