Tribunal: Doubt to help Hall

[ScottH]

Tribunal: Doubt to help Hall
Damian Barrett
31may04

THE reasons behind Chris Grant falling in agony at the SCG on Saturday night may remain a mystery, even after AFL involvement today.
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Sydney's Barry Hall was the player nearest to Grant before the incident, which was not captured by Fox Footy cameras.
It is understood Grant will be unlikely to elaborate in detail to an AFL investigator when contacted today, making it difficult for Hall to be cited.

The Western Bulldogs captain was not commenting publicly on the matter yesterday.

The Hall-Grant clash came in the final quarter of a game in which the Swans forward had become frustrated by umpires failing to award him for opponents' infringements. He conceded four free kicks and received none in his side's 26-point win.

The Swans were angry with the treatment of Hall but said yesterday rules prohibited them from commenting. Coach Paul Roos did not offer a response when prompted in his post-match conference.

The treatment of Hall became a big issue last year when Roos said Hall was judged "differently to probably 99 per cent of players".

Hall finished Saturday's match on the interchange, having been forced from the field with a cut lip from a marking contest involving Grant and the Bulldogs' Ryan Hargrave.

Other incidents to be looked at today by the AFL include a late-match shirtfront by the Kangaroos' Anthony Stevens against Collingwood's Mark McGough.

Stevens and the Roos will be desperately hoping the incident avoids the AFL Tribunal, for Stevens has recent priors.

The Magpies' Paul Licuria was yesterday booked by video reports officer Ian Robinson for tripping Eddie Sansbury during the third quarter of Saturday's game.

The accidental felling of a field umpire by West Coast's Callum Chambers in Saturday's match against Richmond at Subiaco will also be studied.

[ScottH]

AND from the AGE

AFL inquiry likely into Grant incident
By Mathew Murphy
May 31, 2004




Bulldog Chris Grant is left on hands and knees on Saturday.
Picture: Getty Images



The AFL is likely to investigate an incident that left Western Bulldogs captain Chris Grant on his hands and knees in the last quarter of Saturday's loss to Sydney.

After getting to his feet, Grant remonstrated with Swans full-forward Barry Hall, his opponent whom he had successfully blanketed for much of the night.

While television coverage did not capture the behind-the-play incident, AFL officials said yesterday they would analyse the video review from every angle to see if Hall, or any other Sydney player, had a case to answer.

Bulldogs coach Peter Rohde said after his side's 26-point loss to the Swans he was interested in viewing the footage.

Rohde's Sydney counterpart, Paul Roos, said he could understand Hall's predicament late in the match and admitted to sending out messages to his leading goalkicker to keep his cool.



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"As a forward you can get frustrated when you are not scoring - if you are kicking 1.4 instead of 4.1," Roos said. "I think he's been terrific at it (controlling his temper), he's certainly learning how to cope with it.

It's just something that he has to keep putting up with, I guess."

Despite his side's loss, Grant clearly won the contest on Hall, restricting his scoring opportunities and leaving him frustrated.

Hall's apparent clash with Grant was the last in a series of events in the last quarter that had the accomplished boxer doing his best to harness his famous temper of old.

Hall, who has tried to shake his image as big, bad, bustling Barry, has been suspended by the tribunal eight times.

While the Swans ran out comfortable winners at the SCG, they lost Jason Saddington for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

The Dogs, who switched their home game to the SCG, had threatened to make a game of it after trailing by only 14 points and 12 points at each of the first two breaks. Despite the Melbourne side's final-term fightback, after some stern words from coach Peter Rohde, the damage had been done.

It was a bitter-sweet week for Saddington, who, on Thursday, celebrated the birth of his daughter Chelsea.

But he buckled and fell to the ground as if shot midway through the first quarter when taking a handball under no immediate pressure. A Swans official confirmed the utility player had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

The Bulldogs' shining light, Patrick Bowden, kicked three goals, while Jade Rawlings was safely held by Adam Goodes.

[ScottH]

AND from the SMH

Hall's back in the doghouse with umpires
By Jessica Halloran
May 31, 2004

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Under scrutiny: Bulldogs defender Chris Grant ends up on the deck after facing off with Swans forward Barry Hall. Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images


Sydney Swans 12.21 (93)

Western Bulldogs 10.7 (67)

A Western Bulldogs player jumped on his head, he was struck in the face and left bleeding - and Barry Hall didn't receive a free kick. While these umpiring decisions left Swans fans howling, the video reviewers may scrutinise an off-the-ball incident involving Hall that left Bulldog Chris Grant on the ground, clutching his stomach, late in the game.

