Big, bad Barry Hall is one mean hombre. He likes to flex his muscles, with intimidation one of his signature traits.

When things are not going his way, he tries to impose himself on his opponent. Grand final day wasn’t panning out as he had anticipated when he reverted to plan B. Only problem was that the irresistible force crashed head-on into the immovable object.

Hall grappled with his marksman, Darren Glass, but if  he  was  hoping  to  find  a  crack in the armour of the dour West Coast Eagles defender, he was mistaken.

To be honest, Hall was probably venting his frustration at that point. Rather than looking to intimidate Glass, he was just letting off a bit of steam. It had not been a good afternoon and if, by engaging  in  a  little  argie  bargie, he managed to get the adrenaline pumping through his body, then that would be a bonus.

Hall had been on record as suggesting Glass was the best full-back  in  the  country.  One of the toughest to counter in any situation. During that exchange with Hall, the emergence of Glass as a quality defender was  obvious. And his strength is one of his finest assets. The unflappable Glass is difficult to move off the line of the ball, making him a challenging proposition for a forward trying to muscle his way into the best position.

Glass is also quick off the mark, one of the best spoilers in the game and has become increasingly assertive in the air. As his confidence has grown so, too, has his capacity to out-body his opponent and then lean back to take a strong grab. It all combines to make him a complete defensive package.

This season Glass was recognised for his emerging class when he was named all- Australian full-back and  was  also  runner-up in the club champion award. A few years ago, when champion defenders Ashley McIntosh and Glen Jakovich retired less than a season apart, those outside the  club  considered there to be a dearth of capable key defensive replacements.

But Glass has excelled with the added responsibility and was a key element in the club’s 2006 premiership triumph. Not only did he hold Hall goal-less, but he also showed his versatility by switching up with Daniel Chick and Adam Hunter on Michael O’Loughlin.

When Glass went to the bench for a spell in the third quarter to replenish his fluids and receive a massage for his aching legs, it was considered by observers to be a victory for the West Coast Eagles’ coaches box.

If John Worsfold and his brains trust could see their way clear to spell Glass and freshen him up, it was interpreted as a sense of control.

Glass would never concede to that statement, it was merely the opportune time for a stint on the bench. While Hall might not have had a scoreboard influence, he commands too much respect to lose concentration. The big Sydney co-captain covers an enormous amount of territory and plays more at centre half-forward than he does out of the square, so Glass was fatigued and needed a break.

In that situation Hunter was swung into action and he, too, managed to do the job.

For Glass, and most West Coast fans,  when the final siren sounded, the most powerful emotion was relief. Glass and his co-defenders had been under tremendous pressure  for much of the final 10 minutes, being forced to continually deny the surging Swans.

“After the game I felt more relieved than excited,” said the ice-cool full-back. “It (the final quarter pressure) wasn’t too bad, to tell you the truth. I just tried to concentrate on my role in the team, to not think too much about the result, but focus on the next contest.

“All that kind of stuff gets pushed to the side so you just concentrate on the footy.

“We were trying to get some rebound from Adam Hunter,”  Glass  added  on  the  tactic  of rotating opponents for Hall and O’Loughlin. “We were keen to mix things up a bit and to throw them out a little. We have played on each other so many times now that it was good to change a few things up.

“At the start  of the  year all I  wanted was  a premiership medallion and that’s what I have got. So that was the main emphasis. When the all-Australian selection came that was great and something to be proud of later.

“The main thing was the premiership success. We have tasted it this year, so that was good.”

Glass had not watched the game in its entirety at the time of this interview. The match was shown on the screens on the Qantas flight home, but cut out with about three minutes remaining.

“On the plane they were showing it, but I was drifting in and out of sleep,” Glass explained. “I probably will look over the game, because to me we felt very much in control in the first half. I felt like we were dictating to them and I really thought we were going along very well.

“And then for whatever reason things changed and they got on top.”

While everyone at the club has enjoyed the triumph, future opportunities are  now  the focus and Glass is an essential part of those plans.

Not only will his onfield role prove decisive, but so too will his capacity as a team leader to assist the development of younger players.