Should he stay or should he go - the poll

[CureTheSane]

Hall should stay and Kirk should go.

I wouldn't want to play in a sporting team where the worst opponent you have is your self-righteous Captain when you put a foot out of line.

Football wise the club may be worse off, but in terms of team morale, the team would be much better placed.

I didn't see Kirks comments, so I haven't commented in them.
From what has been said about them here, I think that I would most likely agree with your (brave) sentiments.

[caj23]

How can your leading goalkicker be a liability? They win games of footy those things called goals.

You won't think the same way next year if we're not competitive and Johnston and White are taking the opposition's best defenders.

Needs to pull his head in but he needs to go on, we need him.

How many games has he cost us over the last 18 months? And there have been more than just those with the obvious incidents

[ernie koala]

But some of the anti-Kirk, anti-Roos, "Hall is hard done by" hysteria in this thread has spiralled to ridiculous proportions.

Let's look at what he has done wrong this year....
1) 3 x 50 mt penalty...The first was for argueing with the umpire, (shouted that he was held...didn't even swear, quickest most over zealous 50 I've seen this year, others argued with umps no problem....The second Roughead ran into him....the third was understandable frustration. Yes it was at a crucial stage of the match, but hardly an out of control wild offence.
2) A silly little jab in retaliation to an elbow, both players laughed together about it after the game.
IMO it is Roos's comments which are ridiculously out of proportion. Publicly questioning his motivation etc...completely unnecessary.

[Plugger46]

How many games has he cost us over the last 18 months? And there have been more than just those with the obvious incidents

One - Hawthorn this year. And even then it's arguable that he didn't as we had our chances after that.

Was he a liability in the EF against North last year? Or when he was our best player against the 'Dogs in the losing SF?

Sure, get into him for being an idiot but don't ignore the good things he has done.

[caj23]

One - Hawthorn this year. And even then it's arguable that he didn't as we had our chances after that.

Was he a liability in the EF against North last year? Or when he was our best player against the 'Dogs in the losing SF?

Sure, get into him for being an idiot but don't ignore the good things he has done.

I agree that he is a talented player when his mind is on the job, and he was good in those finals, problem is that too many times now it hasn't been.

If we were in a position to make a serious dent in the finals (which we aren't), I wouldn't be confident that he could get through without a brain snap, 2005 hit on Maguire being a prime example. It is overlooked by swans fans that he was extremely lucky to even be on the field for the 2005 GF, that love tap could have cost us that premiership and that was when he was "nice" Barry Hall.

We need to move forward to a new era, and he isn't part of that IMO

[Chilcott]

I applaud him for his efforts with the Swans over the years, but this year and last year he has been a liability.

Gotta go in my opinion.

[goswannie14]

If we were in a position to make a serious dent in the finals (which we aren't), I wouldn't be confident that he could get through without a brain snap, 2005 hit on Maguire being a prime example. It is overlooked by swans fans that he was extremely lucky to even be on the field for the 2005 GF, that love tap could have cost us that premiership and that was when he was "nice" Barry Hall.

It's not overlooked, but it is a hypothetical, so no-one has brought it up. How do you know it may have cost us a premiership?

It is a red herring to the argument, because it didn't happen, no matter what you think "may" have happened had he been suspended. I could make all sorts of arguments about players using "what if's" but the fact of the matter that you have brought up is that what you suggested could happen didn't....end of story.

[Plugger46]

We need to move forward to a new era, and he isn't part of that IMO

He's not going to be around the next time we're challenging for a flag. We all know that but he should (needs to be IMO) be part of the transition.

He was the only one against Adelaide who looked like winning the game for us.

[AnnieH]

I'm torn.

I can't vote just yet.

[Kanga]

Keep Hall

So the club is going to sack him because he is too rugged with the opposition? Jack Dyer, Basher Williams and Laurie Nash are turning in their graves. The club should have a no Head Dick policy. Stay big fella.

I am getting worried that I am starting to agree with you Connolly - too often!

With Hall you have a strong physical presence in the fwd line, without him you look more like North (no key fwd capable of winning a match and lifting the team).

Hall is good and bad - we all like to see some aggression on the field & my team were famous for it back in the day.... Sydney knew what they were getting when he came from St K and he has out and out delivered far more often that he has let you down.

Keep him.

[caj23]

It's not overlooked, but it is a hypothetical, so no-one has brought it up. How do you know it may have cost us a premiership?

It is a red herring to the argument, because it didn't happen, no matter what you think "may" have happened had he been suspended. I could make all sorts of arguments about players using "what if's" but the fact of the matter that you have brought up is that what you suggested could happen didn't....end of story.

It is FACT not a hypothetical that in a preliminary final Barry Hall punched Matt Maguire in the stomach when the ball was 80 metres away.

If you can't even acknowledge that it was an idiotic act and he was very lucky to be playing the following week then you are looking through rose colored glasses.

[Wardy]

It is FACT not a hypothetical that in a preliminary final Barry Hall punched Matt Maguire in the stomach when the ball was 80 metres away.

If you can't even acknowledge that it was an idiotic act and he was very lucky to be playing the following week then you are looking through rose colored glasses.

no one is denying that he hit McGuire!! he got off end of story - So are you saying that he should have been suspended and not play in the GF of '05? interesting - so had he not of played and we lost - would you blame him for that as well? Because if I recall correctly he kicked a couple of goals, and played his heart out with the rest of the team - oddly enough they won

[caj23]

no one is denying that he hit McGuire!! he got off end of story - So are you saying that he should have been suspended and not play in the GF of '05? interesting - so had he not of played and we lost - would you blame him for that as well? Because if I recall correctly he kicked a couple of goals, and played his heart out with the rest of the team - oddly enough they won

Congratulations. You've managed to misquote me and miss my point completely.

What I am saying is that even in 2005 when he was being "good", Hall was potentially a liability. Fast forward to 2009, and his onfield behaviour has deteriorated to the extent that he is without a doubt a liability to the team, irrespective of his goal kicking ability.

I respect what he did for us in the past, but its time to move on, his sentiments in the article in The Age online seem to agree with this.

[swansrule100]

no one is denying that he hit McGuire!! he got off end of story - So are you saying that he should have been suspended and not play in the GF of '05? interesting - so had he not of played and we lost - would you blame him for that as well? Because if I recall correctly he kicked a couple of goals, and played his heart out with the rest of the team - oddly enough they won

he was found guilty

[Wardy]

he was found guilty

sorry - found guilty but still got to play, are you happy now???? - Hall was our only multiple goal kicker on the day - MOL as much as I love him had the yips, and some of the other lads missed some getable shots at goal but that happens. He certainly didnt win the game on his own for us - but he sure as hell played an integral part

We all understand why some want him to stay and some want him to go - at the end of the day its between him and the club.