Has the wave of public support shifted towards a player more wildly than Toby Greene?
About four seasons ago, at an early morning Sunday Footy Show production meeting, the shows panel and production crew were split when Greene was placed on the run sheet.
Half loved him; half couldn't stand him.
There's been a complete 180 on Greene.
Nearly all would love him if we were to have that meeting today with the same crew.
I suspect it's the same with opposition players and most footy pundits, even those who don't support the Giants.
Throughout his career, it felt like he was umpired under a different set of rules from everyone else. Despite being All-Australian in 2016, he gave away 15 more free kicks than he received, undoubtedly Greene was hard done by.
The Toby Tax had to be applied to any on-field incident involving Greene.
At some point however, the narrative around the star 29-year-old forward shifted from bratty football villain who has faced 22 tribunal charges, been suspended for 14 matches and fined over 30 thousand dollars - to commanding on-filed leader who stands up in big moments.
As Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury pointed out.
“Toby Greene is bloody good, best player in the league good,” he tweeted in 2021.
Pendlebury is right, If Greene isn't the best player in the game, he's certainly top five. Greene missed the first five games of last season due to suspension, the Giants lost four of them. No player in the competition is as crucial to their sides fortunes than Greene.
Afraid of offending fresh captain Stephen Coniglio, last season the Giants took the easy option of naming three captains, the leadership model which was ineffective.
New coach Adam Kingsley immediately righted the wrong by naming Greene sole captain yesterday.
Greene reflected yesterday as to how far he has come.
“It’s a huge honour,” Greene said.
“I've come a long way and it took a long time, but I’ve done a lot of work on my leadership skills.
“As a young kid I was probably nowhere near it and was trying to find my way in AFL footy but I’m in my twelfth season now and I’ve been here since the start.
“It’s a massive honour and I’ll be certainly putting all my time and effort into doing the best job I can.”
The tide of public opinion has shifted in favour of Toby Greene, he's gone from disliked to loved, in the space of just a few short seasons.
He's the Giants greatest ever player and he will do a fine job as skipper.
What a story.