Pulling No Punches

Pulling No Punches is a must-read for all AFL fans and anyone interested in an honest account of the real man behind the dramatic headlines.


Loved by some, loathed by others, throughout his sixteen seasons in the game Barry Hall has always polarised punters. Not only is he a superstar forward and one of the biggest crowd-pullers of the modern era, he’s also one of the most notorious and colourful players currently on the field. Here, for the first time, Barry tells the story of his rise to AFL stardom, from his childhood in country Victoria and early years as a junior boxing champion to his draft to St Kilda as a teenager. As a Saint, Barry was involved in some wild times off the park and controversial moments on it, which saw him frequently in the headlines and often before the tribunal.


Barry also tells of his eight years at the Sydney Swans, from the high of captaining the club to their first premiership in 72 years to their gut-wrenching defeat in the 2006 Grand Final. Here are the real stories behind that Brent Staker punch in 2008 and his decision to resign from the club in 2009. He gives rare insights into his time on the psychiatrist's couch, how close he came to taking up a career in boxing, and his often turbulent relationship with the media. Finally, Barry describes life with the Western Bulldogs and his plans for the future.