David Schwarz has hit out at Barry Hall after footage surfaced of the former Sydney premiership captain striking a player on two occasions during the QAFL Grand Final.
Hall was playing for Labrador against Palm Beach-Currumbin, in what is believed to be his final game.
In scenes reminiscent to his strike on West Coast’s Brent Staker in 2008, the footage shows Hall losing the ball in a tackle and being held by his opponent, before swinging his left arm towards his face, sending him to the ground.
Seconds later, a Palm Beach-Currumbin player walked over towards Hall, only for himself to also be struck by the 40-year-old.
BARRY HALL LOSES IT with back-to-back swings in @AFLQ grand final. #9News pic.twitter.com/6MEWBHQ7gH
— Nine News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) September 26, 2017
“Dog’s act I thought. It’s a shocking look,” Schwarz said on SEN’s The Run Home.
AFL Queensland has confirmed to SEN, Hall was charged with striking, and accepted a two-match suspension for one of the incidents, reduced to one week, with the incident deemed intentional, low impact (open hand), and high contact. He was cleared for the second incident.
Amazingly, Hall revealed prior to the game he foreshadowed something may happen, after rumours were abound Palm-Beach-Currumbin were going to try and get the Sydney premiership captain sent off.
“We’ve heard some rumours that they’re actually going to try and get me sent off somehow, so I’m not sure what they’re going to say or do,” he said on SEN’s Crunch Time on Saturday.
“There could be an Alastair Lynch style exit to my career. I’m not sure yet, let’s hope not, but who knows.”
Palm Beach-Currumbin won the game by 53 points.