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SWANSBEST
2nd February 2003, 07:02 PM
It's Hall or nothing: big 2003 for Barry
By James MacSmith
February 2 2003
The Sun-Herald

http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/01/1043804576355.html



The man you knew as big, bad, bustling Barry is gone - and that's perfectly all right with Swans full-forward Barry Hall.

Hall didn't much like the bad-boy moniker but he struggled to shake off the tag in 2002, in particular because of a five-game suspension for misconduct.

But the Swans and Hall are convinced he has matured enough to take on a senior, high-profile role for the club on and off the field.

With Tony Lockett, Paul Kelly, Andrew Dunkley and Wayne Schwass all gone, Hall knows much of the spotlight will fall on him this year. The 25-year-old is ready to dance. So, will the real Barry Hall please stand up?

"I've matured enough now to handle the pressure," he said.


"Last year was a stepping stone for me, and there was a bit of a hiccup [the suspension] but I have learnt from that and know that I have to produce this year.

"I now feel comfortable with everything that goes with being a footy player. I'm used to people knowing who I am, and I don't mind doing the promotional stuff."

While Hall still sports a ring in his left eyebrow, has added a new tattoo, and fangs around in a new green Holden ute, he insisted: "I've been in the papers for so many of the wrong things, I don't mind it being for the right things."

Hall impressed many with his composure and immediate return to form after suspension, booting 12 goals in the Swans' final two games of 2002.

"The way he played in the last two games is a blueprint for the future," Swans coach Paul Roos said.

"We rate him as a footballer and a person. We are working on his discipline and believe the suspension was an isolated incident.

"He will be a focus for the club on and off the field, and he wants to be a good footballer for the club.

"He doesn't want to be remembered as big, bad, bustling Barry Hall. He wants to be remembered for his footy, as a team player, as someone who kicked a lot of goals and won a lot of games."

Hall has enjoyed the anonymity that goes with being an AFL player living in Sydney since his move from St Kilda at the end of 2001.

He kicked 55 goals last year and while he has set himself no such target for 2003, he does want to become more of a team player and create goals for others.

He admits he still does lose his temper but said he now has the means to control it.

"Sometimes it all builds up and then, bang, it explodes, so working out how to release it as it goes along and not get that build-up is what I'm doing," he said. "We're going to have mentors on the footy field and if they see certain things I'm doing that are probably not natural they'll pull me up."

Hall said the disappointment he still feels about the suspension is a major motivating factor.

"I was pretty shattered because obviously I had that name as a ratbag coming up from Melbourne and I really wanted to show them I could change," he said.

"But I let the club and the fans down. I trained really hard when I was suspended and had a couple of good games when I did get back.

"You can never get those five games back, but that form is where I intend to start from this year

desredandwhite
2nd February 2003, 07:23 PM
Swansbest, please post the URL of the article if you get it from somewhere else - I have edited your post above.

SWANSBEST
2nd February 2003, 07:51 PM
Des
The source of the article is fully documented and the article has been entirely reproduced.

desredandwhite
2nd February 2003, 07:59 PM
Just a courtesy thing, Swansbest - so that punters have the option of clicking through to find similar articles on that publication. I'm not even sure we're supposed to be posting whole articles.. Technically it's taking page-views away from the other site, so as a courtesy, I'd prefer it if people provided a link back to the original article.

jude_boltons_babe
2nd February 2003, 08:21 PM
i think barry hall will have the best year this year he wants to help the guys heaps go barry hall in 2003 and beyond

Mike_B
2nd February 2003, 09:34 PM
Interesting to see that they have stuff who will have responsibility for making sure that Baz keeps his cool and that they will be sending messages out to him if they think he is getting a bit unsettled.

