Is any of this true? Barry Hall maybe forced to retire by Roos /Or will he quit?

[ShockOfHair]

I think the problem is it's gone beyond being a purely private issue.

The world wants to know if the Swans are willing to overlook the repeated indiscretions of star players.

Roos had to front the media pretty quickly and let them know the club's position. He could have stonewalled, but it would just mean we'd look like hypocrites, and he'd have to answer the same questions next time.

In the circumstances I thought he put it well enough. Hall isn't behaving like a guy with an AFL career in mind.

[laughingnome]

In the circumstances I thought he put it well enough. Hall isn't behaving like a guy with an AFL career in mind.

Carlton is in a similar boat with Fev. Pears ran the proverbial rings around him last Friday and Fevola just wasn't interested in chasing him. There are many questions as to weather the mecurial forward deserves to keep his spot in the team, and I think the only thing that is keeping Fev in is that Carlton has a chance at success this year. Not a premiership, mind, but top 6 if not 4. Sydney is not in such a position and subsequently Hall finds himself on the outside. If we had a serious shot this year at taking down the big 3 (Cats, Saints, Dogs) then there would be no questions over Hall. The Club would say "yeah he's got issues but he's an undeniable asset and we need him for the duration".

[connolly]

So unlike Paul to effectively end a player's career at the club and destroy his prospects elsewhere by using the media to air the club's dirty laundry (and his own personal frustration).

I consider Roos to be a good to very good coach and an arrogant, stubborn, manipulative and slightly vindicitve person with all the media savvy to (a) get what he wants and (b) construct the "smooth operator" and "butter would not melt in his mouth" image of himself as the greatest Swan of all time.

I have no idea of the man's politics byt Malcolm Turnbull could learn a thing from Paul (though that's not saying much, Malcolm could learn a thing or two off anyone with half an ounce of political nous).

Cant help thinking there is another agenda here. The big unknown is whether we are in the process of recruiting a marquee player such as Pavlich. Offloading Big Beamish doesn't make sense unless there is something behind the scenes. The message is being given to someone and its not just the big fella. Roos is very Machiavellian in the way he uses the media. That said it is very poor form to unload on a player before he has had a chance to speak to him. Big Beamish is being put in an impossible position at the club. The statement of our fearless leader was also extraordinary. Yesterday Tricky Dicky said he hadn't had time to see the incident as he was too busy at work! Tricky is the past master at squeezing out blokes (eg Eade). What we are seeing is a constructive dismissal. The club can't sack Big Beamish but they want him to jump. If he retires now no doubt there is a considerable saving to the clubs bottom line. Also Roos and Tricky Dicky couldn't afford to play Big Beamish in Canberra for the rest of the season unlike the little champ Davo. Lousy business this. Hall has played his guts out for this club and he doesn't deserve this. By the way his career will not be over. No doubt he will be recruited by a club a big forward from a premiership. Doggies or Crows.

[connolly]

a) If they have spoken about the incident in any sort of depth since the game, then that makes Roos' comment worse.

b) I don't think that's an excuse for going public. Talk to him. Sack him. Ask him to retire. Trade him. Whatever, but it will be a big shame if it all end publicly and in bad blood.
To me Roos came across as a coach who seems to see Hall as an uncontrollable mental case who he has had enough of and is prepared to dump.

He's probably entitled to feel like that, but keep it in house.

This is avery public strategy to get Hall to go now. It is unforgivable for a coach to attack a player publicly. The punch is simply a pretext to freeze him out. No repect Paul.

[connolly]

I think the problem is it's gone beyond being a purely private issue.

The world wants to know if the Swans are willing to overlook the repeated indiscretions of star players.

Roos had to front the media pretty quickly and let them know the club's position. He could have stonewalled, but it would just mean we'd look like hypocrites, and he'd have to answer the same questions next time.

In the circumstances I thought he put it well enough. Hall isn't behaving like a guy with an AFL career in mind.

The club could have simply dropped him to the reserves after he returns from his suspension. FFS why the double jeopardy? The rules have been applied. The bloke lets go the weakest jab in the history of sport and his career is over? Hall is being put to the sword in a public execution by his own coach. Roos has applied the heavist penalty in the history of the game. In a very smarmy way he suggests retirement. He should have sat down with the player before the press conference had it out with him Barry you are a dickhead sort of stuff. Man to man. Hall for all his faults has never shirked a contest, never given anything but his all and he gets publicly humiliated. Barry get a good lawyer, retire and then sue the strides off them for a constructive dismissal.

[jono2707]

This is avery public strategy to get Hall to go now. It is unforgivable for a coach to attack a player publicly. The punch is simply a pretext to freeze him out. No repect Paul.

Pretty bloody good pretext I reckon.

[connolly]

Pretty bloody good pretext I reckon.

