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Sydney coach Paul Roos stopped short of declaring it Barry Hall’s last chance, but the short-fused forward’s return to AFL action came tonight with an underlying warning from his boss.
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Hall has been named in the Swans side to play Adelaide at the SCG on Saturday, ending a two-week club-imposed ban to deal with anger management issues.
But while Roos said he did not want to stop Hall’s on-field physicality, he warned of “repercussions” should there be any repeat of brain snaps like the forward’s punch on West Coast’s Brent Staker and lashing out at Collingwood defender Shane Wakelin.
“I certainly don’t want to see the things we’ve seen this year,” Roos said.
“In terms of his approach on the footy and his aggressiveness and all those sorts of things, I think he plays his best footy doing that.
“But let’s be clear, that’s different to the two things he’s done that led to his two suspensions.
“Now if he happens to do something wrong in the course of the game whether it be an accidental head-high or something like that, well I think you’d cop that because that’s just part of being an AFL player.
“But the two instances we’ve seen this year we don’t want to see again.
“He’s fully aware of, I guess, the repercussions if it does happen again.”
Club psychologist Grant Brecht has cleared Hall, who had been battling personal problems off field, to make a return after being satisfied he would not take his baggage on to the field.
That was enough for the Swans’ selection committee to give the 31-year-old the green light for a timely comeback, with veteran forward Michael O’Loughlin out with an ankle problem.
But Roos took umbrage at the suggestion Hall was only recalled because of O’Loughlin’s injury.
“If people think that then in a way they’re calling me a liar and I think that’s a bit of a slur on my character which I really don’t like,” Roos said.
“I think we’ve been pretty open and pretty honest about it the whole way through.
“So if people don’t believe what I’ve said obviously they’re questioning the integrity of myself and the integrity of the footy club.
“If Mick hadn’t rolled his ankle he would be playing and so would Barry.”
While Hall returns from AFL purgatory, Adelaide defender Graham Johncock and Port Adelaide’s Peter Burgoyne have been sent there by their clubs – both dropped for their weekend matches.
Adelaide said rebounding defender Johncock, whose recent form had been patchy, had “failed to meet the expected standards of preparation” and would play in the reserves this weekend.
In a statement tonight, Port said onballer Burgoyne was suspended for disciplinary reasons after arriving “in an unfit manner for training” at a session last month.
Burgoyne has not played since injuring a hamstring in round 12 against Geelong, with Port’s leadership group delaying his suspension until he was fully fit.
Adelaide have also named forward Jason Porplyzia to play Sydney despite sustaining a shoulder injury just two weeks ago.
Other big names returning include Richmond star Matthew Richardson for the Tigers’ clash with Brisbane and Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher to play Collingwood.
But West Coast skipper Darren Glass will miss his side’s clash with St Kilda because of a thigh injury.
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