Hall set for Dogs debut

09/02/2010 | 10:47 AM

Canberra-based football fans are expected to be the first to see Barry Hall playing for the Western Bulldogs in an official game with the controversial former Sydney and St Kilda forward set to play in Sunday's NAB Cup match against Brisbane at Manuka Oval.

Hall hasn't played an official game since Round 13 last year when he was suspended for striking Adelaide's Ben Rutten and then let go from the Swans after repeated on-field infringements.

The Bulldogs swooped on the 32-year-old during trade week in a bid to bolster their firepower up forward and after impressing with two goals in an intra-club match on the weekend is set to line-up against the Lions on Sunday.

Bulldogs utility Robert Murphy, who is also expected to play on Sunday after recovering from off-season knee surgery, said Hall was adjusting well at the club.

"It was great (to see him play well on the weekend). He's fitted in really well, perfect for our forward line, and he's really popular among his team-mates," he said. "I would say he would play on the weekend. He got through unscathed. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I can't see a reason why not."

But Dogs fans will have to wait to see Hall and skipper Brad Johnson in the same forward line, with Achilles soreness set to see Johnson play only a bit part in the NAB Cup.

Murphy, one of the Dogs' most important players, is fit, firing and ready to go having tested out his knee in the intra-club match on Saturday.

"It's nice to be fit and healthy this time of year which is a nice change. I was modified up until Christmas and since then, five and bit weeks of full-on training. I'm pretty confident of having a decent year," he said.

The Dogs will be the only club to have had experience with a new NAB Cup rule, which sees boundary umpires able to award free kicks from stoppages. The AFL trialled the new rule in the intra-club match and Murphy said it seemed to work without any major issues.

"We had a hit-out with the boundary umpires and they made a couple of decisions which I didn't notice until later when one of the boys brought it up. That's a good sign that you don't remember the good decisions," he said.