There is a certain air about Toby Greene, a blend of excitement surrounding the newest chapter of his AFL career and a quiet confidence about the possibilities that lie ahead. 

After plying his trade in the western suburbs of Sydney for 15 years, the star forward made the big decision to uproot his life and seek a fresh start, opting for the appeal of the Surf Coast and the allure of the blue and white Hoops. 

He has already carved out a remarkable resume during his time with the GWS Giants, which includes five years as captain of the club, three All-Australian selections and two best and fairest awards, alongside a host of other accolades.

One thing that has eluded the new Cat to this point of his career has been the ultimate goal of a premiership, but as he strode out onto GMHBA Stadium in his new colours for the first time, it certainly sent imaginations running wild about the opportunities that await in 2027. 

"Yeah it is great to be here," Greene told Cats Media. 

"Today was sort of the first session with a few of the boys, I got to go on the oval which was good. It is great, I am super excited and I can get into it now. We have unpacked the house and settled in, can start to relax and meet everyone.

"I am really looking forward to the pre-season and building some relationships."

So what was it that attracted the star forward to Geelong?

"There was lots, to be fair," Greene confirmed. 

"It is a club that I have highly respected from the outside and competed against them for the last 15 years, and they have been good for a lot longer than that as well. It is a really good place with good people, already have some really close friends here.

"We are back where we are from, in Victoria and get to start the next phase of our lives and build a family down here. It is something that we would have done post-footy, but can really enjoy my footy now and do that at the same time as well. I am looking forward to the next phase of our lives."

The move will reunite two of the competition's biggest personalities, with Greene set to once again take the field alongside long-time friend and superstar Cat, Jeremy Cameron. 

The pair were both part of GWS' inaugural team in 2012, going on to spend nine years together at the Giants before Cameron arrived at the Cattery prior to the 2020 season. 

"It is super exciting," Greene admitted. 

"Even Round 1, hopefully everything is going well and will get to play in his 300th. That will be amazing, I can't wait to play in the game.

"We had a great friendship playing on field and off field at the Giants, then stayed really close since that. Our daughters are really close now.

"I would have been in trouble without him this week. I am that bad on the tools and he is the opposite, so he saved us this week, unpacking the house and putting things up.

"I am really looking forward to spending a bit of time on his farm and continuing our friendship."

To the dismay of Cats fans in previous seasons, Greene holds an incredibly strong record at GMHBA Stadium and had been a key contributor to GWS' success at the venue. 

In seven career appearances at the venue, the star forward featured in four wins and kicked 17 goals, polling six Brownlow votes across those games. 

But his next appearance at GMHBA Stadium will see Greene draped in the blue and white Hoops, something he is looking forward to when the new campaign rolls around. 

"It will be great, it's always loud and have always been booing you, but that might be different next year which will be good," Greene said with a wry smile. 

"We have had a lot of close games here the last five or six years, hopefully that changes a little bit now. Hopefully I am on the end of a few more wins.

"But I am really looking forward to meeting all the fans, it is a great footy town in Geelong.

"I can't wait to play Round 3 here as the first one, I am super pumped."

Greene will add plenty of craft and experience both in Geelong's forward 50 and through the midfield, as the Cats look to build on their 2026 campaign which saw them reach a Semi-Final. 

A feature of the Cats' final game of the season was the blend of youth and experience, with 12 players aged 26 or younger taking the field at Optus Stadium against Fremantle. 

"There is a lot of serious young talent here," Greene said. 

"Then there are some guys like myself, Stewy, Danger and Jez who are in the backend of our careers. We will look to help those boys as much as possible.

"I guess I am just looking forward to meeting all the boys, I have trained with a few of them today and played against a few of them for a long time. I am really excited about building relationships with them, trying to help where possible and I am sure we will be learning a few things off them.

"Learning a new game plan as well, it is all very new for me and I am looking forward to getting into it."

Geelong will commence 2027 in the opening game of the AFL season, set to head to the SCG to take on Sydney. 

It kicks off a blockbuster opening portion of the campaign, which includes the traditional Easter Monday clash against Hawthorn in Round 2, and the Cats' home opener a week later against Richmond. 

The thought of pulling on the Hoops for the first time in some monumental matches brought a smile to Greene's face, as he outlined what he is looking forward to the most in his debut season at the Cattery. 

"It will be really unique for me," Greene told Cats Media. 

"I played 15 years at the Giants, it was something I really loved.

"Now the last few years of my career, to play down in Geelong at a club that as you said, that I have had the ultimate respect for my whole career. I think most of the competition would say the same, so I can't wait.

"The first three games are all massive, Jez's 300th, Easter Monday and then Round 3 down here, first game of the year at GMHBA Stadium.

"I can't wait, it really helps you get through those tough pre-season sessions knowing that you have got those to look forward to."