I guess I'd prefer to see him being told by a runner to keep his cool rather than giving away a harmless free kick or worse....I think PK would be the ideal person for this - purely based on the respect he has from the players around the club.

desredandwhite
2nd February 2003, 09:37 PM
PK will be part of the Barry Containment Squad ;-)

Basically I reckon it's all a case of reminding him to let it all out and not build it up to the point where he smacks someone in the head, or perhaps attempts to remove someone's face. :D

Just needs to be grounded occasionally.

liz
2nd February 2003, 11:31 PM
It all sounds good, but at this stage it's no more than words. Bazza was building up to something stupid for the 3 or 4 games leading up to the Port game - it was obvious sitting up in the stand, and I'm surprised if it wasn't obvious to the coaching staff. They had plenty of opportunities to try to burst the frustration that was clearly building up with him, yet didn't succeed.

I'd love nothing more than to see Hall channel his aggression in the right direction for a whole 22 games in a row (well, 25 actually) but it will take more than words like these to convince me he's a changed man.

(NWS the above, I'm mighty impressed by his football ability, as I have posted on several earlier threads).

TheHood
3rd February 2003, 08:17 AM
Apart from the 5 week holiday, Barry gained a truck load of respect from doubters in 2002.

It wasn't a form slump that lost Baz the B&F and the Coleman Medal in 2002, it was a face massage on one antagonistic Matt Primus that cost him these accolades to back up what was gerenally a great season.

I don't think people realised what he was capable of. Only Saints fans and the real observant knew he was a very good pick-up.

I think he is determined this time. Gee I think Pluggar got 3 or 4 weeks for striking in 1997 after what, 13 seasons and he also probably should have fried for the Waklin incident in 2002 in the Wizard (although I liked it hehe) so I still have hope for Baz that he can learn new tricks at 25.

Jimmy C
3rd February 2003, 02:49 PM
If he can avoid suspension this year then he's a genuine contender for the Coleman medal. He'll also poll Brownlow votes (I'd love to see him add another B to his initials).

CARNA BLOODS!

Ajn
3rd February 2003, 11:02 PM
There was no one more harshly treated than Baz last year when you consider what Rioli did to williams and got 2. Has got to have a way of releasing tension when things don't go right.

Maybe practice the legal Hip and Shoulder technique of Pickett.

3rd February 2003, 11:26 PM
Originally posted by Ajn
There was no one more harshly treated than Baz last year when you consider what Rioli did to williams and got 2. Has got to have a way of releasing tension when things don't go right.

Maybe practice the legal Hip and Shoulder technique of Pickett.

Trouble is, in the eyes of the umpire, that move is legal for Picket to do. Bet if Barry did it he would get 4 weeks.

desredandwhite
3rd February 2003, 11:29 PM
solution : send PK out there well padded and dressed up as an effigy of an opposition player. let Barry whack him while delivering a message or two - surely it's ok to "let off steam" against your own runner? ;)

3rd February 2003, 11:33 PM
Originally posted by desredandwhite
solution : send PK out there well padded and dressed up as an effigy of an opposition player. let Barry whack him while delivering a message or two - surely it's ok to "let off steam" against your own runner? ;)
You know, that just might actually work!

vagary
3rd February 2003, 11:35 PM
from what i've heard PK can be very aggressive when tackling. i remember hearing about how he injured a teamate in tackling drills.( accidently i'm sure)

swansrock4eva
3rd February 2003, 11:38 PM
wasn't that the cause of jude's broken nose last yr?

penga
4th February 2003, 05:08 PM
thats also why willo missed one match this season (i think it was about round 10) from a tackle in practise layed by kel

liz
4th February 2003, 08:26 PM
It was the same training session that PK managed to break Jude's nose and injure Willo's knee!

On the matter of Hall being safe from the wrath of the tribunal were he to wallop his own runner, I wouldn't bet on it. Wasn't Plugger the first (and maybe only) player to be reported for striking a team mate in an intra-club practice match?

Ajn
7th February 2003, 07:03 PM
Pk was never an angel himself, how willhe contain BBBBH.