![GWS Giants star Tom Green has re-signed for four more years. Picture by Keegan Carroll GWS Giants star Tom Green has re-signed for four more years. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/9e5c7b16-979a-4445-8e15-17d6f6c4eebd.jpg/r0_433_5000_3255_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Tom Green couldn't ask for better timing on the announcement of his re-signing to the GWS Giants for another four years.
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Back at his old school on Canberra's southside, Green was beaming while visiting where it all began on the same day he secured his playing future with AFL club that drafted him in 2019.
Green was coming into the final year of his contract, but will now remain a Giant until the end of the 2027 season, and is keen to build on his promising career wearing orange and black.
"I never considered leaving [the club]," Green said at Marist College after a Giants clinic on Friday.
"I've loved the Giants from the minute that I've been part of the academy.
"I love Sydney and I love the club. It was really just a formality."
![Tom Green said he loves playing at Manuka Oval. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Tom Green said he loves playing at Manuka Oval. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/0908a56a-ee13-477b-b1cd-809df36eee45.jpg/r0_211_4756_2895_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It wasn't too long ago that Green was a student at Marist, looking up at now-teammate Phil Davis at a school clinic and dreaming about following in his fellow Canberran's footsteps.
Now Green is one of the brightest youngsters in the AFL, and as a member of the four-man leadership group behind captain Toby Greene, the 22-year-old is set to play a pivotal role in the Giants' premiership goals in the coming seasons.
Since the ACT government and Giants made their $28.5 million deal to keep AFL and AFLW games coming to Manuka Oval for another 10 years, Green is undoubtedly the new poster boy to inspire the next generation of footy stars from the Canberra region.
"It is a dream come true being able to stay with the team that helped me so much growing up," Green said.
"I don't see myself as being anyone special or anything like that. But if I can help show young Canberra kids that their dreams are achievable if they work really hard at it, then I'm more than happy to inspire them."
![Tom Green and other Giants stars visited Marist College. Picture by Keegan Carroll Tom Green and other Giants stars visited Marist College. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/335ba71d-cf27-419c-a181-aeb88703a20e.jpg/r0_356_5000_3178_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Green embraced his pre-season Canberra homecoming by inviting the Giants squad to his house for a big BBQ gathering on Friday night, in a daunting catering job for his parents.
"They do eat an enormous amount of food," Giants chief executive David Matthews said.
"They'll probably eat everything in sight, but it's brilliant. We pride ourselves on our family connection, so when you recruit a player like Tom Green, their families are part of the club as well."
In his fourth season, Green wants the Giants to live up to their team song and make a 'big big sound' in this upcoming AFL campaign, following a disappointing third-last finish in 2022.
With a new head coach in Adam Kingsley as well as some new recruits like former Demon Toby Bedford and a handful of draftees, Green is confident the Giants will make significant strides, especially with a "vastly different" game plan.
"Our goal is just to incorporate a new game style Adam and his coaching staff has brought," Green said.
"We've spent the whole pre-season putting it all together, and it's looking really good so far, but we haven't played anybody yet.
"If we can get really consistent with instilling that game plan as a unit, we'll play some really exciting footy that's going to get us more wins than maybe people expect."
Green didn't want to get drawn into comparing Kingsley with his mentor Leon Cameron, but did notice the different approach, with the coach formerly an assistant at Richmond, St Kilda and Port Adelaide.
"As opposed to last year, we're going to move the ball a whole lot quicker," Green said. "Hopefully we'll defend better and the game should look a little bit more exciting."
Giants fans will get the chance to have a good look at what might be in store this season, when the team play their intra-club match at Alan Ray Oval at Ainslie on Saturday.
The game at 10am is part of a bigger fan day for members and fans, after three packed days where Giants players visited local clubs and schools.
After they head back to Sydney, the Giants will turn their attention to their season-opener at home against the Adelaide Crows on March 19.
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