Toby Greene contract talks intensify as GWS backs key veterans
toby greene is in constant contract talks with Greater Western Sydney as Adam Kingsley says the club is working incredibly hard to secure the futures of several key players. The Giants are trying to keep their captain, Jesse Hogan and other veterans while also managing a run of injuries ahead of Saturday's match with Essendon.
“There are a bunch of players that we want to sign on, and we are in constant discussions with them - whether it is Toby (Greene), Jesse (Hogan), or others,” Kingsley said. “We'll continue to work with those guys, and hopefully, we can get more of those signatures along the way.”
Jayden Laverde joins the mix
Jayden Laverde has already signed a two-year contract extension after crossing to the Giants from the Bombers in the off-season, and Kingsley said he has integrated seamlessly into the squad. That has mattered with Sam Taylor still sidelined, leaving Laverde as part of the back-line coverage the Giants are leaning on.
Kingsley said the club’s list work is not happening in isolation. Toby Greene, Jesse Hogan and Stephen Coniglio are all out of contract, and the 2026 season is a critical juncture for the Giants' list. The timing puts the focus on how many of those key names can be locked in before the club has to make bigger calls on its veteran core.
Essendon forces depth test
The contract push is unfolding alongside a quadruple-injury blow before Saturday's match with Essendon. Ryan Angwin will miss with concussion, Leek Aleer will miss with an ankle injury, and Xavier O'Halloran will miss after ankle surgery for a syndesmosis injury, while Jesse Hogan is also unavailable after failing to recover from a hip problem.
Kingsley said Hogan's deep cork has not responded to treatment as quickly as hoped, but he does not expect the injury to be long term. “We'll just manage the symptoms and hope to have him back as soon as possible,” he said.
For now, the Giants have to cover the absences with the players they have. “We have real trust in our depth, so we'll need to lean on that again this week,” Kingsley said, and the next pressure point is whether that depth holds while the club keeps working through Greene, Hogan and the rest of its list decisions.