If thats the case then just sack him. Colless and Roos know that a player couldn't have a contract terminated lawfully for that tap. Smarter that he jumps eh? We once had a club that i was proud of. Didn't win much but we stuck together.

[AnnieH]

Allegedly (according to the Nova sports report this morning), Roosey hasn't spoken to Blind Barry since the incident (mmmmm not happy jan), and Blind Barry is adament that he wants to continue playing next year.

That's good Blind Barry. Play somewhere else.

[Primmy]

I cannot begin to express how disappointed I am in B. I have believed in him while others scoffed. I have turned the other cheek too often. I still think that off the ground he is a very good human being. But on the ground he just doesn't get it. His fine line is fraying and IMHO he has to see what is happening and with what dignity he has left give it a miss. No I don't want to see him go. But what can I do! What can B do?

Beyond disappointed.

[Ruda Wakening]

Allegedly (according to the Nova sports report this morning), Roosey hasn't spoken to Blind Barry since the incident (mmmmm not happy jan), and Blind Barry is adament that he wants to continue playing next year.

That's good Blind Barry. Play somewhere else.

Here you go.

"I'm definitely not retiring," he said emphatically. "I know there has been speculation that this may be it and I've lost the desire and maybe should retire, but I can tell you that's certainly not the case.

"I heard on the news that people are questioning whether I really want to play or not, but I played three quarters (against Adelaide) with a torn muscle in my hip. I think that indicates I do actually want to play. If I didn't want to play footy I would run to the bench and sit on the bench.

"I don't care what other people might think, I still want to play footy, I'm still passionate about the game, and I'm still focused on playing footy, and I think I displayed that on the weekend playing through injury."

Roos and Hall have not spoken since the incident. They are expected to meet sometime this week and discuss where they go from here.

[Lohengrin]

Roos said that Hall doesn't look like a guy who wants to be out there. Didn't mention retirement specifically, though when asked said they'd be talking about it at the team meeting. Didn't give any indication that he'd push him one way or the other though.

Roos did mention retirement - talked about the option some players take of retiring mid season.

[ernie koala]

Cant help thinking there is another agenda here. The big unknown is whether we are in the process of recruiting a marquee player such as Pavlich. Offloading Big Beamish doesn't make sense unless there is something behind the scenes. The message is being given to someone and its not just the big fella. Roos is very Machiavellian in the way he uses the media. That said it is very poor form to unload on a player before he has had a chance to speak to him. Big Beamish is being put in an impossible position at the club. The statement of our fearless leader was also extraordinary. Yesterday Tricky Dicky said he hadn't had time to see the incident as he was too busy at work! Tricky is the past master at squeezing out blokes (eg Eade). What we are seeing is a constructive dismissal. The club can't sack Big Beamish but they want him to jump. If he retires now no doubt there is a considerable saving to the clubs bottom line. Also Roos and Tricky Dicky couldn't afford to play Big Beamish in Canberra for the rest of the season unlike the little champ Davo. Lousy business this. Hall has played his guts out for this club and he doesn't deserve this. By the way his career will not be over. No doubt he will be recruited by a club a big forward from a premiership. Doggies or Crows.

It's pretty obvious Roos wants him out, and typical Roos approach to offload the decision to Barry and do it via the media for extra heat. But I doubt they are lining up another forward at this stage, which one's are out of contract, and what would we give in return?...And who would want to come to a team on the slide, with terrible delivery to the forwardline, and no prospects of finals footy for at least a few years? Please nobody say Fev.

[Yuri H]

I cannot begin to express how disappointed I am in B. I have believed in him while others scoffed. I have turned the other cheek too often. I still think that off the ground he is a very good human being. But on the ground he just doesn't get it. His fine line is fraying and IMHO he has to see what is happening and with what dignity he has left give it a miss. No I don't want to see him go. But what can I do! What can B do?

Beyond disappointed.

Pretty much sums up my feelings, now. When I first discovered AFL back in the States, during prep to move to Sydney, I saw Swans clips and thought "who is THAT guy?" Barry's physicality and field presence was one of the big things that dragged me footyward.

But if he's gonna start swinging every game, no matter how weak one swing is compared to another, it just seems like he's lost control. Last week's swing may have been mild, but if he's snapping weekly, who knows what he'd do next time? Last year I could laugh, "well, it was only an Eagle anyway," but now that it's getting to be near-regular occurance ...

anyway, makes me very sad.

[Industrial Fan]

I think Baz has driven a few nails in here in sticking up for himself:

"I heard on the news that people are questioning whether I really want to play or not"

Calling Roos 'people' is not a good sign. 100% he wont play next year.

[AnnieH]

Here you go.

Thanks Ruda. He was serious and I thought I was dreaming it ... that's why I said "allegedly".