GWS Giants CEO Dave Matthews says his comments on Collingwood’s link to both the MRO and tribunal members were ‘tongue-in-cheek” in the wake of Toby Greene’s one-match ban.

The star Giants forward will miss Saturday’s preliminary final after having his charged for making unnecessary and unreasonable contact to the eye region of Lachie Neale upheld twice this week.

Matthews told Macquarie Sports Radio on Friday it felt like “we’ve played Collingwood all week” after MRO and former Collingwood player Michael Christian charged Greene, while ex-Pies Shane Wakelin and Paul Williams sat on the tribunal on Tuesday night.

But speaking on 3AW Football, the Giants CEO wasn’t interested in others reading too much in his remarks.

“If you listen to what question was that I was ask, it was that many fans were making that observation,” he said.

“I think the fact that the (tribunal) is set up with some ex-players is a good thing and they have to come from somewhere and people just observed that.

“It was tongue-in-cheek.”

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