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Hall: Sydney break-up helped me

Written By Unknown on Senin, 22 April 2013 | 23.40

Open Mike ... Barry Hall reviews his lengthy rap sheet. Source: FOX SPORTS

Barry Hall grew up with three stern mantras instilled by his father that in hindsight, make it easy to see why he spent much of his career as a player who tiptoed the line between potent match-winner and reckless liability.

1) The only way to stop violence is more violence;
2) Never give a mug an even break;
3) Never let anyone have anything over you.

By his own admission, Hall's father was a ruthless character and much of his own attitude – both on and off the field – stemmed from this early relationship.

But it was a bitter fallout with the Swans that ironically provided the 289-game premiership player with a new lease on life and an opportunity to shape the course of his legacy.

"My most enjoyable two years of footy was at the Bulldogs," Hall told revered journalist Mike Sheahan on Monday night's episode of Open Mike.

This, despite captaining a premiership side, winning the best and fairest, and making the All-Australian team three consecutive years while at the Swans.

But as Hall explains, a move to the club he supported as a boy allowed him to re-invent himself.

"I think everyone cares about what people think of them. I care about what people think about me.

"If I didn't play again [after Sydney], I would be remembered in a totally different light to what I am now. I will be forever indebted to the Bulldogs. There weren't a lot of clubs that put up their hand to put me on their books. They were probably the only one.

"Most of the time what people think about me is wrong and you want to set the record straight with them. From that point of view, I think people that generally meet me walk away with a more positive view of me than they did before."

This wouldn't have been the case several years ago when he infamously struck Matt Maguire behind play, punched Brent Staker in the head and shattered the jaw of North Melbourne reserves player Sam McFarlane who would never play another game.

Hall looked at himself and knew things had to change.

"The transition from Sydney to Melbourne was a negative to start with, but turned out to be a massive positive for me," he said.

"I worked out some of my on-field issues that were really unhealthy and the reason it went pear-shaped in Sydney.

"I think you saw me at the Bulldogs as a much happier player with not as much expectation on myself. I got married, I started to like Melbourne again and there were a lot of things in my life that went to plan. I'm in a great spot now."

The straw that broke the camel's back in the harbour city was Hall's 250th game in which he was reported for striking Adelaide full-back Ben Rutten.

Hall phoned Paul Roos on Sunday and visited the club on Monday, but the next he heard from the Sydney coach was a television interview where he publicly doubted Hall's future at the club.

"I understand why the issue was there," Hall said.

"It was me. I'm not hiding from that fact at all. But the way it was handled, I thought was terrible. I ended up walking away from the club bitter. I left on a handshake and on ok terms, but I started to get bitter down the track. I 'resigned' but I really got sacked."

While Hall claims to have put the acrimonious relationship behind him, there is still an elephant in the room when it comes to the man that sent him packing.

"I don't think I'll get a Christmas card off Paul Roos", said Hall, who often works alongside his former coach in their respective media roles at FOX FOOTY.

"He's put it behind him, I've put it behind me. We haven't really spoken about it too much. I think Paul knows where I sit.

"To Roosy's credit, I said a lot of things about him in my book that were probably uncomfortable for him, but I stand by those. I'm not going to back away from that.

"Roosy knows where I'm at and I know where Roosy's at. In terms of having a beer together? I don't think that's going to happen but in saying that, I hope down the track it does."


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Ref suing over testicle attack

A Kenyan referee is suing the national football federation, saying he was left impotent after a coach grabbed and squeezed his testicles in a pitch invasion.

Referee Martin Wekesa said he was seeking $US240,000 ($A235,000) in compensation from Football Kenya Federation (FKF) after the alleged assault in a game in September last year.

He claims he was kicked and hit by members of the Sparki Youth team before being "attacked in my private parts" by one of the coaching staff.

Wekesa said Daudi Kajembe came onto the field and assaulted him after a decision to send a Sparki player off.

"He pulled my testicles. He actually pressed them and I was hanging on him when he was pulling me. I was crying and could not get myself out from his hands," Wekesa said. "I remember Kajembe told me, raising his hand, 'I can kill you in a minute,' and came directly to my testicles."

Wekesa was rescued by a police officer, he said, but slumped to his knees in pain on the pitch before being taken to the hospital. He is now unable to have sex with his wife, he claims, saying it is "impossible."

"It is so painful, painful, painful in my areas," he said.

Kajembe is due to appear in court in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa on Thursday on a charge of assault and causing grievous bodily harm, while Wekesa is claiming the 20 million Kenyan shillings in compensation from the federation for his expensive medical bills and the problems the assault has caused him and his wife, Mary.

"We used to live as wife and husband. Nowadays we don't, so that's how the life has changed," Mary Wekesa said.

The referee said he had sent a letter to the Kenyan federation to demand the compensation, but had not yet heard back.

Kajembe pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.


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Suarez bites, Liverpool say fine

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Future uncertain ... Liverpool fine striker Luis Suarez. Source: Peter Byrne / AAP

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been fined and will donate the money to the Hillsborough Family Support Group following the Uruguayan's shocking bite on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

February 2007

Makes international debut for Uruguay against Colombia but is sent off late in the game after receiving a second caution for dissent.


November 2007

Having joined Ajax from Uruguayan club Nacional, he is suspended after a half-time changing room row with team-mate Albert Luque.


July 2010

Sent off in Uruguay's World Cup quarter-final with Ghana for preventing Ghana from scoring a last-minute goal by handling the ball on the line. Enthusiastically celebrates Asamoah Gyan's subsequent penalty miss from the sidelines before Uruguay go through to the semi-finals on penalties.


