Video Verdict I Couldn't Dispute

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday June 29, 2007

Barry Hall

IT WASN'T as though I was oblivious to it, or that I was trying to fool anyone. I knew that I was being troubled by injuries; that I was struggling in some areas, but the reality was that I still believed I could, and was, contributing.

It wasn't until I was in the office this week meeting with coach Paul Roos and assistant Johnny Blakey that it really hit me. We went through a few things and there was vision of me and my speed off the mark, and it showed I was a bit slower than usual. They said, "Look, it's right here in front of our eyes, you've got to be honest with us" - and I was.

I saw there were suggestions that my season could be over, but I'm certainly not thinking that way and the medical staff have said that the week off will definitely help. All going well, I'm planning and hoping to be right for the game against Fremantle next week. If I have to miss one more I will, but I'm not even considering this being the end of my season. I, and we as a team, still have so much more do in 2007.

Hopefully, if we can start to manage my situation with the injuries, a return of my form might not be too far behind.

I've had the problem for a few weeks now, and the reason I haven't put my hand up earlier is because I still believed I could contribute. I felt I have been working hard, taking the best defender and helping other guys in our forward line if opposition teams decide to drop numbers back on me. But I suppose I was kidding myself a bit.

When it's going to affect the team and my performance, it's probably not fair on a lot of people - and when the team's not going so well and you're not playing well yourself, it's pretty tough. But I have busted my gut. I've been working pretty hard, but there's just things - some of my main attributes - that I can't do. That explosive running, I'm struggling to do it. I'm not getting to contests as quick as I usually do. It's tough and it's frustrating, especially when the side is going the way it is.

It was funny, I was hearing all this talk this week about my "mystery injury", and was it my hands or my eyes? It's not 007, top secret, I just didn't see why anyone needed to know. I've got a groin issue, and that's the specific injury, but on top of that there are little niggles as well and without making excuses, 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. I've been trying to do that, but there's been no improvement, so we've got to make some changes in what we do from here on in.

That's why we've decided it's best for me to have the week off. I'll go down to Geelong and sit in the coaches' box and see how good Roosy is. We know I'm not going to be 100 per cent for the rest of the year, no matter what we do. It's a matter of squeezing another five or 10 per cent out, to try and better my output.

There are all sorts of things we have tossed up: rest, injections, specific marking training - which I obviously need. The bottom line is I suppose I won't train much with the group at all. It's all about what I need to get out of training and get out of myself.

This has been a very frustrating time, and I'm not going to make excuses, but it's not just injuries, it's several things including form. When I do get a chance to get to the footy, I stuff it up. And that doesn't help the confidence. Then there's also the way we're going as a team.

Dropping some of those marks like I have been, that's not the groin. I suppose if you're not getting the footy as much as you should be, eventually your confidence is going to drop. I thought I was in fairly good form in the first part of the season, even with teams dropping numbers back. When I did get my chance, I was taking marks and stuff like that, but the opportunities were limited. Now, without getting much of the footy, eventually that confidence is going to drop away.

It's hard enough at the moment to get to the footy, and if you do, you drop it, so you're sort of beating your head against the wall.

But firstly we have to perform this weekend. There's no hiding the fact that it's a massive challenge for us in Geelong. It's the toughest road trip in footy this year, but I think a backs-to-the-wall type of game might be exactly what we need.

Schneider pays price - Page 31

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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