FORMER AFL premiership star Barry Hall is set to commence training with Harcourt, but is far from a certainty to take to the field for the Lions this season.
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Hall, whose career with St Kilda, Sydney and Western Bulldogs spanned 289 games across 16 seasons, has been working and spending time in the district and has indicated his keenness to train with the Lions.
But Harcourt Football Netball Club president Kathie Teasdale was quick to point out the Lions had no commitment – definite or otherwise - from the four-time All-Australian that he would play in 2019.
“He’s basically a friend of the club, who is keen to hang out with us,” Teasdale said.
“At this point he’s keen to work on his fitness and do a bit of training with the boys.
“If we can talk him in to playing a game we will. It’s up to Barry; we will see how he feels after a couple of weeks on the field.”
The Lions have resumed training for the 2019 Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League season on Wednesdays and Fridays, with Hall expected at the Harcourt Recreation Reserve this week.
Teasdale said the club was fortunate to have Hall, considered one of the best forwards of the modern era as the first player to kick 100 goals for three teams, involved around the club.
“Especially if we can keep him around the whole year, we might be able to convince him to do a few talks to people and get people to hang around the club,” she said.
“We are not a big club, we don’t have millions of dollars to pay someone like Barry to play; he’s coming on-board to give a little bit back I suppose.
“But if I can talk him into playing, I certainly will.”
Hall, who played his junior football at Broadford and TAC Cup for Murray Bushrangers, went on to boot 746 goals in his AFL career.
If we can talk him in to playing a game we will. It’s up to Barry.
- Kathie Teasdale
The now 41-year-old was Sydney’s leading goal kicker seven times and the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda’s twice.
He captained the Swans to their drought-breaking 2005 premiership win against West Coast Eagles and won All-Australian selection in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2010.
Hall retired from the AFL at the end of 2011 and has since played a handful of one-off matches in suburban and country leagues in Victoria.
The Lions will enter the new season favoured to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish.
They will be led for the third straight-season by the coaching duo of Paul Chaplin and Sam Gale.
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