November 2010

Given a seven-game suspension by the Dutch Football Association and fined by Ajax for biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during a league match.


October 2011

Now at Liverpool, he causes controversy with a dive that results in a red card for Everton's Jack Rodwell in the Merseyside derby.

Accused of racially abusing Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra during a Premier League match, for which he later receives an eight-match ban and a fine.


December 2011

Handed a further one-match ban after making an offensive hand gesture towards Fulham supporters.

February 2012

Sparks controversy again after refusing to shake Evra's hand as United and Liverpool line-up prior to kick-off in a game at Old Trafford.


October 2012

Celebrates a goal against Everton with a comedy dive in front of Toffees manager David Moyes, who had claimed "divers'' like Suarez were turning people away from the game.


January 2013

Handles the ball prior to scoring the winning goal in Liverpool's 2-1 victory at non-league Mansfield Town in the FA Cup third round.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers warns Suarez could face punishment from the club after admitting he dived to try to win a penalty against Stoke.

March 2013: 

Suárez appears to punch the Chilean defender Gonzalo Jara after tussle in a World Cup qualifier for Uruguay. Still could face retrospective action.

 

Suarez sunk his teeth into Ivanovic's right arm during Sunday's 2-2 draw at Anfield.

The ugly incident has sparked widespread condemnation of Suarez and both the player and Liverpool were forced to apologise, while Reds manager Brendan Rodgers claimed his star forward's actions were unacceptable.

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Suarez is likely to face a lengthy ban from the Football Association for his actions, but Liverpool have already punished the 26-year-old with a fine, which he will give to the families of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in a terrace crush before an FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough in 1989.

Last Monday's 24th anniversary of the tragedy was marked by a memorial service at Anfield which Suarez and his teammates attended.

"For my unacceptable behaviour yesterday the club has fined me today,'' Suarez wrote on Twitter on Monday.

"I have asked the club to donate the money to the Hillsborough Family Support Group for the inconvenience I have created to the Liverpool fans and to Ivanovic.''

As referee Kevin Friend missed the incident, Suarez is likely to be punished with a retrospective Football Association suspension, but some pundits, including former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness, believe it could be time for the club to cut ties with Suarez as he is damaging their reputation.

Suarez's latest controversy has forced Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre to cancel a trip to Australia and the Far East to deal with the fall-out.

But Ayre is adamant Liverpool will not bow to outside pressure to sell Suarez at the end of the season.

''It affects his future in the sense that we have to work with him on his discipline, but Luis is a very important player to the club,'' Ian Ayre said.

''He's a very popular player with his teammates. As we keep saying, he signed a new four-year contract last summer and we'd all love to see him here throughout that contract.

''He's a fantastic player, top scorer and everything we'd want in a striker, so there's no change there. This is more about getting him back on the right track.''

Suarez has a long list of previous misdemeanours even before joining Liverpool from Ajax in January 2011 and it is not the first time he has been in trouble for biting.

But, responding to calls for Suarez to be kicked out of English football, Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor revealed the players' union would offer anger management counselling to deal with his temper.

''There is no doubting his football ability, that's why it is so disappointing and embarrassing when he lets himself down,'' Taylor said.

''We have to work hard on anger management now. We have trained counselors in this field and we will be offering their services to Liverpool and the player to try to improve matters.''

In November 2010, Suarez was banned for seven matches and dubbed the 'Cannibal of Ajax' after biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal.

In December 2011, he was banned for eight matches and fined 40,000 euros ($A58,000) after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Then just a few weeks later he received a one-match ban for making an offensive gesture to Fulham fans and in February 2012 he refused to shake hands with Evra when Liverpool faced United at Old Trafford.

[View the story "World unites in Suarez mockery, Luis fined by Reds" on Storify]


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Cotchin laments Tigers' intensity

Lacking ... Trent Cotchin says training standards slipped before Pies' game. Source: Mark Dadswell / News Limited

Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin says the Tigers didn't have the required intensity at training in the lead-up to their disappointing loss to Collingwood.

The match was billed as a possible 'coming-of-age' moment for previously unbeaten Richmond had they won, but Cotchin told On The Couch on Monday night that their review revealed the team's preparation hadn't been up to scratch.

"It was a big build-up, we thought we were ready, (but) even looking back to our training we probably didn't have the standards that we'd had leading into other games during the season so far," Cotchin said.

"That was disappointing and that was something that we reviewed as a leadership group.

"During the game we just didn't feel like we controlled the game when we had opportunities to.

"You question whether we were exactly needed to be … that's just as a result of a loss – if we had have won we probably wouldn't have reviewed it in the same way.

"That's footy and we have learned our lessons.

"A lot of the key figures that we wanted to go into the game and dominate in we didn't, so it was a disappointing result for, not only us as a football club, but our fans as well."

Cotchin also said young Tiger Nick Vlastuin was doing everything right in the VFL and would get his opportunity at AFL level soon.


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Blatter neutral in Asian election race

FIFA has dismissed claims that Sepp Blatter supports Yousuf al-Serkal's bid to be elected Asian Football Confederation president next week.

FIFA says its president is neutral and "has at no time provided his backing to any of the candidates."

Al-Serkal, the United Arab Emirates Football Association president, reportedly told regional media he "definitely" felt he had Blatter's blessing to replace Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar.

Al-Serkal faces Sheik Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Hafez Al Medlej of Saudi Arabia and Worawi Makudi, a FIFA executive committee member from Thailand, in a May 2 poll in Kuala Lumpur.

Before meeting Blatter in Zurich last month, Al-Serkal told The Associated Press "if he chooses to announce (support), I will appreciate it. If he chooses not to announce, I will understand."


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