GIANTS star Tom Green says he can’t understate the impact that both his family and the GIANTS Academy have had on his ‘dream’ AFL career as he approaches a special milestone this weekend.
A GIANTS Academy graduate picked up by the club with pick 10 in the 2019 draft, Green has since established himself as a star of the competition and on Sunday will play his 100th AFL game when the GIANTS take on the Cats in Geelong.
A key part of the GIANTS leadership group, a multiple top three finisher in the club’s best and fairest, an All-Australian squad member, and a fifth-place finish in last year’s Brownlow Medal all on his CV to date, Green credits his esteemed journey to 100 AFL games to those closest to him.
“My family has played the single greatest influence on my life and I’m really grateful to them,” Green said ahead of game 100.
“If anything this milestone is more of a reflection and achievement of their support of me and the opportunities they provide me with and the support they continue to provide me with.
“I love them all and I’m really grateful to them all and I feel very lucky to have such a loving and supporting family and I’m excited that hopefully this weekend they can come down to Geelong and share that with me.”
The gun inside midfielder added that the support of the GIANTS Academy – which he joined at the age of 12 – was also crucial in living out his AFL dream.
“I’m really grateful to the Academy for the opportunity they provided me and it can’t be understated the impact they’ve had on my life,” the Canberran said.
“Being part of the GIANTS Academy and then drafting me and giving me the opportunity to live out a dream and play AFL football, those are things that I’m really, really grateful for.
“It provides such a great pathway for young girls and boys in areas where it can be hard to sometimes see that pathway. The GIANTS Academy is providing that framework in New South Wales and the ACT for young boys and girls who have dreams of playing AFL and AFLW and you can see how you’re going to get there and it provides you with the infrastructure to get there…I really am so grateful to the Academy.”
Green added that while he hadn’t focused too much on the upcoming milestone just yet, it was a nice opportunity to reflect on what he’s achieved in his time so far at the club.
“I haven’t thought about it much to be honest but it is exciting and it makes you think about what the GIANTS have meant to me and my family for a long period of time.
“To play 100 games for the club is something I’m really proud of and really appreciative of.”
The 24-year-old said there was several positive changes in his life since walking into the club as a fresh-faced 18-year-old.
“I’m a lot fitter,” he laughed.
“But also I think anytime there is a six-year age difference you learn a lot. I’ve learnt a lot about football in that time. I’ve learnt about life in that time.
“I’d like to think that I’m less naïve than I was at 18 as well but I’m sure I’m still naïve and if you interview me in another six years then 30-year-old Tom is probably going to say that 24-uear-old Tom had no idea. But I feel I’m a little less naïve hopefully.”
As well as a number of finals wins, Green said there was a particular game played in unusual circumstances that sits as a highlight of his 99 games to date.
“My debut,” he said.
“That was such a unique circumstance. It was 2020 [Covid impacted season] so the only supporters in the whole crowd were my family who thankfully were granted as allowed to come by the AFL.
“At that time I didn’t know any different of what AFL looked like and we managed to win and I contributed next to nothing that game but we managed to win which was incredible.”
While he’ll bring up his 100th game on Sunday in a stellar career to date, Green said he’s got much bigger fish to fry in the future.
“Hopefully the next 100 games there’s a premiership in there somewhere,” the driven midfielder said.
“That’s what we are all striving for here and we haven’t been able to achieve that yet so far so that’s the main one. I’m hoping the next 100 games there is one or two [flags] in there.
“That’s what motivates me every single day to come in and try and get better. I’d love if the next 100 games we can win the GIANTS their first premiership.”
Green will continue his search for a premiership and notch up his 100th AFL game on Sunday at 3:20pm at GMHBA Stadium.
