Nick Bendel
AFL bad boys – are they worth the risk?
October 11th 2009 00:17
As AFL Trade Week winds down for another year, two of the league’s best outfits have decided to take on this risk in their pursuit of a premiership. The Western Bulldogs, in their endless search for a key target up forward, have given renegade big man Barry Hall another chance at redemption after numerous anger management issues on the field over the last few years. And just as the deadline approached on the final day of trading, the Brisbane Lions pulled off a blockbuster trade for troubled Carlton superstar and reigning Coleman Medallist, Brendan Fevola.
By taking on these players, Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs will also be taking with them the baggage hanging over the heads of both Fevola and Hall. Fevola was recently sacked by Carlton after they tired of his off-field antics, most of which were alcohol-fuelled. Hall reached a mutual agreement with the Sydney Swans mid-season to part ways so that he could address his behavioural problems which had begun to escalate into troubling on-field incidents.
So why do clubs like Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs want these players despite seeing the damage they have caused to other teams? It’s a matter of weighing risk versus reward, and these two clubs obviously believe that the possible reward gained from recruiting these players – preferably a flag – outweighs the potential risk involved.
The Western Bulldogs have been a serious contender for the last two years, finishing third on the ladder at the end of the minor round in both 2008 and 2009. However, they have been unable to land their elusive premiership since 1954, falling in the Preliminary Final each year by a narrow margin. It is widely believed that it has been a lack of a key forward that has prevented the Bulldogs from making the Grand Final in the past two seasons. They have largely operated with a small forward line containing no big targets to kick to, and this has somewhat stifled their options in attack against the premier defensive sides such as Geelong, St. Kilda and Hawthorn.
After standing pat for a number of years, the Bulldogs finally decided to address this weakness by trading for Barry Hall. Whilst he is nearing the latter stages of his career, Hall still provides a menacing presence, and having him in the squad will undoubtedly give them a key target in the forward 50. It remains to be seen though, whether he will ultimately be capable of leading them to glory.
Hall’s on-field behaviour was becoming increasingly erratic over the past few seasons at Sydney. His king-hit on West Coast Eagle Brent Staker in 2008 was the sign of a man who didn’t have control over his emotions, and was capable of blowing up at any time. After the incident, Hall was sent away by Swans coach Paul Roos to address his anger issues, and he later returned to the field claiming (with support from a professional counsellor) that his problems had been overcome and incidents such as these were a thing of the past.
This newfound control did not last long though. Hall again began showing signs of combustion during the 2009 season. He gave away three consecutive 50 metre penalties against Hawthorn in round 11 before being benched by Roos. Then, in round 13, he was suspended for two matches for striking Adelaide fullback Ben Rutten. It was this seemingly unprovoked incident that led to the decision between Hall and the Swans to terminate his career at the club. His actions were costing the team on the field, whilst also proving a distraction off the field.
The Western Bulldogs have now taken Hall on board with the belief that he has again curbed his ways and will only bring positive results to the club. If this is the case, the Bulldogs have made a great move with the potential to bring them their first flag in 56 years. At his best, Barry Hall is one of the premier forwards in the competition, and despite all of his faults, he was a key contributor in a premiership side for Sydney in 2005. If he can bring this team-first attitude to the Bulldogs, the third round draft pick that they effectively gave up for him will be a bargain.
Rodney Eade, the Bulldogs coach, has previously shown that he is indeed capable of turning around a troubled career. The recruitment of the enigmatic Jason Akermanis three years ago can only be hailed a success. Still, Hall seems to have problems that run much deeper than Akermanis’ eccentric personality, and there is a chance that he will prove much more difficult to handle. If Barry does revert back to his old ways or if his soon to be 33 year old body gives way, he has the potential to impact the club in a very negative fashion, and the Bulldogs could find themselves even further away from that elusive premiership.
The Brisbane Lions now find themselves in a similar position with Brendan Fevola. Fevola is without doubt one of the biggest stars of the game, and unlike Hall, he is probably still at the peak of his career. Brisbane have recruited him with the hope that he can combine with Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw in 2010 to create a highly potent forward line. If Fevola is able to stay out of trouble, and can develop chemistry between himself and the other big men, Brisbane may well be on their way to becoming Grand Final contenders as early as next season. But, with Fevola, this is a big if.
Fevola’s problems with alcohol have been widely reported. For many years he has found himself embroiled in incidents stemming from his drunken behaviour. This culminated in Carlton’s decision to sack Fevola after his alcohol-fuelled antics at this year’s Brownlow Medal ceremony. The Blues decided that they could no longer handle the negative effect that Fevola was having on the club, and that they would be better off without one of their star players.
Brisbane obviously believe that they can control Fevola’s behaviour enough that any negativity will be mitigated by on-field success. Their coach, Michael Voss, is a hard man, and is probably well served to lead Fevola the right way. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to curb his ways.
Even if Voss is successful in turning around Fevola’s public image, it is still no certainty that his addition will bring further success to the club. Fevola has thrived at Carlton as the sole target up forward, but he will now be competing with fellow stalwarts, Brown and Bradshaw, for touches and space up forward. Fevola has always been widely criticised for his poor on-field demeanour, particularly when he is being denied the ball by his team mates. He will need to turn around his attitude both on and off the field if he is to lead the Brisbane Lions to a Grand Final in the coming years.
The Western Bulldogs and Brisbane have each taken a substantial risk by taking on these AFL bad boys. Barry Hall and Brendan Fevola may be two superstars of the AFL, but they will be bringing with them the baggage of past mistakes which will be difficult to mend. Will each club be capable of bringing out the best in these men, or will these moves backfire? That is the great conundrum in AFL football, and only time will tell.
Matt Stevens
| 118 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog