Noah Balta [merged]

[one-eyed]

Balta as a full-back had 12 intercepts and our second-most metres gained today. One of, if not the, best on ground .

17 disposals (15k, 2h, 7c, 6u, 64.7% eff.)
6 marks (4 contested)
3 tackles
2 inside 50s
543 metres gained
12 intercepts
2 score involvements
97% time on ground

[lamington]

Ticking along nicely. I wonder if this is the Rutten effect

[FooffooValve]

Easily BOG for mine.

[Tiger Khosh]

Has taken his game to the next level defensively this season. I think he’s top5 in the AFL in intercepts if not no.1 outright. Just needs to make better decisions with his disposal which will hopefully get better with experience.

[one-eyed]

What no one is talking about: Balta display

Noah Balta ... had [an] influential game ... that will go under the radar.

Balta had Oscar Allen’s measure, restricting the Eagles’ spearhead to just four kicks. Unfortunately for the Tiger, three of those kicks ended in goals to Allen which makes it look worse on paper.

But Balta was dominant in the air, taking six marks (four contested), picking up 17 disposals as well as 12 intercepts and rebounds 50s - both game highs.

- Andrew Slevison

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/07/17/overreactions-positives-negatives-and-undroppables-for-all-18-afl-teams-in-18/

[lamington]

Other than the mark on the line where his aerial contest was average I thought he did well on Allen

[one-eyed]

Another good game by Noah, especially given how easily the ball was coming into our backline in the first 3 quarters. 19 disposals, a whopping 14 marks, 9 intercepts and 588 metres gained from full-back.

[TigerLand]

Absolute shock that he's really making his mark as a certain player, now that he doesn't change from defense to forward every 5 minutes.

[The Machine]

Almost the best key defensive player in the game 

[one-eyed]

Noah Balta is the League's intercept mark king

Noah Balta had a few years where he was constantly thrown from one end of the field to the other, but he has well and truly been settled in the backline this season. He'll turn 24 in October and is just starting to enter his prime as a key tall, but he is already averaging 15.4 disposals and 4.2 intercept marks a match, with his previous best being 13.1 and 2.5 in 2021. That intercept mark count is the highest in the League, ahead of Darcy Moore, Charlie Ballard, Harris Andrews and Sam Taylor. While he'll have to see off some stiff competition to earn an All-Australian position, could a spot in the squad be on the cards?

– Sarah Black

https://www.afl.com.au/news/982238/nine-things-we-learned-jamie-elliott-has-ice-in-his-veins

[one-eyed]

Most intercept marks 2023

BALTA 76
Ballard 74
Moore 70
Andrews 64
Aliir 58

https://twitter.com/_tigertime/status/1683406396824653824

[one-eyed]

Most intercept possessions 2023

Darcy Moore   157
NOAH BALTA   155 .... ( averaging 8.6 per game )
Callum Wilkie  153
Charlie Ballard 152
Aliir Aliir          146
Harris Andrews 139
Jake Lever       139
Tom Stewart    138

Source: AFL stats.

[one-eyed]

Intercepts? ✅
Contested grabs? ✅
Booting the living daylights out of the pill? ✅

Your one-pager on Noah Balta's sensational season at full back.


https://twitter.com/7AFL/status/1684097490843475969

[the claw]

Gotta say well done to him consistent high standard footy on a weekly basis.

Noticed that Lewis  ended up kicking 4 but on at least 2 occasions Balta was not his man and it showed up how reliant we have become on him.
He is the Lynch of the backline atm just  irreplaceable.

Hoping like mad Gibcus stays fit next year and continues to develop because i have little faith in the other bloke Young or that Nyuon will even be there come seasons end.

We still need to find another Kpd and that third tall type to replace Grimes when he goes.

[Tigeritis™©®]

I think he was drinking his own bathwater this week.

Was a terrible game by all means. He wa beaten in all facets. The worst part was how he just gave up in the second quarter and was a complete liability in the third.

For that attitude he needs to be dropped to VFL that is completely unacceptable and must be addressed.