Vile taunts from rival spectators force Barry Hall to quit Gold Coast football club

AFL Hall of Famer Barry Hall won’t play football on the Gold Coast this season because of this blight on the game.

AFL Hall of Famer Barry Hall won’t play for the Labrador Tigers QAFL side this season because of the torrent of abuse he received from the sideline last year.

Labrador coach Aaron Shattock revealed the former St Kilda, Sydney and Western Bulldogs AFL player was disappointed by the way spectators treated him after returning to the sport’s grassroots on the Coast last year.

It came to a head in a heated QAFL grand final against eventual premiers Palm Beach Currumbin, where he was captured on video striking an opponent.

Hall, now 41, was suspended for one match.

“Unfortunately we won’t get his services this year,” Shattock said.

“Baz has definitely hung up the boots.

“He was pretty disappointed with what happened.

“I love Queensland footy and I want to see the whole competition successful.

“I don’t want to see it happen again.”

Barry Hall playing for Labrador in the 2017 AFL grand final against Palm beach Currumbin. Photo: Richard Gosling

Hall, who played 289 AFL games across three clubs, was the target of abusive spectators last year when he was initially contracted to play multiple games for Labrador before deciding to continue into the later stages of the season after building a bond with his teammates.

Shattock said the vile taunts aimed at players from intoxicated spectators had become a blight on the football community.

“It isn’t just Barry. It’s ­becoming a bit of a thing, especially with reserves players.

“There always seems to be a group of drunken blokes out on the other side who seem to abuse opposition players.

“I’m not saying we are immune to it. We need to clean our act up.

“It’s a blight on our footy society. Blokes sit across the fence full of grog and abuse others. What would they say if it was in the street?

“It happens in AFL games but it gets a bit more personal at local level.”