Barry isn't that bad after all
By Jessica Halloran
March 11, 2004
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Big Bad Barry Hall was not that bad last season and wasn't given a fair go, admits the AFL's umpiring supremo.
Jeff Gieschen, the director of AFL umpiring, said yesterday there were times last season when the Sydney full-forward was treated unjustly.
"[With] all players, from time to time umpires make the odd mistake, and there were occasions last year when Barry should have had got free kicks and didn't," Gieschen admitted.
"The umpires are also coached and briefed and counselled after their performance on when they missed a free kick or have done something well - that happens all the time."
Hall was awarded nine free kicks last season compared with Melbourne's 100kg full-forward David Neitz, who received a total of 18, while star Essendon forward Matthew Lloyd was given 16.
Swans officials met umpires several times last year and forwarded a video compilation of Hall's treatment to Gieschen and umpires' coach Rowan Sawers last July seeking to clarify why the player had not been awarded free kicks in certain situations.
Last year Swans coach Paul Roos stated there was a stigma attached to the forward and that: "Unfortunately for Barry, he gets judged differently to 99 per cent of players in AFL."
Yesterday Roos was pleased the umpires had acknowledged their mistakes.
"Firstly, to probably their credit, we know people make mistakes, and there's certainly been some mistakes. That's the first step [acknowledgement]," Roos said.
"The second step is to minimise those mistakes and make sure they don't happen so often."
Hall's tribunal record is hardly a pretty one, but last year, for the first time in four seasons, he was not penalised by the AFL tribunal. He beat a head-butting charge involving Carlton's Simon Beaumont in round 16 last year.
However, Hall has appeared at the tribunal eight times and been found guilty five times.
Most recently he was banned for five weeks (face clawing) in 2002. In 2001 he copped three weeks for striking, and one week in 2000 for head-butting.
Meanwhile, Ben Mathews is a chance to play his first match of the pre-season this weekend in Newcastle against Essendon, while Michael O'Loughlin, who has been recovering from knee tendonitis, may also play his first game.
"He might play. He wasn't going to play Monday or Tuesday, it depends how he pulls up from training. If he pulls up OK we might give him some restricted game time," club doctor Nathan Gibbs said of O'Loughlin.
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By Jessica Halloran
March 11, 2004
Print this article
Email to a friend
Big Bad Barry Hall was not that bad last season and wasn't given a fair go, admits the AFL's umpiring supremo.
Jeff Gieschen, the director of AFL umpiring, said yesterday there were times last season when the Sydney full-forward was treated unjustly.
"[With] all players, from time to time umpires make the odd mistake, and there were occasions last year when Barry should have had got free kicks and didn't," Gieschen admitted.
"The umpires are also coached and briefed and counselled after their performance on when they missed a free kick or have done something well - that happens all the time."
Hall was awarded nine free kicks last season compared with Melbourne's 100kg full-forward David Neitz, who received a total of 18, while star Essendon forward Matthew Lloyd was given 16.
Swans officials met umpires several times last year and forwarded a video compilation of Hall's treatment to Gieschen and umpires' coach Rowan Sawers last July seeking to clarify why the player had not been awarded free kicks in certain situations.
Last year Swans coach Paul Roos stated there was a stigma attached to the forward and that: "Unfortunately for Barry, he gets judged differently to 99 per cent of players in AFL."
Yesterday Roos was pleased the umpires had acknowledged their mistakes.
"Firstly, to probably their credit, we know people make mistakes, and there's certainly been some mistakes. That's the first step [acknowledgement]," Roos said.
"The second step is to minimise those mistakes and make sure they don't happen so often."
Hall's tribunal record is hardly a pretty one, but last year, for the first time in four seasons, he was not penalised by the AFL tribunal. He beat a head-butting charge involving Carlton's Simon Beaumont in round 16 last year.
However, Hall has appeared at the tribunal eight times and been found guilty five times.
Most recently he was banned for five weeks (face clawing) in 2002. In 2001 he copped three weeks for striking, and one week in 2000 for head-butting.
Meanwhile, Ben Mathews is a chance to play his first match of the pre-season this weekend in Newcastle against Essendon, while Michael O'Loughlin, who has been recovering from knee tendonitis, may also play his first game.
"He might play. He wasn't going to play Monday or Tuesday, it depends how he pulls up from training. If he pulls up OK we might give him some restricted game time," club doctor Nathan Gibbs said of O'Loughlin.
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