Former AFL star Barry Hall says trolls ‘bullied’ him online and threatened to hurt his young son after ‘one stupid little comment’ that was broadcast on radio.
The football champion has revealed he and his partner, former Hi-5 star Lauren Brant, 29, have struggled financially and emotionally in the two months since his vulgar on-air gaffe about a former AFL player’s pregnant wife was broadcast.
The once-respected game commentator admitted he now doesn’t have an income to support his young family and that his future earning capacity has suffered as a result.
Hall – who played for St Kilda, Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs – said he and his partner have also been the target of vile social media trolls with ‘thousands and thousands and thousands of just hate, absolute hate’ online.
Barry Hall, pictured with partner Lauren and son Miller look like the perfect family but the last two months have taken their toll
Former AFL commentator Barry Hall (pictured) told 60 Minutes that his family has ‘got no income now’
‘Basically saying that I was a pig and she (partner Lauren) deserves me and all that stuff and my son’s ugly and talking about harmful things to them, and I’m not just talking about harmful words I’m talking about physical stuff,’ Hall told 60 Minutes.
‘It’s just a pack mentality, really. They just lay the boots in .. it’s a form of bullying, really.’
Hall was commentating during Triple M’s pre-game show with St Kilda legend Leigh Montagna, when he made an offensive comment regarding Montagna’s wife Erinn.
The panel was discussing the fact she had undergone a ‘sweep’, a technique used by medical professionals to try to induce labour.
Hall ‘joked’ that the male doctor behaved in a sexually inappropriate way, which sparked laughter from the other panelists.
Hall was sacked before the the first bounce between the Western Bulldogs and Geelong Cats at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium.
His partner and their one-year-son Miller were on holiday overseas at the time.
Hall said he and his partner Lauren Brant had been targeted by cruel social media trolls
Hall was sacked for comments made to St Kilda great Leigh Montagna about his wife Erinn (pictured)
Hall agreed his comments ‘100 per cent’ should have never been aired.
‘I’ll never do that again,’ he said.
‘The thing is, as I’ve said, we’ve got no income now and there’s no real light at the end of the tunnel of when that will change or when that will be.’
Social reaction was mixed following Hall’s 60 Minutes interview.
‘He disgusts me and deserves what he got, sick men and their sexual comments,’ one woman posted on Facebook.
But there was also plenty of support for Hall.
‘Barry Hall is sacked and criticised but Sam Newman who has been humilating women and different majority of humans is still working and people think it’s ok,’one person posted.
Another added: ‘Point of the matter is, he’s paid for his shocking mistake and is now trying to move on with his life. Everybody deserves the chance to move on with their lives.I’m assuming I’m in a forum of perfect people that have never slipped up ever in their lives. Grow, learn, become better and move on.’
Hall (pictured with Brant) said times were proving to be difficult for the family as they struggle to know when their next pay cheque will come through
Social media went into meltdown following Hall’s vile on-air comments at the time, with many male and female fans expressing their disgust
Hall was no stranger to controversy during his 289-game career.
He was suspended four times for a combined total of 17 matches.
The most infamous incident was when he knocked out West Coast’s Brent Staker with a coward punch in 2008 and banned for seven matches, one of the most severe punishments in the modern era of the code.
Hall gave away almost twice as many free kicks as he was given throughout his career spanning 16 seasons.
He became the first AFL player to kick 100 goals for three clubs and captained the Sydney Swans to their first premiership in 72 years in 2005.