Hall had a solid season and Essendon Football Club Recruitment Manager Adrian Dodoro invited him to do the pre-season with the Bombers. Leaving family and friends, Hall decided to take the plunge and come to Melbourne. According to Hall the folding of the TSFL impacted on his decision. ""At that stage they didn't know if they were going to have a Tassie side in the VFL and the TSFL competition had folded for financial reasons. So I thought I would come over and take the opportunity to play VFL,"" said the 21-year-old.
Hall worked hard during the pre-season and impressed the coaching panel with his work ethic and dedication - however he narrowly missed out on a spot on the 2001 rookie list. Hall was put on the supplementary list and contemplated going back to Tasmania to play. ""It all got messed around and I missed out. I thought about going back to Tassie - I went back for a month or so and sort of had a chat to them. I decided to come back and give it a go,"" Hall said.
Hall played every match last year for the VFL side and rotated between half back and the back pocket. At times Daniher moved Hall up to the forward line - ususally because the side was decimated injuries. Hall had a consistent second half of last year and went home to Tasmania for one month at the end of the season to contemplate his future. ""I did my own training - then came back and did pre-season with the Bombers. There was talk of me being put on the Rookie list but I didn’t want to get my hopes up until it was certain. I wanted to stay at Essendon after playing here last year. The people are great here,"" the Tasmanian said.
In the practice matches Hall has predominantly been playing on the ball. ""I would prefer to play there this season - I have spoken to Terry and he more or less said he would like me to play on the ball to add another string to my bow. I want to try and evolve my game around the middle,"" Hall said. Hall also played a senior game in the pre-season competition against the Western Bulldogs in round two. ""It was very different to VFL - bodies are stronger and it’s a quicker tempo - that little bit more tough with the crowd.""
Looking to the future Hall is not making too many long-term plans - apart from aiming to get on the senior list. ""I haven't set too many long term goals. I'm just hoping to get through this year and set some long term goals after that. It is a bit the same off the ground. I did a little bit of work last year in a bookstore but it was hard to coordinate with training. I will just wait and see how the year turns out. But one thing is for sure I am glad I am here.""
