MRP: Hall free to take on Swans

[The Coon Dog]

Adam McNicol. AFL Website. 6 September

WESTERN Bulldogs forward Barry Hall is free to play in Saturday night’s qualifying final against his former club, the Sydney Swans, after the match review panel cleared him of striking Collingwood’s Harry O’Brien.

The MRP assessed an incident where Hall appeared to punch O’Brien in the chest or throat during the third quarter of the Bulldogs’ heavy loss to the Magpies, but it was determined that not enough force was used to warrant a report.

However, Hall faces a $2600 fine for using abusive language towards umpire Matthew Nicholls during the second quarter.

Article in full... (http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/102064/default.aspx)

[SlimPickens]

Good news!

[LostDoggy]

Hall missing was the last thing we needed. Let the good news continue - PLEASE.

[Greystache]

Good news!

In fairness he should've had points taken off his record for hitting O'Brien, the bloke's got an IQ of 15 and no one around him to tell him to shut up.

[Mantis]

Certainly is good news.

As tough as it will be to beat Sydney it would have been much tougher (almost impossible) without Hall.

[LostDoggy]

The stars are aligning Bulldogs

[Mantis]

The stars are aligning Bulldogs

How so?

Hall getting off & Johnson announcing his retirement does little to gloss over the fact that over the past 4 weeks we have played as bad a footy as at the end of the 2007 season.

[LostDoggy]

Good. :)

[chef]

Awesome:):):)

[LostDoggy]

At least thats something...

[jazzadogs]

Highlighting their inconsistency again. Ridiculously similar to the Chapman incident a few weeks ago.

But hey. I'm not complaining.

[immortalmike]

How so?

Hall getting off & Johnson announcing his retirement does little to gloss over the fact that over the past 4 weeks we have played as bad a footy as at the end of the 2007 season.

Worse in my opinion. We drew with St Kilda at the end of 07. We don't look anywhere near good enough to do that now.

But awesome that Baz can play. MRP is a lottery...Barry won again.

[AndrewP6]

I think I said this after the Thompson thing...let's all have a whipround so Baz isn't out of pocket...:)

[LostDoggy]

How so?

Hall getting off & Johnson announcing his retirement does little to gloss over the fact that over the past 4 weeks we have played as bad a footy as at the end of the 2007 season.

Mantis we are absolute montys this week and Ive been hangin on gettin the Saints in a Prelim for weeks now. I dont care how weve been playing the last 3,4 or 20 weeks, get over this week and all that matters is a couple of hours of brilliance ;)

[Dry Rot]

Mantis we are absolute montys this week

Why?

[LostDoggy]

Why?

Because the Swans played their Final last week and I refuse to believe that this season is over thats why.

[Doc26]

Among other areas such as across the Swans half back line it will be all over if we continue to show their opposition mids no respect and continue to believe we're good enough to go head to head with them or any of the Teams remaining. This Swans outfit has kicked onwards and upwards as the season has progressed. We could lose it across any of the lines unless our mindset can take a dramatic shift. On current form the odds flatter us.

[Ghost Dog]

How so?

Hall getting off & Johnson announcing his retirement does little to gloss over the fact that over the past 4 weeks we have played as bad a footy as at the end of the 2007 season.

Well said. Really bad footy - and specifically, bad kicking is bad footy. Our kicking has been atrocious in all areas. Set shots, hitting targets, kicking out of the back half. It's so strange given that we can be so slick. It worries me as it seems to indicate a kind of 'panic' or lack of cool heads.