GWS Giants star Toby Greene has been sent straight to the tribunal for an alleged eye gouge on Western Bulldogs' player Marcus Bontempelli in his side's elimination final win on Saturday.
The fiesty Giant clashed with Bontempelli in the first quarter after the Bulldogs midfielder caught Greene's teammate Brett Deledio with a dangerous tackle.
#BREAKING: Toby Greene has been sent directly to the tribunal for alleged eye gouging. @coreynorris9 #9News pic.twitter.com/7xy1AYIcEg
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) September 8, 2019
Greene will now face the tribunal on Tuesday night ahead of his side's semi-final in Brisbane against the Lions, and is unable to accept an early guilt plea.
Bontempelli appeared to be a key target of the Giants in Saturday's crunch match at Giants Stadium, with Harry Himmelberg also caught by the umpires to have struck the Bulldogs midfielder in the chest.
Himmelberg has consequently been charged with striking, and can accept a sanction of $2000 with an early plea.
GWS coach Leon Cameron insisted after the win, there was no devised plan to go after Bontempelli, despite the two incidents.
"Matthew De Boer's played strong all year. He's very aggressive at the man and the footy. It was just a final, we raised the stakes by five or 10 per cent," Cameron told 3AW.
"We all know that Bontempelli is one of the top two or three players in the competition. Matty walked away three weeks ago knowing that he got him, Bontempelli beat him in the first encounter.
"(De Boer) was determined to try and make sure he could get back and square it up."
