Ken Hall (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Ken Hall is an Australian rules football
player from Tasmania
and the current captain
of North Hobart Football Club in the Tasmanian Football League
(TFL). After playing junior football in his home state, Hall moved to Victoria
in 2001 to play for Essendon Football Club
's reserves side in the Victorian Football League
(VFL), despite an opportunity to play with the Tasmanian Devils
, a VFL team from his home state. Hall played for the reserves for a year before being drafted onto Essendon's rookie list
for the 2002 season. He was promoted to the senior list midway through 2002 and subsequently made his Australian Football League
(AFL) debut, although he did not record a statistic in what was to be his only AFL match. Hall was retained on the Bombers' rookie list for 2003 and was again elevated to the senior list during the season. Although he was often named as an emergency after his promotion, Hall was unable to break into the senior team and Essendon delisted him at the end of 2003, ending his AFL career. After being delisted Hall played with the Tasmanian Devils in the VFL for four seasons, before joining TFL team North Hobart in 2008. He has won two best and fairest
awards in his three seasons with the club.
's under-18 side in the Southern Football League
, as well as representing his under-18 state side, the Tassie Mariners
, in the TAC Cup
. When his junior football career was completed, Hall had an opportunity to play for Tasmania's team in the Victorian Football League
(VFL), the Tasmanian Devils
. Instead, Hall sought an opportunity with Essendon
, an Australian Football League
(AFL) club, and after doing a pre-season with the senior team, was placed on the Bombers' supplementary list for 2001, playing with Essendon's reserves in the VFL.
, thereby placing him on the Bombers' rookie list. In the lead-up to the 2002 season Hall played in all three of Essendon's pre-season
matches, of which the Bombers lost every game. As rookie listed players must be promoted to the senior list before they play a senior AFL match, Hall began the 2002 season playing in the VFL for Essendon's reserves team. When Dean Solomon
suffered a season-ending knee injury in late March, Hall was one of three players in contention to be promoted to the senior list in place of Solomon. After approximately one month of assessment Hall was deemed the most impressive of Essendon's three rookies and was elevated to the senior list. In early June, Hall played particularly well in defence for the reserves against the Murray Kangaroos
, and was subsequently in consideration to play for Essendon's senior team. The Essendon team had been plagued by injury throughout 2002 and this, coupled with Hall's good form in the VFL, resulted in him making his AFL debut in round 12 against Hawthorn
. After a particularly poor performance in his debut match, in which he did not record a statistic and spent most of the match on the bench
, Hall was dropped backed to the VFL side the following round. Despite showing form in the VFL for the remainder of 2002, Hall was unable to break back into the senior Bombers line-up. Although a poor season for Hall in terms of AFL appearances, he played well at VFL level and was third in the reserves' best and fairest
award.
Hall was retained on the Bombers' rookie list for 2003. Although Essendon had another poor pre-season, losing four of the five matches they played, Hall played in each of the games. He was described as "perform[ing] well" in The Age
newspaper, and even kicked a goal in the first of the matches. After spending the majority of his career prior to 2003 as a defender, Hall was trialled as a midfielder for the 2003 season, a move which reaped immediate results as he became a "goalscoring weapon" for the Bendigo Bombers
—Essendon's new VFL-affiliate
side—as well as becoming well known for his penetrating kicking ability. In early August, Hall kicked four goals in a close win against the Northern Bullants
in the VFL, and only three days later, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy declared that Hall and two others were in contention to be promoted to the senior list, even though he had missed out on being elevated only two weeks prior. Sheedy then proceeded to promote Hall, in place of the injured Joel Reynolds
, only a day later, on 8 August to "see if [Hall] will be a viable option come finals time". He was immediately named in Essendon's 25-man squad to play against the Western Bulldogs
, but failed to make the starting 22. Despite not playing a senior match for the entirety of the regular season, there was media speculation that Hall may be selected for Essendon's elimination final against Fremantle
, due to Sheedy stating that he had "little chioce" but to select a youthful team for the match and that "it wouldn't worry [him]" to select an inexperienced player. Despite these comments, Sheedy elected not to play Hall in the match, instead selecting him as an emergency. Essendon won the match and moved on to the semi final, where Hall was again an emergency. Essendon lost the semi final and was eliminated from the finals series, thereby ending the Bombers' season. Although regularly pushing for selection in 2003 and finishing equal second in Bendigo's best and fairest count, Hall was delisted at season's end.
