Barry Hall’s life with his wife Lauren Brant and their three sons is moons away from his infamous on-field antics during his AFL days where violent outbursts marred his 16-season career.
In 2008, Barry was suspended for seven games for punching Brent Staker, and during his second game back, he was sidelined after attempting to strike Collingwood player Shane Wakelin.
Barry was eventually fired from the Swans and proceeded to play two seasons with the Bulldogs, but he retired in 2011 after undergoing treatment for depression.
Now, the SAS Australia star has vulnerably revealed his complicated relationship with his dad, Ray, encouraged his behaviour.
Barry holding his youngest son In Sydney’s Circular Quay.
(Image: Instagram)Speaking on A Current Affair, he said, “He wasn’t a loving, emotional, supportive dad. I was always looking for his approval.”
Ray wanted Barry to become a boxer, and the father-of-three remembers at age 14 ending up bloody during training after school with grown men.
“Bloody noses every night, there were some times there when I thought I just don’t know if I want to be here anymore,” he said, and eventually Barry left the sport for AFL, which his dad disapproved of and as a result, they stopped taking.
Barry told ACA that to get his dad’s attention, he would pick fights at school, and the look on Ray’s face would smother him with the approval he desired.
“The thing that I would do is have a fight at school and go home and brag about it because I knew he’d be happy about that, and he was rapt about it, you could see the smirk on his face.
Barry met his wife Lauren on reality television.
(Image: Instagram)“Like any young kid, all I wanted to do is impress dad.
He continued, “It’s mind-boggling now, as I sit here as a father and think that was OK, and I thought that was a way of approval from him, it’s bizarre.”
After sharing his sensitive story, he revealed his vow to break that cycle for his sons, even if it means showering them with too much love.
“I probably give too much love to my boys…I dote over them…me and Lauren do they’ve got so much love in this household and that’s how it should be.”
Barry doesn’t have a relationship with Ray, but since becoming a dad, the way he views him has evolved.
“You don’t realise you’re in something until you’re out of it, once I got out of it and cut ties, no longer have a relationship I actually feel sorry for him (his dad), actually I felt sorry for him until I had my own children,” he shared. “I’m here for my boys, I’m fighting for my family, and it can really do great things for us.”
The former AFL player met his life-changing wife Lauren on I’m a Celeb… Get Me Out of Here, and he has exclusively revealed to Now To Love how they turned their fickle reality television acquaintanceship into a lifelong love.
“Daddy’s a hero for being on TV.”
(Image: Instagram)“I don’t watch TV or follow, you know, entertainment stuff too much. About a year or so after the show I was working up in the goldy and she was there, and we just hit it off. We weren’t in that star mode, unrealistic reality TV world. It was just us having a chat, you know? It just went from there and now it’s three kids later,” he admitted.
Although reality television isn’t his thing, his kids Miller, Houston, and Samson love watching their dad on SAS.
“They love the show. Yeah, my two-year-old, he just wants to stay up bit, but my four-year-old is really, really invested. He loves it. It’s cute. I think he thinks daddy’s a hero for being on TV,” says Barry.
“I’m not a big fan of reality TV, but it’s totally changed my life for the better in terms of the outcome. I have three beautiful boys a beautiful wife. life is good.”
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