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Swans need to stop rot on the road, says Hall

Roar Guru
27th May, 2009
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Sydney enforcer Barry Hall says it is time for his AFL side to sweep aside their travelling blues in Saturday’s match against the Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval.

The Swans have lost their last seven away games since pipping Carlton at Docklands in round 16 last year.

And Hall wanted to put a stop to the rot in the nation’s capital against the third-placed Bulldogs.

“We have not won away yet and I guess you call Canberra an away game,” Hall said.

“It will be a big challenge for us as well.”

The Swans should at least feel at home in one respect at Manuka as they normally enjoy the lion’s share of support.

The Bulldogs had the better of the Sydneysiders last year, winning their three contests including the cut-throat semi-final clash at the MCG.

The `Dogs toasted the Swans with their pace and skill in 2008 and Hall said Sydney couldn’t afford to drop their guard against a side that narrowly lost to Geelong last weekend.

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“They are always a quality team and a team you really have to steel yourselves against and the way they play footy is pretty taxing on the body,” he said.

“They like to run and they make you chase them.

“It is going to be a tough game, they have a good record against us the last few times.

“It is going to be a pretty daunting test for us.”

Hall, 32, has been in stellar form in the past fortnight as the fifth-placed Swans have marched to a perfect home record of five wins from five outings.

He felt in good nick but was wary of making too big a deal out of his current condition.

“I feel great but ask me in a few weeks, it might a different story,” he said at a regional final of the Paul Kelly Cup, an AFL competition for primary school children, at Sydney’s Centennial Park.

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He was joined by teammate Nick Malceski, the backman having rebounded from his axing from Sydney’s round eight win over West Coast with a good showing against Port Adelaide last Sunday.

The 2007 club best and fairest runner-up, who had radical knee surgery in early 2008, said going back to the reserves had allowed him to relax a bit more about his game.

“Obviously having a good year in `07 and then doing my knee and then trying to get back into it, it wasn’t sort of clicking for me,” he said.

“So I spoke to Roosy (coach Paul Roos) and I think going back to the twos was probably best for me and trying to get a bit of form back there and try to get back into the form I was in in `07.”

Lewis Roberts-Thomson is in line for a recall from injury while the Western Bulldogs are sweating on the fitness of Shaun Higgins and playmaking defender Lindsay Gilbee.

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