Barry Hall
2002-2009
162 games
467 goals
Premiership Player 2005
Co-Captain 2005-2007
Best and Fairest 2004
Leading Goalkicker 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
All-Australian 2004, 2005, 2006
AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year 2005
AFL Hall of Fame

In 1852, the quiet south-central Victorian town of Broadford joined the growing list of rural townships in which gold had been found. Once the gold rush subsided, the locals found a way to make the town sustainable and built a trademark toughness.

From the moment he could walk, their most well-known sporting export, Barry Hall, grew an obsession with football. He began kicking a rolled-up pair of socks around the house before graduating to his own plastic footy. Hall started playing the game as an eight-year-old with the local Broadford Roos and played imaginary matches in his back paddock, fully equipped with goals and accompanied by self-commentary. At school, one of his mates was future Geelong champion Darren Milburn.

Hall's other interests included martial arts, boxing, cars, and, as he grew taller, athletics. At 12, he quit footy and focused on boxing. By 15, Hall was crowned Victorian champion in his weight division, and it wasn't until he was 16 that he returned to football. Then, after a season with the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup, Hall was drafted to St Kilda.

An exemplar of a 'dying breed' in his era, Hall developed his mark and kick to be formidable and precise, exclusively playing as a power forward. Starting his AFL career as a centre-half-forward, Hall's potential as a permanent full-forward was showcased during the 1997 Grand Final when he scored three goals in a five-minute burst.

By the time his career at the Saints had ended, he'd played 88 games, kicking 144 goals. Ahead of the 2002 season, Swans' coach Rodney Eade pursued Hall to help alleviate the team's scoring issues. "As a club, the Swans had been successful in transplanting players from Melbourne to Sydney, most notably Tony Lockett. With Tony retiring, the club was not only looking for a new forward but a player who could be the face of the club. We saw Barry as that player," Eade said.

Hall's arrival coincided with a brief Lockett comeback, but he grasped every opportunity once handed the key-forward mantle. Despite the Swans' struggles that year, Hall impressed, kicking a personal best 55 goals to claim the Swans' leading goalkicker award—a title he'd hold for the next seven years.

In his autobiography, Pulling No Punches, Hall described that initial period in Sydney: "My first challenge in Sydney was meeting all my new teammates, seeing how I would fit in, and then getting myself ready to have a real crack in 2002."

"I wanted to show the Swans that despite what some people might have thought—and there were plenty of people saying the Swans had taken too big a risk by signing me—they had made the right decision in bringing me to the club."

The Swans suffered a season of upheaval in Hall's first year at the club, and Paul Roos eventually succeeded Eade as senior coach. During his first pre-season camp in Coffs Harbour, Roos enlisted Leading Teams to help formulate a leadership and values structure that would later become known as 'The Bloods Culture.' The new player-driven ethos provided the group with increased accountability while driving a fierce determination to change the football world's perception of the team.

Hall thrived within the revitalised program, playing a critical role as the Swans reached the 2003 preliminary final, losing to Brisbane, the eventual three-time premier. Although disappointed, the team gained untold confidence, building unity and trust that would carry them to future glory.

After an outstanding 2003 season, Hall earned selection in the Australian International Rules team to play against Ireland. The following off-season, he was voted into the Swans' leadership group. He worked hard on all aspects of his game, achieving an even higher level of performance. He finished the 2004 season as the club's best and fairest and, for the first time, an All-Australian.

The 2005 season will live long in the collective memories of Swans supporters. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Hall and the other eight leadership group members overcame the significant loss of captain Stuart Maxfield, who was forced to retire due to injury. They rotated the captaincy, leading the team through a pulsating finals series, culminating in a Grand Final appearance.

After being cleared to play at the AFL's Tuesday night tribunal hearing, Hall was named captain for one of the biggest games in the club's history. He kicked two crucial goals in the famous four-point victory over West Coast, with the Swans crowned premiers for the first time in 72 years.

In Pulling No Punches, Hall described the magical moments after the siren. "The lap was awesome. It was the first chance we had as a team to soak up all the atmosphere and realise what we had done."

"We were interacting with all the fans, but we could also interact with each other while we were walking. There were that many celebrations going on, and the Swans' staff had all come out onto the ground. That walk around the MCG was something I'll never forget."

The Swans and the Eagles played out one of modern football's greatest rivalries, with West Coast winning the 2006 decider by a point. Over that time, Hall gained the utmost respect from his greatest rival, West Coast defender Darren Glass.

"He was an outstanding player who was quick, strong and a great kick for goal," Glass said. "His work rate was incredible. He was a true champion and obviously a great leader and a huge part of that famous and highly-respected Swans team."

During his All-Australian seasons of 2004, 2005, and 2006, Hall became one of the competition's premier players, kicking 74, 80, and 78 goals, respectively. In 2005, he was crowned Player of the Year by the AFL's Coaches Association. His imposing stature and imperious strength gave him a significant presence, and his teammates walked taller for it. Across the '07 and '08 seasons, the Swans featured in three more finals, and Hall remained a key figure.

During 2008, though, Hall received two separate suspensions, and a further indiscretion in 2009 sadly led to his departure from the club. He finished his time in red and white as one of the club's most prolific forwards, sitting third on the Swans' all-time leading goalkickers list.

Hall retired after two more seasons with the Western Bulldogs. In 2014, he was inducted into the Sydney Swans Hall of Fame and, three years later, the AFL Hall of Fame. Swans chairman Andrew Pridham paid tribute, "Barry will be remembered as one of the Sydney Swans' most impactful players. As our premiership captain in 2005, his on-field leadership cannot be overstated in leading the club into a new era of success."

Highly respected by his teammates, Hall formed a formidable forward partnership with Michael O'Loughlin. In Micky O, O'Loughlin rated Hall one of his top five teammates. "What club outsiders never realised was that Hall was a tremendously hard worker who always set the right example on the training track. He never shirked a session, always put his hand up if he had a poor game and generally was a popular identity at the club."

"He will always be fondly remembered as one of our great players in a highly successful era."