Barry Hall rejects boxing to stay in the AFL

[Eric t]

Friday, 28 August 2009 10:16

Controversial ex-Sydney Swans star Barry Hall has decided to play on in the AFL rather than make the switch to boxing, and is hopeful of joining a new club in October.

Hall, a premiership player with Sydney who also served a number of suspensions for incidents of on-field violence, had initially felt he would leave Australian Rules football for good after leaving the Swans last month.

“Once I finished playing with the Swans, I honestly thought that would be it. I’d be moving on, doing other things, but the reality is, the way I walked away from the game left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, and it’s that feeling which is fuelling me to play again,” Hall said in his Sydney Morning Herald column today.

“I really don’t want my football career to end the way it did. When I go out I’d like to go out like the blokes this weekend, Mick O’Loughlin, Leo Barry and Jared Crouch, knowing this is your last game of football, your last week of training, one last chance to spend two hours busting your gut with your mates. It didn’t end that way for me.”

There had been speculation Hall would go into boxing after leaving the Swans, with the former junior state boxing champion showing some obvious talents when it comes to throwing a punch on the field.

But he said now was not the time for a career change.

“Why football and not boxing? I just don’t think the timing is right,” Hall said.

“If I walk away from footy, then it’s done for good. I don’t want to regret things and say, ‘Well maybe I should have played on,’ and always wonder what might have been.”

Hall is yet to talk to prospective new clubs but is hopeful of being picked up in the October trade period.

The Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn have both reported to be interested in signing Hall.

[Eric t]

I hope he doesn't start a boxing career when he is 36 or something
Just what we need in the heavyweight division, another slow old fart.