Darren Jolly, Adam Goodes, Barry Hall and Michael O’Loughlin of the Swans after the loss in the AFL Round 13 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Sydney Swans at AAMI Stadium. Slattery Images
The Western Bulldogs may be thinking that Barry Hall is the missing piece of the puzzle in their quest to break the AFL’s longest premiership drought. Hall’s solid performance in his debut outing for the Doggies indicates that this may be the case.
Yet, the reality may be that they are one closed Barry Hall fist away from derailing their 2010 season.
Hall’s impressive six goal effort against the Hawks last Friday night demonstrated that he is still more than capable of playing footy, and good footy at that. He is a proven goal kicking All-Australian forward who once led the Sydney Swans to a premiership in 2005.
At the moment he looks fit and his imposing figure is sure to send fear through the spines of opposition backmen.
However, he has a notoriously volatile temper and for the Bulldogs sake he needs to keep it in check. I don’t like his chances.
They took a massive risk in signing him up from Sydney, but they were desperate by their belief that they needed a key forward to give them a decent shot at AFL glory.
Hall’s tribunal record provides a long read. It began as a St. Kilda player in a 1997 reserves match against North Melbourne when he broke Sam McFarlane’s jaw in three places in an off-the-ball incident. His latest appearance at the tribunal is as recent as last year.
The most infamous yet appalling highlight on his tribunal record was the sickening king-hit he handed out to an unsuspecting Brent Staker in 2008.
If it happened out on the street he might’ve been charged for assault. He received a seven week suspension for the attack which many in football circles believed was a lenient judgment. Can the Bulldogs afford such a lengthy suspension from their new spearhead?
2009 was not a great year for Hall. His triple 50m penalty against Hawthorn was embarrassing and ultimately cost the Swans the game. And after the Adelaide clash in Round 13, Hall was once again visiting the tribunal after applying a closed fist to Ben Rutten’s face.
After this incident, the ever-so-patient Sydney coach Paul Roos finally had enough of Hall’s on-field indiscretions, and it was mutually decided that he should leave the club mid-2009.
These undignified on-field episodes point to the reality that Hall has extreme difficulty in managing his rage, which puts his team’s chances of success in jeopardy.
The Doggies chose to ignore his tribunal record. In their desperation to acquire a power forward, they identified Hall’s departure from the Swans as an opportunity they could ill afford to miss.
After flirting with the idea of returning to his previous sport of boxing, Hall shelved his boxing dreams and happily accepted their offer.
Looking forward to the 2010 season, can the Bulldogs honestly expect Barry Hall to manage his frustrations and anger when his latest on-field brain snap occurred as recently as last year?
Have they implemented any measures to ensure he controls his temper on the field? Are they sending him to anger management classes?
This season opposition sides will be mindful of Barry Hall’s well-known loose temper. They will be trying their hardest to bait him and throw him off his game – their failure to do so would be negligent on their part.
Forget the NAB games, the close checking and scragging will come when the season proper begins.
Pundits may suggest that he is only one man and doesn’t make a team, so if he misses games it shouldn’t affect the side significantly. But if the Bulldogs truly believe he’s the missing piece of the puzzle, how can they afford to lose his services?
Their game plan would heavily involve the utilisation of Hall as their spearhead and if he is absent it could negatively impact their season – especially during finals time. A shrewd coach like Eade would surely have a contingency plan in place, but will it be enough?
The Bulldogs are a fantastic side to watch. They move the ball quickly and with a disciplined Barry Hall as their main target, they could very well have a side capable of winning their first premiership since 1954.
But if he repeats the horror season he had in 2009, it could ruin the Bulldogs’ campaign and their flag aspirations could eventuate to nothing.
Unfortunately for them, it’s difficult to change a man’s nature overnight.
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