Where to put Hall?

[CureTheSane]

Now he isn't playing as well as he has been.

We all know that he attracts at least the best backman from the opposition, and is at times double teamed.

However I don't see these 'uses' for Hall as being overly beneficial to the Swans.
In fact I'd suggest that opposition teams are happy to lose one of their best players to nullify Hall, just as we'd be happy t use our best backman to nullify a Brown or a Lloyd.

Hall needs to be able to impact on the game,and Ithink he needs to get to theball much more often than he has been.

I am thinking that regular stints on the wing may be the place to get him into the action.
There is space, he is reasonably fit, and he could play close to the interchange
I think he is dangerous (to us) in the midfield, and down back.
In the forward pockets he wouldn't change much, with the backman following him and playingin an area of the ground he likes.

Perhaps he should play more at a true CHF position, and stay there rather than leading everywhere.

It's another frustrating thing about our game plan in that the players won't bomb it into Hall for fear that he won't end up with it.
I wonder if he is really frustrated with that?

[elroy67]

Now he isn't playing as well as he has been.

We all know that he attracts at least the best backman from the opposition, and is at times double teamed.

This would not be so much of an issue if our midfield was prepared to kick it to someone else who is in a one-on-one contest, or even free!!

[AnnieH]

Blind Barry should keep doing what he does best ... attract at least THREE opposition players when the ball comes anywhere near the forward 50.

You're almost there Elroy, The MIDFIELD, should learn special skills like "dummy" the ball to Blind Barry then kick it to one of the other two or three fowards who aren't manned up.

As it stands, I know where you're coming from CTS. It's very frustrating. IMO, the game after Blind Barry became the two million dollar man he began to lose it.

Maybe the eye operations made his eyes worse? Maybe the eye surgeons screwed his eyes something bad and Blind Barry thinks that it's "normal"? He plays worse at night than he does during the day.

[mcs]

Id play him at FF right on the goal line so he can stop any opposition players getting to the ball to touch it if its close to dropping short!

Really though Id like to see him play from the goalsquare with O'Keefe playing the true CHF role. That might just work I reckon.

[stellation]

Id play him at FF right on the goal line so he can stop any opposition players getting to the ball to touch it if its close to dropping short!

WTF was going on with Davis' shot from outside 50 late last week that fell short with not a single Swan on the goal line?

[mcs]

yeh that was very frustrating Stellation to say the least! We seem to specialise in forgetting about having anyone on the goal line at either end- was there not an incident from one of the st kilda goals where it dropped short and could of been cleaned up if someone was positioned as well? Happens to us far too often for my liking at both ends of the ground.

[swantastic]

WTF was going on with Davis' shot from outside 50 late last week that fell short with not a single Swan on the goal line?

The issue isnt "no Swans on the goal line"the real issue is "why cant Davo kick 50 meters"? I think he is finished,hey Stell do you want him in FF.?

[stellation]

Well of course he can kick 50, but he was just a little further out than that

How some people think that a player is unfit if they don't still have the strength in their legs at the end of the first game of the year to easily kick from 55 metres is beyond me. Of course he would have got it if he tried harder

[connolly]

WTF was going on with Davis' shot from outside 50 late last week that fell short with not a single Swan on the goal line?

They were all making space and Barry Hall had space in front of him about twenty metres out. Hall had just run 30 metres to haul in Schnieder. He had run back and had space infront of him directly in front of goal. Kid Terrific ignored the lot and went for the glory shot. Guess who is not happy? Try the leadership group, coach, coaches assistants, Cyggie. Haven't spoken to Kenny Williams but even he might have been a bit miffed. The simple answer is that our big forward Hall had space in front of him twenty metres from goal. At the 18 minute mark of the last quarter Davis blazed away from outside the fifty and ignored at least three forwards making leads. He kicked a point. We lost by two. In last quarter Davis tried to kick three goals from on the 50 or outside the fifty when he had forwards in front of him making leads. He got a 30% return on his efforts and we lost.

[connolly]

What a load of rubbish - there were 18 Saints in our forward line. No space for open leads, particularly when Hall can't mark in his hands.

Hall is our main forward and he had space in front of him at the time. One of Kid Terrific's shots in the last quarter sailed through for a point while the big bloke was steaming into space in the left forward side of the gaols. [18 minute mark] And Hall is a bloke who ran his guts out in the last quarter chasing down fast defenders. Whilst a small forward who ran at half pace in the last quarter after a quick defense stands and delivers a point by kicking over his head. Right.

[bodgie]

Hall hads been flailing away and running around like a headless chook for the last year or so dropping everything and creating chaos around him. The swans keep on keep on kicking it to him for minimal return. Davis choice seems reasonable and at least shows some initiative. I suppose that's his problem.

[connolly]

Hall hads been flailing away and running around like a headless chook for the last year or so dropping everything and creating chaos around him. The swans keep on keep on kicking it to him for minimal return. Davis choice seems reasonable and at least shows some initiative. I suppose that's his problem.

OK lets just ignore that we one got into two grand finals and won a flag with a structured forward line built around hard work off the ball, running into space and hitting the leading forward. So in the last quarter of a tight game its reasonable to ignore leads and not kick into space but rather bomb from outside because it seems like a good idea at the time. Yep that will win us another flag.

[swantastic]

Leave him in the forward line after todya's effort.

[mcs]

if that is the Hall we are going to see Im feeling a lot better about his prospects and ours for the year. Wasted a few shots at goal but looked very good moving around the ground and took a super mark as well!

[shaun..]

Awesome game and what about that mark! I'm quietly confident that he's removed some of his demons but let's wait and see how he performs under lights.