Hall: Suspended Indefinitely by the Swans

[NMWBloods]

Not only themselves they hurt others also.

Of course they do, but in the original context of the discussion into which you rudely added your snide remark we were talking about the impact on other players of the two different issues.

[Big Al]

Thug v Addict. Ummm... what if the Drug Addict is also a Thug?

[Bas]

Thug v Addict. Ummm... what if the Drug Addict is also a Thug?

You hope you don't run into it in a dark alley or abandoned car park.

[liz]

Yes, I'm aware of those circumstances and know of a couple of people in similar circumstances. They are less likely to go out and beat someone up, particularly on the sporting field, which is what we're talking about.

They are probably less likely to do it on a sporting field but a lot of society's mindless violence is attributable to drugs, whether it is people "just" behaving under the influence, whether it is crime related to pay for habits, or whether it is gang related and connected with the business side of drugs. I was once mugged at knifepoint by two youngish girls who I suspect were looking for drug money.

[Big Al]

You hope you don't run into it in a dark alley or abandoned car park.

...or the West Coast Eagles gym.

[NMWBloods]

They are probably less likely to do it on a sporting field but a lot of society's mindless violence is attributable to drugs, whether it is people "just" behaving under the influence, whether it is crime related to pay for habits, or whether it is gang related and connected with the business side of drugs. I was once mugged at knifepoint by two youngish girls who I suspect were looking for drug money.

Undoubtedly. But if I draw eveyone's attention back to the original post, which your first dozen words covers...

Contradictions everywhere!

The same people who wanted Cousins hung, drawn and quartered and banned for life are now saying Hall is being harshly treated and should be allowed to play next week. The Eagles were too soft while the Swans are too harsh.

[D54]

I hope in the minds of the coaching staff indefinitely is defined as the rest of the season. Marty Mattner is more of a swan than baz.

[ScottH]

Yes, I'm aware of those circumstances and know of a couple of people in similar circumstances. They are less likely to go out and beat someone up, particularly on the sporting field, which is what we're talking about.

Also the number of criminal trials that you hear/read about ATM, their excuse is that they were affected by drugs, " so I was not in my right mind".

[AnnieH]

I can't believe the hipocrisy in modern football.

Players like Brereton, Rhys Jones, Williams, Lockett, Dipper, etc, etc, used to punch guys out every second week. We hail those dudes as champions of the game.

Poor ol' Baz does the footy-world a favour by dropping Staker and nearly rubbing out Wakelin and suddenly everyone wants his blood.

Times have changed. I love the modern game. But this PC crap is going too far.
Maybe if the umpires did their jobs and paid free kicks to Hall for all the scragging he cops, we wouldn't be in this situation.

@@@@@@ you Demetriou.

Finally.
Some sense.

[#73]

Thanks Annie.

As the Pythons once said: "Your Majesty is like a stream of bat's piss......you shine out like a shaft of gold when all around is black"

[#73]

Did you actually watch the game? Hall was acting like a petulant child right from the opening bounce. Some of the ridiculous free kicks he was giving away were mind boggling. The Wakelin incident was just the last straw.

Now Roos gets advice that Hall isn't in the right frame of mind to play football. He would be negligent if he didn't heed this advice. At the end of the day he has to do what's right for the club and Hall. If that means getting Hall help with his personal problems then so be it.

Of course I watched it. And lamented at the miserable spectacle that it was.

Roos gets advice. Great. Personally I think psychologists are tarted up agony-aunts. If Hall has genuine head problems then he should be seeing a proper shrink. There's no shame in that. Get him on some anti-depressants and lets move on. The guy wants to play footy. Depriving him of that cannot help his situation.

And yes, I know no individual is greater than the team. BUT the team hurts if Hall doesn't play. So by depriving the individual you are actually damaging the team.

Again, this PC bollocks has to go. Get Hall the proper help he needs. Treat his condition in the same aggressive manner in which you would treat a knee injury or broken wrist. Just quit all this namby-pamby, wishy-washy sidestepping of the real issues and stop making Hall out to be a villain.

They guy captained our PREMIERSHIP TEAM. For that one feat alone he should be afforded some leniency and some sympathy from the lynch mobs around here.

[Xie Shan]

BUT the team hurts if Hall doesn't play.

Actually, no.

We played our worst footy in over a month with Hall in the team.

I thought he still had a lot to add to our forward line structure before Round 4, particularly after the Brisbane game at the Gabba, where he didn't dominate, but worked hard to provide a target and when he did get the ball further up the ground, generally used it well when sending the ball forward. Against Collingwood, at best he just looked terribly out-of-sorts, disregarding any other issue(s) he might have.

Given the team has coped more than adequately without Hall so far, best to give him a break I think.

[swansrock4eva]

Of course I watched it. And lamented at the miserable spectacle that it was.

Roos gets advice. Great. Personally I think psychologists are tarted up agony-aunts. If Hall has genuine head problems then he should be seeing a proper shrink. There's no shame in that. Get him on some anti-depressants and lets move on. The guy wants to play footy. Depriving him of that cannot help his situation.

And yes, I know no individual is greater than the team. BUT the team hurts if Hall doesn't play. So by depriving the individual you are actually damaging the team.

Again, this PC bollocks has to go. Get Hall the proper help he needs. Treat his condition in the same aggressive manner in which you would treat a knee injury or broken wrist. Just quit all this namby-pamby, wishy-washy sidestepping of the real issues and stop making Hall out to be a villain.

They guy captained our PREMIERSHIP TEAM. For that one feat alone he should be afforded some leniency and some sympathy from the lynch mobs around here.

Uh how is a psychologist NOT a proper shrink? To be a genuine sports psych, they would have to have spent at LEAST six years (most I've heard of are closer to 10) in higher education both, psychology and sports related - that's longer than a variety of other so-called more "aggressive" professionals that you are seemingly referring to.

Getting Hall off the field is the best thing they can do right now FOR THE TEAM - no one man is bigger than the team and if he was physically out of sorts, we'd appluad them not playing him. How are psychological concerns any less of a problem worthy of missing match time than a hamstring or a groin? If anything, they're probably WORSE than physical issues because there's a pretty good chance he'll do serious damage to someone other than him if left to his own cranky and violent devices. If he's serious about playing footy, he'll get his head in order, learn to control his anger and divert it elsewhere than out his fist onto someone else's face. I don't care that he's our premiership captain, he LET THE TEAM DOWN when he hit Staker, and he did it again on Saturday night by acting the way he did. When he gets his head right, I'm pretty sure virtually everyone on here will be pretty pleased he'll be back, but until that time, enough is enough - the team must come first and Hall is not the best thing for the team right now.

[annew]

Since the Swans have suspended Hall indefinately why didn't they work it so that he was suspended for the number of games needed so he had no carry over points then when/if he came back he would have a clean sheet.

[ScottH]

Since the Swans have suspended Hall indefinately why didn't they work it so that he was suspended for the number of games needed so he had no carry over points then when/if he came back he would have a clean sheet.

The points last for 12 months, I doubt if they would suspend him for that long.