Murray MiddletonBarry Hall Gets Seven
April 15th 2008 12:46
On Tuesday night Barry Hall received a seven match ban for striking Brent Staker. The news came as no surprise. In the three days following the punch a wide range of opinions were expressed. Most media experts predicted a penalty between six and eight weeks. Brent Staker's parents called for Hall to be suspended for the remainder of the season. Such was the hysteria surrounding the punch that footage was even shown in America on ESPN. Sweet voyeurism! Hall also suffered a fractured wrist on Saturday night. The injury would have kept him out for six weeks. The seven match punishment has, effectively, been rendered useless.
There has been one argument that has been put forth in recent days that deserves examining. Those who have defended Hall have stressed that he has cleaned his act up in recent years. Speaking to the media after the verdict, Hall even referred to himself as a 'changed man'. It was an interesting choice of words. As a boy Barry Hall was a kickboxer. He began his career as a pinch-hitting forward for St. Kilda in 1995. The first display of his raw talent came during a five-minute spell in the 1997 Grand Final in which he kicked three goals. Although Hall soon became settled in the St. Kilda line-up, he was often unable to control his temper.
In 2001, following the appointment of Grant Thomas as St. Kilda coach, Hall requested a trade. Sydney seemed to be the right fit. Former Saint Tony Lockett had enjoyed a successful end to his career in Sydney (the less said about his comeback - the better). Initially, the Swans were aghast by Hall's aggression off the field. They privately counselled the spearhead after an alleged fight with a teammate. Hall's on-field performances soon improved. He became the Swans marquee player. In 2002 Hall was suspended for five matches for eye-gauging Matthew Primus. Prior to last Saturday, it was his most recent suspension. But has Hall really changed?
In 2004 Chris Grant was mysteriously felled off the ball at the SCG. Television cameras did not capture the incident. Viewers saw footage of the Bulldogs champion lying winded on the ground. Hall was the nearest to Grant. Fortunately for him, Grant adhered to the age-old motto: 'What happens on the field stays on the field'. It would have been interesting to see what stance Staker would have taken if the cameras hadn't have captured the punch. Considering Hall's immediate reaction to the punch, it would have been equally as interesting to see whether he owned up to the act.
In 2005 Barry Hall punched Matthew MaGuire in the stomach in the Swans preliminary final victory over the Saints. After initially receiving a two match suspension, Hall had the verdict overturned on appeal. One week later Hall was standing next to Paul Roos holding the premiership cup at the MCG. It was a sight that divided the football public. Those who had mercilessly pushed the national expansion of the competition called it 'good for the game'. Those with a sense of common decency knew better.
Life has been good to Hall. He has been a great player who has helped the game survive in the frail Sydney market. As Wayne Carey has recently shown, there need not be any link between a great player and a decent human being. Comparisons with the famous Leigh Matthews hit are justified. Neither Bruns nor Staker knew what was coming. The only difference was that Matthews was not a trained boxer. If Staker had have been seriously injured the sentence would have been doubled. Is Hall a changed man? No - he's a boxer.
There has been one argument that has been put forth in recent days that deserves examining. Those who have defended Hall have stressed that he has cleaned his act up in recent years. Speaking to the media after the verdict, Hall even referred to himself as a 'changed man'. It was an interesting choice of words. As a boy Barry Hall was a kickboxer. He began his career as a pinch-hitting forward for St. Kilda in 1995. The first display of his raw talent came during a five-minute spell in the 1997 Grand Final in which he kicked three goals. Although Hall soon became settled in the St. Kilda line-up, he was often unable to control his temper.
In 2001, following the appointment of Grant Thomas as St. Kilda coach, Hall requested a trade. Sydney seemed to be the right fit. Former Saint Tony Lockett had enjoyed a successful end to his career in Sydney (the less said about his comeback - the better). Initially, the Swans were aghast by Hall's aggression off the field. They privately counselled the spearhead after an alleged fight with a teammate. Hall's on-field performances soon improved. He became the Swans marquee player. In 2002 Hall was suspended for five matches for eye-gauging Matthew Primus. Prior to last Saturday, it was his most recent suspension. But has Hall really changed?
In 2004 Chris Grant was mysteriously felled off the ball at the SCG. Television cameras did not capture the incident. Viewers saw footage of the Bulldogs champion lying winded on the ground. Hall was the nearest to Grant. Fortunately for him, Grant adhered to the age-old motto: 'What happens on the field stays on the field'. It would have been interesting to see what stance Staker would have taken if the cameras hadn't have captured the punch. Considering Hall's immediate reaction to the punch, it would have been equally as interesting to see whether he owned up to the act.
In 2005 Barry Hall punched Matthew MaGuire in the stomach in the Swans preliminary final victory over the Saints. After initially receiving a two match suspension, Hall had the verdict overturned on appeal. One week later Hall was standing next to Paul Roos holding the premiership cup at the MCG. It was a sight that divided the football public. Those who had mercilessly pushed the national expansion of the competition called it 'good for the game'. Those with a sense of common decency knew better.
Life has been good to Hall. He has been a great player who has helped the game survive in the frail Sydney market. As Wayne Carey has recently shown, there need not be any link between a great player and a decent human being. Comparisons with the famous Leigh Matthews hit are justified. Neither Bruns nor Staker knew what was coming. The only difference was that Matthews was not a trained boxer. If Staker had have been seriously injured the sentence would have been doubled. Is Hall a changed man? No - he's a boxer.
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