Hall's AFL career could be over: Roos - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Hall's AFL career could be over: Roos

By Greg Buckle 29/06/2009 08:29:17 PM Comments (0)

Frustrated Sydney coach Paul Roos strongly doubts Barry Hall has the desire to keep playing in the AFL and wants him to consider retirement.

Hall has landed one on-field punch too many, with the controversial key forward likely to accept a two-match ban for striking Adelaide fullback Ben Rutten on Saturday at AAMI Stadium.

But even before the match review panel announced that penalty on Monday, Roos had made some pointed public comments about Hall's future.

"I'm not sure whether he wants to play footy, I guess that's where I'm at as a coach in terms of Hally," Roos said on Monday.

"I seriously doubt whether he does.

"Players can always choose to retire ... we saw Mick (O'Loughlin) retire the other week.

"As you get towards the end of your career you can lose the drive, lose the desire and all those sorts of things.

"If he feels like he's no longer interested in playing for us as a footy club and playing AFL footy, we're certainly open to those discussions."

Sydney will not challenge the penalty and risk a three-game ban at the tribunal.

Regardless of whether Hall keeps playing after this suspension, Sydney could be out of finals contention by the time he returns.

O'Loughlin will retire at the end of this season and Leo Barry and Jared Crouch are set to follow, emphasising the generational change at the Swans.

Earlier this month, Hall said the second half of the season would be a major factor in whether the 32-year-old continues beyond this year.

He had another brain snap in the tight round-11 loss to Hawthorn, giving away three-successive 50m penalties at a crucial stage in the match.

Hall was on thin ice following last year's seven-match ban for striking West Coast utility Brent Staker.

The week Hall returned from that ban, he received another week's suspension for attempting to strike Collingwood defender Shane Wakelin.

The club also imposed a one-week suspension of their own and Hall underwent anger management counselling.

Hall has had an outstanding 250-game career, co-captaining the Swans to their historic 2005 premiership, but his on-field aggression keeps overshadowing his achievements.

An emotional Roos told the media on Monday that he is sick of talking about Hall's on-field indiscretions.

"At some point, always the club is bigger than the individual," Roos said.

"We're all frustrated. We're all disappointed and we all had hoped it would stop.

"But it clearly hasn't.

"There needs to be some more discussion with Barry on what he wants to do, more than anything else."

Hall, a talented junior boxer, is likely to take up a professional career in the ring once he retires from the AFL.

"Clearly his actions are very different to his words," Roos said.

"I think there must be something in the back of his mind, whether it be boxing or whether it be something else.

"It is about actions, everyone draws their own conclusions by what they see.

"What I'm seeing at the moment is a guy who just doesn't want to play AFL football."

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