GREATER Western Sydney midfielder Toby Greene has spent his 21st birthday in a Melbourne courtroom facing a string of assault charges.

It was Greene's first appearance in court to face nine charges stemming from an alleged fracas at Caulfield's Zagames hotel in May.

And it came with a birthday present with prosecutors agreeing to drop charges including affray, assault with a weapon and threat to inflict serious injury.

Greene is now facing five charges including recklessly cause injury and unlawful assault.

Details of the alleged incident have not yet been revealed in court but CCTV footage was aired on Channel 9's The Footy Show.

Police say Greene, and 19-year-old Charles Haley who has also been charged over the incident, attacked a man on a drunken night out.

Greene was fined $5000 and suspended for five games by GWS for breaching club protocol including drinking while injured.

He also failed to inform them of his arrest by police.

"We are in no way prejudging the charges against Toby which will be heard in court later this year," GWS chief David Matthews said at the time.

"However Toby has failed to meet the standards expected of the playing group by drinking alcohol when injured and failing to properly notify the club about a serious incident within an acceptable time frame," he said.

“Toby will receive counselling to ensure he learns from this experience and the standards expected of all players."

Lawyer Bernie Balmer, for Greene, told the Melbourne Magistrates Court today he was waiting on statements from witnesses before the matter could proceed.

He said it was appalling that his client had been bailed by police to appear in court on his 21st birthday and outrageous that footage of the alleged incident had been aired by Channel 9 before lawyers had viewed it.

Greene, who has been bailed to a Sydney address, also had his bail varied so he can move back to Melbourne during the off-season.

As part of his bail he is also banned from speaking to prosecution witnesses and barred from attending at Zagames.

He did not speak to media when leaving court and will reappear on December 9.

shannon.deery@news.com.au