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It's Hall or nothing: big 2003 for Barry
By James MacSmith
February 2 2003
The Sun-Herald
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
By James MacSmith
February 2 2003
The Sun-Herald
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
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