His 2008 season has been one of the most talked about in Swans history, but now it is accolades and not criticism which sees Barry Hall the topic of conversation once again.

Hall's round-four slugging of West Coast defender Brent Staker, the subsequent seven-week suspension, his much-hyped return to the game in round 12, another suspension just two matches later for attempting to strike Magpie Shane Wakelin … All that was accompanied by a club-imposed sanction that stopped him playing until cleared by the Swans' psychologist. Add to the mix his private life being put on show in gossip columns almost weekly, and you can swiftly see why Hall has been the subject of so much news ink this season.

The chatter started again last Saturday, but this time it wasn't about punches, striking, being reported, or girlfriends, but how well Hall performed and how instrumental his role was in Sydney's impressive finals win over North Melbourne.

On many occasions in the second half, as the Swans mowed down the Roos, fellow forward Ryan O'Keefe quickly bombed the ball long to Hall for a one-on-one contest with his opponent. Most times he won the battles, and often the move resulted in a goal, either for himself or a teammate.

"I just think he wants to let his footy do the talking, that's all he's worried about at the moment and that's what he's doing and hopefully that will continue," said assistant coach John Longmire yesterday.