Unlucky 113 As Groin Strain Ends Battling Hall's Run

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday June 28, 2007

Michael Cowley

FOR the first time in almost five years, Sydney will be without co-captain Barry Hall this weekend after the Swans' medical staff decided he needed a break from football.

Coach Paul Roos revealed yesterday that a debilitating groin injury had been Hall's problem for the past month and, although they travel to Geelong this Saturday to meet the ladder leaders, the decision to leave out Hall - ending a sequence of 113 consecutive games - was an easy one to make.

"We had a meeting with him and it was really good. We're aware that he was in a bit more pain than he was letting on," Roos said. "If he said he was 90 per cent, we would probably play him. I think he feels he's probably 75 to 80 per cent and can't do a lot of things that he would like to do, so from a medical point of view they have ruled him out this week, which I'm comfortable with as a coach because I want to get him right and get him to be able to play the football we know he can play.

"We've got to make a decision what is best for the player, and he's sitting there reluctantly saying he can't run, he can't twist, he can't turn. I can't put any player in a position that they are not capable of fulfilling their obligation to themselves and the team, and after we had the discussions with the medical team, it was an easy decision to make."

Hall said it had been a frustrating time, and he continued to play because he still felt he was helping the team by continuing to work hard and particularly by taking the opposition's best defender - sometimes two - out of the game.

"I suppose I was kidding myself, because I thought I could still contribute a bit, but when it's going to affect the team and my performance, it's probably not fair on a lot of people," Hall said.

"There is a specific injury but on top of that there are little niggles as well, and it's been frustrating. I'll get over one injury and another one will pop up, and that's something you've got to deal with and manage, and I've been trying to do that, but there's been no improvement so we've got to make some changes as far as what we do from here on in.

"If I'm not 100 per cent, I'm letting my teammates down as much as myself. It's not just me I've got to worry about, it's about being fair to the team as well."

Roos said he had hoped that the week's bye would have helped Hall, but it obviously didn't, and he may need more than one week off.

"I don't think he's going to get to 100 per cent, and that's going to be the interesting thing for the remainder of the year," Roos said. "Can we manage it, and how is it going to be? But the reason why he won't play this week is that if it's at 75 to 80 per cent, we are hoping to get him up around 90 per cent.

"If the medical staff don't feel he's made significant inroads to a point, then he might not play next week, either. Let's hope that one week off gives him a chance next week to come back and do things a bit better physically.

"Players always want to play because they are so competitive but he was very honest with us, which was good. He definitely would love to keep on going but he understands that if he can have a weekend off, we can get it [injury] to a better stage, and that's what we are hoping.

"It's very hard because he's very proud and very competitive and he wants to play, but it is very debilitating and very restrictive, and it's our medical call that he shouldn't play based on his injury."

Roos said that in Hall's absence they would make adjustments to the forward set-up, but as Hall hadn't been able to play his usual role up front of late, the Swans had already had to make slight changes to compensate.

The coach also hinted there might be a few more changes when the side was selected tonight. "There are a lot of names that are coming up in terms of bringing them in, and I think we might make one or two other changes as well just to freshen up the team," Roos said. "Sometimes getting them back into form means keep playing them in seniors, sometimes it means a week in the seconds so that's probably the biggest dilemma with a couple of them at the moment."

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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