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Bazza 'ready to explode'
8:32:06 AM Wed 3 March, 2004
Karen Collins
Sportal
Rival defences had better beware because Sydney Swan Barry Hall feels ready to impose himself more effectively than ever in 2004.
Hall played all 24 games last season, leading the club with 167 marks and a career high 64-goals before representing Australia in the International Rules Series, despite moving from full-forward to centre half-forward.
?I feel ready to explode,? Hall told Sportal. ?I am jumping out of my skin.?
?I have beaten all my PB?s (personal bests) in times as far as running goes and I am still learning the game, still learning the centre-half forward position, and I can?t see me going backwards.
?I certainly hope I don?t go backwards but I will be doing everything I can to get better and better. I would like to embrace the position and be one of the best.?
Prior to the round 20 clash against Brisbane and the first qualifying final against Port Adelaide last year, Hall said he could feel a big game coming on - and finished with five and six goals respectively in dominating performances.
He has the very same feeling about this season.
?I can sense it. I think a lot of players can. You just drive to the game and you are in the car and you just know you are ?on? for some reason. I don?t know what the feeling is, or how to get it, but I feel like that now.?
The 27-year-old believes his future lies with playing further up the ground and has trimmed down to 100kg to help increase his fitness levels.
?I have structured my pre-season around the position and I enjoy it there. You are more involved and get other players in the mix and stuff like that. So that is where I would like to stay.?
His determination, dedication and accountability are in stark contrast to the player once referred to as ?Big Bad Barry?, but since moving to Sydney in 2002 he continues to grow on and off the ground.
Last year, coach Paul Roos gave him more responsibility, set higher challenges and he is relishing the role.
?Last year I basically learnt you have to be persistent as not everything is going to fall my way.
?There are a lot of games that were not going too well, and then in the last quarter I would come good and all the work I did prior to that, the three-quarters, would set me up for the last quarter.
?So just be persistent and, I suppose, not crack the @@@@s and throw the towel in.?
Roos said he would be happy for Hall to reproduce his form of last yea,r but hopes he can lift the bar higher.
?He is professional player who wants to get better and if he can get better it is a bonus. I think he can still improve as a player,? Roos said.
?He set his standard last year and that is hopefully the minimum standard.Hopefully he can keep improving.?
The challenge for Hall and the club this year is to improve on last year?s preliminary final, but he feels those who target him will do so at their own peril.
?(Last year) we wanted to be perceived a lot different than what we are and, at the end of the day, were. Teams look at us now and know they are in for a hard contest and that we are a fair side.
?(This year) it will be a challenge as a lot of the play does go through me, but on the flip side of that, I think it can be positive to us.
?If I can attract the best defender and maybe another guy who wants to hang back on me then it can free someone else up and got to use that player. It could be a real good advantage for us.
Taken from www.afl.com.au
8:32:06 AM Wed 3 March, 2004
Karen Collins
Sportal
Rival defences had better beware because Sydney Swan Barry Hall feels ready to impose himself more effectively than ever in 2004.
Hall played all 24 games last season, leading the club with 167 marks and a career high 64-goals before representing Australia in the International Rules Series, despite moving from full-forward to centre half-forward.
?I feel ready to explode,? Hall told Sportal. ?I am jumping out of my skin.?
?I have beaten all my PB?s (personal bests) in times as far as running goes and I am still learning the game, still learning the centre-half forward position, and I can?t see me going backwards.
?I certainly hope I don?t go backwards but I will be doing everything I can to get better and better. I would like to embrace the position and be one of the best.?
Prior to the round 20 clash against Brisbane and the first qualifying final against Port Adelaide last year, Hall said he could feel a big game coming on - and finished with five and six goals respectively in dominating performances.
He has the very same feeling about this season.
?I can sense it. I think a lot of players can. You just drive to the game and you are in the car and you just know you are ?on? for some reason. I don?t know what the feeling is, or how to get it, but I feel like that now.?
The 27-year-old believes his future lies with playing further up the ground and has trimmed down to 100kg to help increase his fitness levels.
?I have structured my pre-season around the position and I enjoy it there. You are more involved and get other players in the mix and stuff like that. So that is where I would like to stay.?
His determination, dedication and accountability are in stark contrast to the player once referred to as ?Big Bad Barry?, but since moving to Sydney in 2002 he continues to grow on and off the ground.
Last year, coach Paul Roos gave him more responsibility, set higher challenges and he is relishing the role.
?Last year I basically learnt you have to be persistent as not everything is going to fall my way.
?There are a lot of games that were not going too well, and then in the last quarter I would come good and all the work I did prior to that, the three-quarters, would set me up for the last quarter.
?So just be persistent and, I suppose, not crack the @@@@s and throw the towel in.?
Roos said he would be happy for Hall to reproduce his form of last yea,r but hopes he can lift the bar higher.
?He is professional player who wants to get better and if he can get better it is a bonus. I think he can still improve as a player,? Roos said.
?He set his standard last year and that is hopefully the minimum standard.Hopefully he can keep improving.?
The challenge for Hall and the club this year is to improve on last year?s preliminary final, but he feels those who target him will do so at their own peril.
?(Last year) we wanted to be perceived a lot different than what we are and, at the end of the day, were. Teams look at us now and know they are in for a hard contest and that we are a fair side.
?(This year) it will be a challenge as a lot of the play does go through me, but on the flip side of that, I think it can be positive to us.
?If I can attract the best defender and maybe another guy who wants to hang back on me then it can free someone else up and got to use that player. It could be a real good advantage for us.
Taken from www.afl.com.au
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