, and also finished in third in the Devils' best and fairest count. The 2006 season saw Hall named best on ground in his 100th VFL match, a 24-point win over Frankston
. In 2007 journalist Matt Burgan, writing for the AFL website, named Hall in his best 22 players currently from Tasmania, with Hall and Cameron Thurley
the only two players who were not listed with an AFL club at the time of selection.
After playing 134 VFL matches, Hall left the Devils at the end of the 2007 season. He then proceeded to join North Hobart Football Club in the Tasmanian Football League
(TFL) for 2008. In his first year with the club Hall won the George Miller Medal, awarded to North Hobart's best and fairest player for the season. He also played for the TFL against the Queensland Australian Football League
(QAFL) and was best on ground for the Tasmanians, winning the Lefroy Medal. Although Hall did not win back-to-back best and fairests in 2009, he was described as North Hobart's "star player", again represented the TFL in a match against the QAFL and was his team's only representative in the top 10 of the Tassie Medal, awarded to the league's best and fairest player. By 2010, Hall was the captain of North Hobart and was one of only four players in the TFL to have senior AFL experience. Hall had another good season in 2010; he won his second George Miller Medal, and was described by his coach as one of the league's five best players and the "best tackler in the competition".
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player from Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and the current captain
Captain (Australian rules football)
A captain of an Australian rules football team, sometimes known as a skipper is a player who, during the course of a match and off the field, has several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player....
of North Hobart Football Club in the Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
(TFL). After playing junior football in his home state, Hall moved to Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 2001 to play for Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
's reserves side in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
(VFL), despite an opportunity to play with the Tasmanian Devils
Tasmanian Devils Football Club
Tasmania Football Club, nicknamed The Devils, was an Australian rules football club which competed in the Victorian Football League in Australia. Formed in 2001, it was the youngest and the only non-Victorian club in the league. The club was based in the state of Tasmania at Bellerive Oval and was...
, a VFL team from his home state. Hall played for the reserves for a year before being drafted onto Essendon's rookie list
Rookie list
The Rookie List is a means for Australian Football League clubs to maintain additional players outside of the 38-man primary or senior list. Rookie listed players are not eligibile to play in AFL home and away or finals matches unless they are elevated to the senior list, either to replace a...
for the 2002 season. He was promoted to the senior list midway through 2002 and subsequently made his Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL) debut, although he did not record a statistic in what was to be his only AFL match. Hall was retained on the Bombers' rookie list for 2003 and was again elevated to the senior list during the season. Although he was often named as an emergency after his promotion, Hall was unable to break into the senior team and Essendon delisted him at the end of 2003, ending his AFL career. After being delisted Hall played with the Tasmanian Devils in the VFL for four seasons, before joining TFL team North Hobart in 2008. He has won two best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
awards in his three seasons with the club.
Early career
A Tasmanian native, Hall played junior football for Hobart Football ClubHobart Football Club
Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
's under-18 side in the Southern Football League
Southern Football League (Tasmania)
The Southern Football League is an Australian rules football league which is based in Tasmania, Australia.- History :The Southern Tasmanian Football League was founded in 1996 with the league's original clubs being those of the recently defunct Tasmanian Amateur Football League – Southern Division...
, as well as representing his under-18 state side, the Tassie Mariners
Tassie Mariners
The Tassie Mariners are an under-18 Australian rules football club representing the state of Tasmania. They currently play in the AFL National Under 18 Championships and also played in the TAC Cup from 1995 until 2002 when AFL Tasmania instead entered a senior side into the VFL....
