AFL Origin: Victoria captain Marcus Bontempelli downplays suggestion of ongoing feud with teammate Toby Greene
Victoria captain Marcus Bontempelli has played down any suggestion of an ongoing feud with his State teammate Toby Greene ahead of the pair lining up alongside each other in AFL Origin.
Victoria captain Marcus Bontempelli says he and Toby Greene have buried the hatchet on a decade-long on-field feud before they line up together in Saturday night’s AFL Origin clash.
The star duo have been at the centre of Western Bulldogs and Greater Western Sydney’s heated rivalry in recent years, with Greene famously escaping suspension despite appearing to rake his hand around Bontempelli’s eyes during a melee in 2019’s elimination final.
A trailer for the AFL’s soon-to-be-released documentary series Final Siren released last week showed Greene looking to respond to a question asking if he got along with Bontempelli by saying he would “never have a beer with him”.
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“That was obviously good, because it allowed us to clear the air a little bit before spending a good week together,” Bontempelli said.
“I had to buy him a coffee the other day. That was probably a sign of how far things have come in our relationship.
“What this experience does is allows you to break down some of those walls that you have up . . . like Toby and the rest of the boys that I don’t really know all that well off the field, that’s been an awesome experience.
“Gaz (chairman of selectors Garry Lyon) was quite parochial about that experience, that there’s not just a game to play, but the opportunity to mix and spend time with other players who you only really know a little bit. (That) has been really valuable, so hopefully you’ll see a more of that on the field on Saturday.”
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