Barry Hall plans to play on with Swans - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Barry Hall plans to play on with Swans

By Adrian Warren 26/02/2009 06:17:00 PM Comments (0)

It will be all about the AFL for Barry Hall in 2009.

Hall, who toyed with a switch to boxing in the off-season, has one year remaining on his current contract with the AFL club.

And if he starts focusing on that rather than the team, the powerhouse forward doesn't believe he will get offered another deal anyway.

After two suspensions cost him eight games in 2008, 32-year-old Hall has set himself the target of playing every match.

But he has yet to speak to Sydney officials about a contract renewal.

"It depends on how I play and stuff like that, but I reckon contract wise, if I go out playing to get another contract, it won't happen," Hall said before Swans training on Thursday.

"I've got to play for the footy club and for my teammates.

"The contract might happen then, but if I go out playing to try and get a contract, I'd be surprised if it happens."

Hall, who has been Sydney's leading goalkicker for the last seven seasons, will play his first trial game of the campaign against Melbourne on Saturday.

After experiencing issues on and off the field last year, Hall said he felt confident heading into a new campaign.

"My mind is settled and I'm pretty happy off-field, that I've put all of those issues last year behind me," Hall said.

"My main focus this year is to play 22 games."

Hall believed something good came out of his seven-game suspension for punching West Coast defender Brent Staker last year.

"I certainly wouldn't want it to happen again and I've learnt a lot from it," Hall said.

"I've got to be careful about saying I'm glad it happened, but I am glad it happened for different reasons.

"I've learnt a lot from it, so hopefully, I will take it into this season."

While he considered an offer to switch to boxing during the last off-season, Hall reiterated he would fulfil any contractual commitments to the Swans before donning the gloves.

"It crossed my mind, but I want to do it the right way and I think fulfilling my contract at the Swans is something I wanted to do," Hall said.

"Sure I looked at it (boxing), but I think going out with my head held high at the Swans was the main priority for me."

Sydney have made the finals for the last six years under coach Paul Roos, but Hall acknowledged the Swans could find it hard to keep the streak going.

"It's going to be a transition period for us, we've got a lot of young guys coming through," Hall said.

"The experienced guys still played well last year and we've made finals and if we can do that again, I don't see why not, but it's going to be a tough year ahead, there's no doubt."

Established players Luke Ablett, Nick Malceski and Jared Crouch are all down to play on Saturday after missing the NAB Cup loss to Port Adelaide last weekend.

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