The 2009 AFL season could be Barry Hall's last and Sydney's tough guy wants to have fun along the way, even to the extent of sharing a joke with long-time foes the umpires.

Suspended by the Swans and by the AFL last year for whacking opponents, Hall has tried to keep his head down this season, kicking 27 goals and playing 10 games in the first 12 rounds.

However a brain snap against Hawthorn in round 11 which resulted in three consecutive 50-metre penalties and another minor temper tantrum in last week's loss to Collingwood typify the ex-boxer's struggles to keep his cool.

Hall, who plays his 250th game in Saturday night's clash with the Crows in Adelaide, has decided the best way to get along with the umpires is to give them the thumbs up.

His new policy was unveiled last weekend at ANZ Stadium, when Hall gave a bizarre thumbs-up response when cautioned about grabbing a Collingwood opponent by the collar and shaking the living daylights out of him.

"Yeah, all thumbs up for the umpires," Hall, 32, grinned on Thursday.

"I guess it's probably no secret that I do get frustrated.

"If things don't go your way, if you take a bit more of a light-hearted view, it might help you out a little bit.

"So I thought I'd try that and thumbs up from here.

"When you get a bit older, I don't want to be running around blowing up at umpires or being frustrated.

"I want to have a bit of fun as well.

"I'll try and take (the same approach) into some other games but I can't promise anything.

"I don't usually smile out on the ground so they (umpires) will be shocked."

Sydney's 2005 premiership centre half-forward says he feels keen to play on next year but he'll wait until the end of the season to decide.

Sydney's other key forward Michael O'Loughlin, 32, announced this week he would retire at the end of the year.

"I've got an old body and it's getting through at this stage," said Hall, whose tally of 249 games includes 88 with St Kilda.

"There's still the second half of the season to go and whether I actually want to do it or not is still up in the air."

Swans coach Paul Roos says this week's promotion of Patrick Veszpremi, 19, for his first senior game of the year is an important step in rebuilding Sydney's forward set-up.

The Swans are 11th with a 5-7 record and while Roos says a loss to the sixth-placed Crows won't put a definite halt to Sydney's finals hopes, it's clear more youth will be pushed into the line-up as the season continues.

Ryan Brabazon has been promoted for his second AFL game with club champion Jarrad McVeigh to miss with a shoulder injury and Jarred Moore dropped.

Premiership fullback Leo Barry won't continue into 2010 while Brett Kirk, 32, and Jared Crouch, 31, are also in some doubt.

Sydney also have a gap to fill in their front office with chief executive Myles Baron-Hay tendering his resignation, effective at the end of the year.

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