Barrygate

[Dave]

This would have to be the biggest beat up.

If Hall had really hit him with any force he would have been pulling his stomach out of his backbone.

Nothing more than a slight love tap, but the acting would have had Bill Picken proud.

Interesting that during the Wet Toast game yesterday they showed about 4 similar (and worse) incidents that players got off on and another 3 or so that they didn't. Malcolm Blight thought there was nothing in it.

[Provost]

Originally posted by Dave
This would have to be the biggest beat up.

If Hall had really hit him with any force he would have been pulling his stomach out of his backbone.

Lets think about this for a second. Barry Hall, former Victorian junior age 48kg state champion with a 7-3 amateur fight record................

I'd say your %100 right If Barry, who now a heavy weight, were to put any force behind that love tap he would of been cut in two.

[dann]

Originally posted by anniswan
They will against the WCE I think

Well reading the media's Sunday offerings, and they have been anything but gracious.
John Ralph's piece is equally as biased as Saturday's efforts. Even the player ratings done by afl.com.au have the Saints as clearly better all over the ground.

Maybe it'll swing around!

[EMJ]

Yes I agree re players ratings - they have completely supported Saints players.
So their ratings are crap and unbelievable I actually checked twice they were talking about Saints players - it was that bad.

[punter257]

apparently the MRP are going to grade the incident as in the play so that means he'll more than likely get off

that is if they say it was low impact and negligent, should be able to get under the 100 points

woohoo

[moccha]

Originally posted by punter257
apparently the MRP are going to grade the incident as in the play so that means he'll more than likely get off

that is if they say it was low impact and negligent, should be able to get under the 100 points

woohoo

You guys are delusional. Take the rose coloured glasses off. The hit was off the ball, I didn't see any @@@@en ball did you!

[punter257]

Originally posted by moccha
You guys are delusional. Take the rose coloured glasses off. The hit was off the ball, I didn't see any @@@@en ball did you!

can u not read mate???? i said the MRP are going to see it like that - i agree that it was off the ball

[liz]

The distinction is not "on ball" or "behind the ball" but "in play" or "behind the play".

It is certainly feasible that they could interpret the incident as "in play" - though an argument could be mounted either way.

If the assessment is "in play" and low impact, the distinction between negligent or reckless is irrelevant. The grade of the offence is the same (level one, which is the only outcome other than "no charge to answer" that would leave Hall free to play next week).

Of course, in the context of the supposedly deliberate act that Jolly was suspended for earlier this year, it is not out of the question that it could be deemed to be deliberate.

As for the level of impact - who knows. One thing in Hall's favour is that although Maguire was lying prone on the ground, he was not actually grabbing his stomach at all in the way you'd think he would be if he really had been whacked hard in the bread basket. He wasn't even doubled up, but just lying on his back.

[ugg]

Maguire refused to say anything to the press yesterday. Perhaps there is a good chance he will testify in Hall's favour and that will help Barry's cause.

[punter257]

yeah it is a major beatup alright, just because it is barry hall

if it were sean dempster we wouldnt have even seen or heard it
those articles are a disgrace

[Bear]

Originally posted by ugg
Maguire refused to say anything to the press yesterday. Perhaps there is a good chance he will testify in Hall's favour and that will help Barry's cause.

Doubt it or he will be seen as a weak p%$ck for going down in an important final, and allowing BH to get away and take an easy possession... would not want that on my CV.

[moccha]

Good luck for the Grand Final. In a lot of ways you guys need the victory much more than WCE. The city of Sydney needs it and the long suffering South Melbourne supporters need it. What we don't need is the watering down of a bloody stupid act by the acting captain of your club. The facts are that he hit an opposition player, the ball was nowhere to be seen, the opposing player was in distress, he was attented to by trainers and Hall ran on to take an unopposed mark while the other guy was being treated. These are the facts and if Sydney try and take it to court it just shows that they cannot abide by the laws of the AFL. Put yourself in the shoes of West Coast and see how you would feel.

[punter257]

if u guys made the GF and the same incident involved riewoldt or gehrig, you would be reacting the same as us

end of story

[YankeeConvert]

I have to agree with the above.

I got my American husband hooked on the Swans 8 years ago and every year I have had to listen to him compare it to the NFL. Don't get me wrong he loves the Swans but every year he shows me examples of how AFL is not really a national sport - more as he would say a Victorian sport that had to let a few rings-in on board to keep them afloat. Every year I have tried to argue the case for the National game.

I have now given up - after Friday night and the hysteria around Barry and "the incident" I now have to agree that AFL will never be a National sport until Victorians, especially the media pull their heads out and see that its ok to have teams outside the State.

After 14 years of supporting the team I am as desperate as anyone for a Premiership but now it is getting more personal than that - I want the team to win so that every journo in Victoria has to write about it.

The Hall thing is a no win situation - if he doesn't get off people will cry conspiracy if he does Sydney will be the "love child" blah blah blah.

I am over it - let's just play football and let the best team win.

[ugg]

What does West Coast have to do with anything? Just leave it to the MRP and we'll see what happens first. No one officially from the club has said anything about taking it to the courts.