Hall spent a total of nine weeks suspended this season, seven for his punch on West Coast's Brent Staker, then, three games after his return, another two weeks - the second a club-enforced penalty - for attempting to strike Collingwood's Shane Wakelin. Couple those indiscretions with Hall's private life being featured in gossip columns, and the year has been a trying one for the Swans forward.

Hall has not hidden the fact he would be keen to get back into boxing - a sport in which he excelled as a junior - once his football career is over. He has also made no secret that he doesn't want to play "one year too long". At 31, and with the Swans talking about rebuilding for the future, now could be the time to get out.

But, with one year left on his contract, Hall said yesterday he planned to be "lacing on the boots" next year, and despite suggestions he could be used in a trade, his coach said he expected Hall to be a Swan next season.

"I think the game, and the media scrutiny … has changed a hell of a lot, and I don't think it's any secret that I don't really like that side of things, so obviously that's got a little bit to do with things as well when I think about the future," he said.

"I'm contracted, so the plan is to obviously play, and at this stage I haven't really thought about anything else. There's obviously options there - and I suppose it's nice to have a couple of options - but I haven't really thought them through, and at this stage I'll be lacing on the boots again.

"Recently, we [Hall and his manager] approached the club about my longer-term future, beyond this contract, but we haven't heard back yet. I guess I'll hear back in the coming weeks, but I understand the club's point of view, and they might want to sit and wait and see how my form and everything is going before doing anything.

"Besides the actual incidents and the games I missed, I thought my form this year has been pretty good. I still think I've got a lot to offer as far as footy goes, but if my form drops off I'll be the first to put my hand up and concede I might be past it. I certainly understand I'll be 32 next year, so it's going to drop away at some stage, but I don't think form is a real issue at this stage."

Neither does his coach Paul Roos, who deemed Hall "clearly one of our better players in the back end of the year and probably our best player in the finals".

Asked if it was being considered to make a move with Hall during the trade period, Roos said: "I wouldn't have thought so. Again, I'm only one of a number on the match committee, but I wouldn't have thought so. He's contracted next year and we expect him to be at the club in 2009."

Hall said despite speculation at the time that he needed to perform on his return to convince the club to keep him, that was not his motivation.

"I honestly wasn't thinking that way. It was pretty disappointing how things happened, and I certainly let the team down sitting out for the eight or nine weeks … The only thing I thought I could do was to try and repay my teammates and the club by playing some good footy."

Roos said the club would not be rushed into making decisions about their roster for next season. They will have meetings this week with the players, and then determine which way they will head for the future, and who they may chase in the trade period.

"The main thing is to work out where we are going as a club, what's coming up behind in terms of younger guys, how competitive are we, how competitive do we still want to remain, or do we want to play younger kids. I think before we make a decision you need to assess things factually rather than emotionally," he said.

Roos was confident the board would back his strategy.