Giant delivers cheeky message to Toby amid Cats links

GREATER Western Sydney vice-captain Connor Idun has urged skipper Toby Greene to check the weather down south before entertaining any kind of offer from Geelong.

With Greene an unrestricted free agent at season's end, Geelong is reportedly preparing a massive play for the 32-year-old. The move would align with the Cats' history of successful mature-age recruiting.

Asked what he would say to steer Greene away from the Cats, Idun – who played his junior football in Geelong – joked that the Giants' games record-holder should first check the local forecast.

"Check the weather," he said with a smile.

"He won't want to go back, no way. He's into spearfishing now, so he'd need a three-layer wetsuit down there. I don't think he'd like it."

Trade rumours are swirling at GWS as the club navigates a tightening salary cap and a mounting list of unsigned stars.

Greene, Jesse Hogan, Stephen Coniglio and Conor Stone all require new deals, while the club continues to manage Josh Kelly's heavily back-ended contract.

Looking ahead, the Giants face further pressure with Lachie Whitfield's long-term deal expiring next year, coinciding with Lachie Ash and Tom Green hitting free agency. Amid these high-stakes negotiations, a promising new wave led by Aaron Cadman and Finn Callaghan – alongside youngsters like Phoenix Gothard and Joe Fonti – are already beginning to emerge.

Hogan's season has been hampered by intermittent setbacks, with hip and quad issues seeing him miss two games this season, including the round nine win over Essendon.

Idun is optimistic that Hogan's absence will be brief, expressing hope the Giants will have their spearhead back in the mix ahead of a clash against Waalitj Marawar on Sunday.

As for the external contract noise, he admits he finds the constant trade whispers – especially those involving Greene – more amusing than anything else.

"I do find it funny, especially the 'Tabs' (Greene) stuff. He's the most loyal bloke I've ever met," he said.

"He hasn't spoken about it at the club, and no one will ask him. We love the service he has provided. He's our captain, and we all love him. As I said, he'll check the weather and stay in Sydney for sure."

Sam Taylor is closing in on a return after rejoining team training last week, in his recovery from the high-grade hamstring strain he suffered in the 2026 AAMI AFL Origin match.

"I miss him," Idun said of his defensive partner's absence.

"He plays on the best forward and mops them up most weeks, so getting him back will help. But Jayden Laverde, our recruit, has been unbelievable this year. It'll be interesting to see what the team looks like when Sam comes back, but Jayden has been unreal. It's been pretty seamless."

When questioned if Taylor's disrupted season had sparked any frustration with the Origin concept, Idun joked that the defender was more bothered by the pre-game commitments than the match itself.

"I haven't spoken to him about that. I think he had to do a couple of appearances at the beach the day before. He got a bit sunburnt and his legs were sore, so he's blaming it on that," he said.

"But I think everyone who played Origin knew what they were signing up for. It's a great opportunity, so he'll do it again in a heartbeat I reckon."

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