, in the TAC Cup
TAC Cup
The TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....
. When his junior football career was completed, Hall had an opportunity to play for Tasmania's team in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
(VFL), the Tasmanian Devils
Tasmanian Devils Football Club
Tasmania Football Club, nicknamed The Devils, was an Australian rules football club which competed in the Victorian Football League in Australia. Formed in 2001, it was the youngest and the only non-Victorian club in the league. The club was based in the state of Tasmania at Bellerive Oval and was...
. Instead, Hall sought an opportunity with Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, an Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL) club, and after doing a pre-season with the senior team, was placed on the Bombers' supplementary list for 2001, playing with Essendon's reserves in the VFL.
AFL career
After impressing with the reserves in 2001, Hall was drafted by Essendon with the 46th selection in the 2002 AFL Rookie Draft2001 AFL Draft
The 2001 AFL Draft consisted of a national draft, a rookie draft, a pre-season draft and a trade period. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League .In 2001 there were 83...
, thereby placing him on the Bombers' rookie list. In the lead-up to the 2002 season Hall played in all three of Essendon's pre-season
2002 Wizard Home Loans Cup
The 2002 Wizard Home Loans Cup was the Australian Football League competition played in its entirety before the Australian Football League's 2002 Premiership Season began. The AFL National Cup is also sometimes referred to as the pre-season cup because it is played in its entirety before the...
matches, of which the Bombers lost every game. As rookie listed players must be promoted to the senior list before they play a senior AFL match, Hall began the 2002 season playing in the VFL for Essendon's reserves team. When Dean Solomon
Dean Solomon
Dean Solomon is retired Australian rules footballer. He played for the Fremantle Dockers and the Essendon Bombers in his 13 year, 209 games and a premiership career.-Early career:...
suffered a season-ending knee injury in late March, Hall was one of three players in contention to be promoted to the senior list in place of Solomon. After approximately one month of assessment Hall was deemed the most impressive of Essendon's three rookies and was elevated to the senior list. In early June, Hall played particularly well in defence for the reserves against the Murray Kangaroos
Murray Kangaroos Football Club
Murray Kangaroos Football Club, officially nicknamed The Kangaroos, was an Australian rules football club which competed in the Victorian Football League between 2000 and 2002...
, and was subsequently in consideration to play for Essendon's senior team. The Essendon team had been plagued by injury throughout 2002 and this, coupled with Hall's good form in the VFL, resulted in him making his AFL debut in round 12 against Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
. After a particularly poor performance in his debut match, in which he did not record a statistic and spent most of the match on the bench
Interchange (Australian rules football)
Interchange is the term used to describe a team position in Australian rules football, consisting of the players who are off the ground at any time...
, Hall was dropped backed to the VFL side the following round. Despite showing form in the VFL for the remainder of 2002, Hall was unable to break back into the senior Bombers line-up. Although a poor season for Hall in terms of AFL appearances, he played well at VFL level and was third in the reserves' best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
award.
Hall was retained on the Bombers' rookie list for 2003. Although Essendon had another poor pre-season, losing four of the five matches they played, Hall played in each of the games. He was described as "perform[ing] well" in The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
newspaper, and even kicked a goal in the first of the matches. After spending the majority of his career prior to 2003 as a defender, Hall was trialled as a midfielder for the 2003 season, a move which reaped immediate results as he became a "goalscoring weapon" for the Bendigo Bombers
Bendigo Bombers
The Bendigo Bombers Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia playing in the Victorian Football League .-Brief history:...
