SYDNEY Swans coach Paul Roos “seriously doubts” whether Barry Hall still wants to play at the elite level after the forward was reported for striking against Adelaide on Saturday.
Hall did not rule out playing in 2010 in the lead-up to his 250th game against Adelaide last weekend but Roos said the 32-year-old’s actions told a different story.
“Everyone draws their own conclusions from what they see and I think what I’m seeing at the moment is a guy that just doesn’t want to play AFL football,” Roos said on Monday.
“Clearly his actions are very different to his words. I think there must be something in the back of his mind, whether it be boxing or whether it be something else, so that’s a discussion I’ll have with him in due course.”
Roos said he would sit down with Hall and discuss his future after the tribunal process was completed on Tuesday.
He said the possibility of Hall following Michael O’Loughlin’s lead and announcing a mid-season retirement would be raised.
“Players can always choose to retire. It’s happened in the past, mid-season. We saw Mick retire the other week but he’s going to continue to play [until the end of the year],” Roos said.
“Clearly, as you get towards the end of your career, you can lose the drive and lose the desire.
“If… he feels like he’s no longer interested in playing for us as a footy club and playing AFL footy then we’re certainly open to those discussions.”
Roos said Hall’s actions had set a bad example for the club’s young players and expressed his frustration at yet another lapse from the seasoned full-forward.
Hall was suspended for seven weeks for punching West Coast’s Brent Staker last year.
The club later suspended him for a week after he received a one-week ban for attempting to strike Collingwood’s Shane Wakelin.
“I’m probably getting sick of sitting down here and talking about it,” Roos said.
“At some point, the club is always bigger than the individual. We’re all frustrated, we’re all disappointed and we all had hoped that it had stopped, but clearly it hasn’t.”
