Barnes' Remarks Vex Hall
The Age
Friday July 11, 2008
BARRY Hall has described as "pretty ordinary" suggestions made by John Barnes that he had believed he was being forced out at Sydney to make way for Brendan Fevola before his clash with Collingwood's Shane Wakelin.
Writing in The Geelong Advertiser yesterday, former Geelong and Essendon star Barnes suggested speculation about Fevola being a $3 million target for the Swans, and rumours that the Carlton star met Sydney coach Paul Roos on Saturday morning, were behind Hall's flare-up.Barnes also claimed Hall's teammate, Adam Goodes, had collected Fevola from his Sydney hotel and delivered him to a meeting with Roos.Fevola was in Sydney with his wife, who had a job in the city. It is believed that Goodes may have had breakfast with Fevola, with whom he became friendly while on the Victorian team for this year's Hall of Fame Tribute match, but Roos once again has been forced to hose down another Fevola spot fire. "I think he did catch up with Goodesy because I think they became mates, but I'd need to check that with Goodesy," Roos said. "I haven't spoken to Brendan Fevola, and I didn't speak to him last weekend."In his Advertiser column, Barnes wrote that a friend of his rang him after having coffee with Hall, who has been suspended indefinitely by the Swans because of his on-field behaviour. "Hall was telling my friend that they're trying to force him out the back door because they think they've got something else lined up," Barnes wrote. "That's what Barry thinks. I think they're trying to shaft Barry for a newer model."Hall said yesterday that worrying about Fevola moving to Sydney was not among his concerns and last Saturday night wasn't at ANZ Stadium. "It's pretty ordinary really because I didn't even hear about those rumours (Fevola meeting Roos) before the game, so that's something else that's pretty false," he said.
© 2008 The Age
