Barry Hall not guilty...

[Charlie]

According to a C10 report. Justice has prevailed!

[swansrock4eva]

YAY!

[Charlie]

OK - supposedly he's been cleared according to "True_Blue" on Bigfooty.... but I just saw the Sports Tonight thing and they're apparently considering the verdict now??

I'm confused...

:edit: Well... Quarters just said, and this was live, that he's been found not guilty... so that's that, I suppose.

[Jon]

defintiely cleared!!!!!!

[SXP]

This is awesome! Bring on Freo!

[Charlie]

This is probably a better result for Barry than if he'd not been reported in the first place. It'll give him a timely reminder to keep his head down and let his footy do the talking, without any painful time on the sidelines. Had he not been reported, I don't think he'd have had that reminder.

[Sanecow]

It was a BS charge IMHO. I don't quite know why you were all so fussed.

[Dpw]

Yes

[Dave]

Originally posted by Sanecow
It was a BS charge IMHO. I don't quite know why you were all so fussed.

Exactly!

I have a feeling the big fella will be jumping out of his skin this Sunday.

[midaro]

I got my first look at the incident tonight.
What an utter waste of time.
Let's just hope it hasn't been much of a distraction.

[Craig]

Definately a common sense decision. It was a joke of a report in the first place.

[red_avengers]

Originally posted by Craig
Definately a common sense decision. It was a joke of a report in the first place.

Yipee!!! We have lots of good news lately.

[SWANSBEST]

Hall beats headbutt charge
6:47:34 PM Tue 22 July, 2003
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
Sydney spearhead Barry Hall is free to continue helping the Swans? push for a top four finish but only just ? after being cleared of a headbutting charge at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night.

The Swans? leading goalkicker ? whose eight previous tribunal suspensions have earned him such colorful nicknames as 'Festival' Hall and 'Big, bad, bustling Barry' was booked on a charge of misconduct in that he headbutted Carlton?s Simon Beaumont during last Saturday?s game at Optus Oval.



But despite criticising Hall?s conduct during the first quarter incident with Beuamont, tribunal chairman Brian Collis this time found the Swans? spearhead not guilty on the basis sufficient force was not involved in the headbutt to warrant the charge being sustained.

?We find the actions of player Hall were unnecessary and crude,? Collis said in handing down the decision.

?But we refer to the Appeal Board ruling as to the amount of force needed before a reportable offence can be made out.?

?That needs a force of some consequence and we not satisfied there was sufficient force for this charge to be made out.?

Even reporting umpire Kieron Nicholls described Hall?s actions as ?at the lower end of the scale.?

The decision was a major relief for Hall, who could have faced a major penalty had he been found guilty as he has a previous conviction for headbutting among his previous guilty tribunal verdicts.

?I?m just relieved at the decision, that?s all,? Hall said as left the tribunal.

The Swans? spearhead is now free to play in Sunday?s clash against Fremantle at the SCG as the high-flying Swans, currently in second place, looked to consolidate their place in the top four after being widely tipped as possible wooden-spooners at the start of the season.

Hall told the tribunal he was ?flabbergasted? when told by Nicholls he had been reported for headbutting Beaumont.

?I?ve been charged with headbutting before and I know what a headbutt is and that was nowhere near it,? he said in evidence.

Hall said all he had tried to do was ?run through? Beaumont to get to a ruck contest in the forward line after the Carlton defender admitted blocking him.

He admitted his cheek may have made accidental contact to the Carlton man?s face earlier in the incident, as the pair chested each other, but said at the time of the alleged headbutt contact he had put his head down to avoid any further contact with Beaumont.

Video footage of the incident showed Beaumont holding his mouth immediately after the incident but the Blues? full-back said that was only to try and 'milk' a free-kick.

?I was a bit embarrassed with the way I carried on, watching the video,? he said.

?I hadn?t had a kick to that stage and I thought I might get a free for high contact.?

[Rod_]

I was worried - but I am happy now.

Give BBBH a warning to keep clean for the remaining games no big hurt in that............

Yip Ya......

Rod_

[Destructive]

Re: Barry Hall not guilty...

Originally posted by Charlie
According to a C10 report. Justice has prevailed!

As it should. That is very good news.