—Essendon's new VFL-affiliate
Australian Football League reserves affiliations
The Australian Football League stages the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in the country. However, since the late 1980s, when the former Victorian Football League expanded interstate to become the modern Australian Football League, there has not been a league-wide...
side—as well as becoming well known for his penetrating kicking ability. In early August, Hall kicked four goals in a close win against the Northern Bullants
Northern Bullants
Northern Blues Football Club is a long-established Australian rules football club based in Preston and currently playing in the Victorian Football League representing the central and outer areas of Melbourne...
in the VFL, and only three days later, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy declared that Hall and two others were in contention to be promoted to the senior list, even though he had missed out on being elevated only two weeks prior. Sheedy then proceeded to promote Hall, in place of the injured Joel Reynolds
Joel Reynolds
Joel Reynolds is an Australian rules footballer. Reynolds is the grandson of Bomber legend Dick Reynolds. At the conclusion of the 2006 season, and after five seasons and just 38 games for the Bombers, Reynolds was delisted only to be picked up by Geelong in the pre-season rookie draft...
, only a day later, on 8 August to "see if [Hall] will be a viable option come finals time". He was immediately named in Essendon's 25-man squad to play against the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
, but failed to make the starting 22. Despite not playing a senior match for the entirety of the regular season, there was media speculation that Hall may be selected for Essendon's elimination final against Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
, due to Sheedy stating that he had "little chioce" but to select a youthful team for the match and that "it wouldn't worry [him]" to select an inexperienced player. Despite these comments, Sheedy elected not to play Hall in the match, instead selecting him as an emergency. Essendon won the match and moved on to the semi final, where Hall was again an emergency. Essendon lost the semi final and was eliminated from the finals series, thereby ending the Bombers' season. Although regularly pushing for selection in 2003 and finishing equal second in Bendigo's best and fairest count, Hall was delisted at season's end.
Post-AFL career
After being delisted by the Bombers, Hall began playing with the Tasmanian Devils in the VFL for the 2004 season, immediately becoming one of the club's better players. In 2005 Hall was among the best on the ground in an interstate match between the VFL and the South Australian National Football LeagueSouth Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
, and also finished in third in the Devils' best and fairest count. The 2006 season saw Hall named best on ground in his 100th VFL match, a 24-point win over Frankston
Frankston Football Club
Frankston Football Club, nicknamed The Dolphins, is an Australian rules football club based in Frankston, Victoria and currently playing in the Victorian Football League. The club was formed in 1887. The Dolphins have no alignments to any AFL clubs.-Peninsula Football Association:Frankston was a...
. In 2007 journalist Matt Burgan, writing for the AFL website, named Hall in his best 22 players currently from Tasmania, with Hall and Cameron Thurley
Cameron Thurley
Cameron Thurley is an Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong and the Kangaroos in the Australian Football League , Clarence Football Club in the Tasmanian Statewide League and the Tasmanian Devils in the Victorian Football League.Thurley played for Clarence Football Club in the...
the only two players who were not listed with an AFL club at the time of selection.
After playing 134 VFL matches, Hall left the Devils at the end of the 2007 season. He then proceeded to join North Hobart Football Club in the Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
(TFL) for 2008. In his first year with the club Hall won the George Miller Medal, awarded to North Hobart's best and fairest player for the season. He also played for the TFL against the Queensland Australian Football League
Queensland Australian Football League
The Queensland Australian Football League was an Australian rules football competition for clubs from South East Queensland.Up until 2010, the QAFL was the premier semi-professional competition in Queensland, with salary cap rules and regulations in place.It was previously known as the Queensland...
(QAFL) and was best on ground for the Tasmanians, winning the Lefroy Medal. Although Hall did not win back-to-back best and fairests in 2009, he was described as North Hobart's "star player", again represented the TFL in a match against the QAFL and was his team's only representative in the top 10 of the Tassie Medal, awarded to the league's best and fairest player. By 2010, Hall was the captain of North Hobart and was one of only four players in the TFL to have senior AFL experience. Hall had another good season in 2010; he won his second George Miller Medal, and was described by his coach as one of the league's five best players and the "best tackler in the competition".
External links
- Ken Hall's profile at the Official AFL Website of the Essendon Football Club