'Guilty conscience': Barry Hall's unease over infamous AFL moment

Former AFL star Barry Hall has opened up about his fear that his children might one day inadvertently stumble upon footage of his infamous hit on West Coast's Brent Staker.

Hall is long retired from the AFL and the 2008 incident in which he punched an unsuspecting Staker in the face, knocking him out cold, is also long behind him.

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The now 45-year-old, who is preparing to fight Sonny Bill Williams in a March 23 cross-code boxing showdown, understands though that arguably the worst moment of his career isn't something he can hide from his children forever.

For now though, the former Sydney Swans forward says he hopes his two children won't see the footage until they are old enough for their father to be able to put it into context, and fully explain himself and what the incident had taught him.

Even know, Hall says, it's difficult to explain to his sons why it's OK to fight in the boxing ring.

Speaking on the “Who The Fook Are These Guys” podcast, Hall said his heart often skips a beat when he sees one of his three boys playing with his phone.

“He said to me the other day, ‘Daddy, why are you always punching people’. And I was like, ‘Oh s*** what’s he talking about. Has he seen my footy clips’. But he actually goes through my phone and he actually watches me training,” Hall said.

“I thought he was talking about the footy stuff. I was like, ‘Oh no, what have you seen’.

“I’m going to have to wait until they’re teenagers to have that conversation with them.

"But I told him that daddy is just trying to put him through school and this is about a sport and the guy I’m actually fighting, we’re good friends.

“It’s one of those guilty conscience moments I’m going to have with him when he’s about 12 I reckon.”

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Hall has been a prominent figure in reality television over the past few years, with the former AFL star a participant in the current season of Channel 7's SAS Australia.

Hall also appeared on Channel 10's I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! in 2015.

It was on that set that he met former Hi-5 presenter Lauren Brandt, with the couple going on to have three children.

A talented boxer in his youth, albeit driven by an admittedly fraught relationship with his father, Hall's bout against Sonny Bill Williams will be his first since his fight against fellow former NRL star Paul Gallen, which ended in a draw.

Hall said Brant had attended his previous fight, accompanied by her father, but said she had barely been able to watch and wasn't full on board with his desire to fight Williams.

“She’s not on board. She’s very supportive, but she won’t watch it,” he said.

“Last time she went to a fight she brought her dad with her and she put her head on his shoulder and didn’t watch the fight.

"Every time there was a cheer, she thought I was going to be knocked out.”

Hall is set to take on Williams at the Aware Super Theatre on March 23.

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