Right Pulse

Not many sports can claim this type of intelligence from their best players:

THE top second-rower in international rugby Dan Vickerman is poised to walk away from the game he loves next year to undertake an economics degree at Cambridge University.

Dan Vickerman will be a big loss to the Wallabies and the Waratahs, but good luck to him on leaving rugby at the height of his rugby career to seek more long-term goals. Rugby players have always been an interesting bunch, because they have life aspirations outside of rugby. By contrast, from the AFL:

Hall was stood down indefinitely by the Swans after taking a wild swing at Collingwood’s Shane Wakelin on Saturday night. He also gave away several undisciplined free kicks, with the Swans confirming Hall was battling “personal issues”.

Earlier this season, Barry Hall received a seven-week suspension for punching West Coast opponent Brent Staker.

Hall’s latest brain snap earned him a one-match ban from the AFL match review panel, but Sydney’s decision to stand him down was unprecedented.

Apparently Hall has been checked into a psychologist.