Wow…Imagine If Barry Hall Actually Hit The Guy! (Media Street)

Will Bazza get the chance to smack another footy player in the head ever again?

The Big Bad Bustling Barry era is in danger of coming to a sad and sorry end. The new and improved Barry Hall that led Sydney to a memorable, drought-breaking flag in 2005 has had a shocking 2008 and his future in the game appears to be in doubt. So…what the hell has happened to the big thuggish oaf now? Here is the wrap of all the Barry Hall news from the past couple of days:

• After the incident with Shane Wakelin, the Swans were pretty pissed off and got in first before the match review panel by suspending him from playing!
• And until the club psychologist gives Barry the ok to return to the field, there will be no more football!
• Typically, Brendan Gale at the AFLPA doesn’t like this idea at all…does this guy actually like anything?
• Bazza was eventually charged with ‘attempting to strike’. Has there ever been this much fuss over a player taking a swing at an opponent…and missing?
• Of course, it looked worse at the time because Wakelin took a theatrical dive to try and milk a free kick!
• And Dale Thomas felt Wakelin’s reaction was ‘instinctive’…meaning he dives for free kicks all the time.
• Hall accepted the charge and was officially suspended for one week…not that the League is soft on violence at all! Because if Sydney didn’t act first, they would have stepped in and added a couple of weeks to his suspension, right? Right?
• The man himself was shocked and stunned at the club’s response…well, now he knows exactly how the club and supporters must feel when they saw him running around like a damn maniac so soon after the Brent Staker incident!
• But it’s ok because Barry is more interested in boxing now anyway…um, no shit Sherlock!
• And how do we know this? Because Spida Everitt opened his mouth and dumb stuff fell out!
• The Swans believe that it could be too risky to have Baz play during the finals in his current state…well, he does have a little history when it comes to ill discipline in September…
• The League fully support Sydney’s decision to keep Barry off the field for a while…well, it sure saves them having to do anything!
• Notice how the Sydney newspapers only really take notice of AFL if it is about a) violence, or b) women? Lucky for them…the Barry Hall issue seems to have a little bit of both!
• So will Bazza and his flying fists be back sooner rather than later? Paul Roos doesn’t know…but insists that it is for his own good.

“I wish that Hally would take out his frustrations on Nick Davis…that would solve two of my biggest problems at the one time!“

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In non-Bazza (and therefore not that important) news:

• Brett Ratten is getting sick of Fevola’s prolonged contract bullshit…welcome Ratts, welcome to the biggest club in Australia!
• Short Arse Premiership Player Retirement 1: Peter Bell call it quits…effective immediately! Two flags with North Melbourne – awesome! Captain of Fremantle – um, yeah…anyway.
• Short Arse Premiership Player Retirement 2: Michael Braun will finish up with the Eagles at season’s end…well, he’s probably due for a rest after taking all those drugs just to keep up with Jason Akermanis!
• Aaron Davey has been given the week off as well…and he didn’t have to belt anybody to get it!
• Grant Thomas has finally received his hush money from St Kilda…but don’t expect a lot of hush from Grant Thomas…
• Punters in brazen attempt to extract blood from a stone!
• Any surprises that a night out involving Chad Cornes threatened to turn ugly?
• Justin Koschitzke is the master of his own destiny…but is he the master of his own domain?

Justin Koschitzke just bought himself a new t-shirt!