The Swans grabbed their second consecutive win, their fifth for the season, yet it was not a great night for Hall, whose mood was not helped by his goal-kicking return of 1.4. And his frustration was exacerbated by questionable umpiring decisions.

When coach Paul Roos was asked if Hall was still receiving a rough deal from the umpires, the reply was silence, a slight sigh and then "next question". "I thought, 'Credit to him, he keeps on competing'," Roos said. "Certainly at times he did get a bit frustrated, he's just got to keep going. Normally, he does. I think he's been terrific at it and he's certainly learning how to cope with it and it's just something he has to keep putting up with, I guess." And Hall had a fair bit to put up with on Saturday night. Like when he contested a mark with Grant and Ryan Hargrave and it was difficult to tell whether the Bulldogs players were trying to spoil the mark or Hall.

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Hargrave launched himself from behind Hall, crashing on top of his head. Hall was not awarded what seemed a blatant free kick.

Later, Hall had to leave the ground under the blood rule after a Bulldogs player's hand made contact with his mouth during a contest. It was difficult to tell whether that was accidental or not.

So, what of the episode that left Grant hunched over on the ground, clutching his stomach? "You are not looking behind the play when you are coaching - I honestly don't know what happened," Roos said.

The Swans will hope the judiciary does not take a dim view of the incident as they will be looking to the hulking presence of Hall when they face undefeated St Kilda at the SCG on Sunday.

But a possible spell on the sidelines for Hall was not the only bad news for the Swans, with Jason Saddington's season coming to a cruel end after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. Saddington will have a knee reconstruction.

With St Kilda looming as a telling test for the Swans at the halfway mark of the home-and-away season, Roos was pleased to note his team had started to gel in defence against the Bulldogs. "Outstanding," was his enthusiastic appraisal of an effort that kept the Bulldogs to just 17 shots on goal.

Leo Barry was again reliable and courageous and Tadhg Kennelly provided great run with the ball off the centre half-back line.

With key defender Andrew Schauble still out with a hamstring injury, Adam Goodes has provided the relief of a much-needed bigger body at the back, Roos saying the Brownlow medallist provided the "glue" for Sydney's defence.

"Having Goodesy down there, just that bigger body which we haven't had with Schaubs [missing], lifts the other guys' confidence," Roos said. "He's almost the glue that holds everything together when we haven't got Schaubs."

Sydney consistently won the ball out of the middle, with Paul Williams, captain Stuart Maxfield and Jude Bolton tireless. Tagger Brett Kirk again churned out a fine game.

"I thought all areas of the game, except the goalkicking, were very, very pleasing," Roos said. "It was as good a four quarters as we have had all year and it was really only the goalkicking that stopped us from having a much larger win."

Forward Amon Buchanan played a "smart" game on the experienced Rohan Smith, kicking two goals in the first half as Sydney went into the major break leading by two goals.

In the third quarter things really came together for the Swans, the Bulldogs managing just two behinds while goals from Michael O'Loughlin, Craig Bolton, Jarrad McVeigh and Matthew Nicks took Sydney into the final break with a 40-point lead.

"I think the pleasing thing is . . . a couple of the boys over the last couple of weeks have dug themselves out of a little bit of a form slump," Roos said. "That's always good to see. Some of the guys that had been going through a little bit of a rough patch stood up tonight."

[sharpie]

Re: AND from the AGE

Originally posted by hemsleys
Despite his side's loss, Grant clearly won the contest on Hall, restricting his scoring opportunities and leaving him frustrated.

Please, what a load of crap. Barry Hall was the singular reason why Barry Hall didnt kick a bag full. Taking snaps around his body on the run, hitting the post, slipping over. None of these things were influenced by Grant in any way. Hall took 8 marks, most of which were within scoring range. What a load of journalistic crap.

The only thing Grant did all night was try and milk frees. Anyone else remember in front of the noble stand when he picked the ball up and jumped forward immediately praying for Hall to take him high or get into his back? The big wimp could have just as easily stayed on his feet and tried to clear the ball, like any other self-respecting footballer.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Re: Re: AND from the AGE

Originally posted by sharpie
The big wimp could have just as easily stayed on his feet and tried to clear the ball, like any other self-respecting footballer.

I don't have any respect for Grant ever since he punched Luffy right in front of me(during a game of course) about 7 years ago.