Former Sydney Swan Barry Hall has been fired from Triple M’s AFL commentary team tonight following a disgusting on-air comment about another panellist’s wife.
Mike Fitzpatrick, the Head of Content at Triple M came out with a decisive statement from the station, calling Hall’s comments “unacceptable and inappropriate“:
Tonight on Triple M Football there were unacceptable and inappropriate comments made by a member of the commentary team.
The commentator was removed immediately from the broadcast and an apology was issued on air afterwards.
Immediate action was taken with the termination of employment for one team member.
Hall had been talking to former St Kilda player Leigh Montagna about the latter’s wife going into labour when he made the vile remark.
I just heard what Barry Hall said. Wow. I’m speechless. Good on TripleM for sacking him on the spot. There wasn’t really any choice.
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) June 29, 2018
Have heard what Barry Hall said and have chosen not to repeat it either on twitter or in our article. I’m sorry but it’s utterly disgusting.
— Matt Thompson (@MattThompson) June 29, 2018
Fox Footy should sack Barry Hall too. Disgraceful.
— David Moore (@morteinmooie) June 29, 2018
Just like that fuckwit who used to do handstands can we just all collectively pretend Barry Hall doesn’t exist. Ready. Set. Go.
— Imo (@imogenrq) June 29, 2018
Okay, so I never want to hear or see Barry Hall on radio, television, or anything, ever again. Ever.
— MJ Leaver (@MJ_Leaver) June 29, 2018
Hall was meant to be on air 6pm to 11pm to talk about the Western Bulldogs versus Geelong Cats game at Etihad Stadium tonight – Bulldogs won a close contest, 103-101 – joining other panellists Montagna, Mark Howard, Nathan Brown, Damian Barrett, Dr Rohan White, Neroli Meadows and Ash Chua.
Hall played 289 games over his AFL career, for St Kilda, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs, but was often in trouble. The worst of it was in 2008, when he received a seven-match suspension for punching West Coast‘s Brent Staker.
Still, after he retired in 2011, the AFL hot head’s vulnerability in the jungle on the 2015 season of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! garnered him a new crop of fans. He also met his partner Hi-5‘s Lauren Brant, with whom he has a one-year-old son, on the show.
Hall is yet to make a public comment about his termination.
