Noah Balta on SEN

[one-eyed]

Balta was on SEN this morning with Garry Lyon & Tim Watson:

Listen here: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=822638

-------------------------------------------------------------------

HOW DIMMA’S BOTCHED HALF-TIME SPEECH INSPIRED THE TIGERS

By Andrew Slevison
SEN
4 May 2021

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick lost his way during his speech at half-time of last Friday night’s clash with the Western Bulldogs.

The Tigers trailed the pre-round ladder leaders by 19 points at the main break and needed some Hardwick inspiration to get them going.

However, the three-time premiership coach failed to deliver the exact message he was attempting to convey.

When asked if it was the coaching staff or the players who contributed most to the inspiring messaging, Hardwick made the confession post-match.

“It was a little bit of both. The leaders really take control of that part,” he told reporters.

“My half-time speech, I lost where I was towards the back end. I said to the players, ‘I don’t even know what I’m talking about, just get out there and get the job done’.

“It was a bit funny. I thought the players just lifted.”

Defender Noah Balta (jokingly) indicated that this is not the first time Hardwick has fallen short when addressing the players, corroborating the coach’s story in the process.

“‘Dimma’ has this thing where at half-time he sometimes slurs some of his words,” Balta said on SEN Breakfast.

“Then we kind of come out of it and talk a bit behind his back and have a laugh about what he said.

“This time he started slurring his words but he kept going at it and then he kind of looked at me and I smiled a little bit. He’s basically said, ‘Stuff this, you boys just go out there and get it done’.

“So it was pretty memorable.”

Whatever was said worked a treat as the Tigers came out firing in the third quarter and kicked five goals to one which helped set up their eventual 22-point win over the previously undefeated Dogs.

Hardwick will look to inspire Balta and his teammates once again when the reigning premiers meet Geelong in the Grand Final rematch at the MCG on Friday night.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/05/04/how-dimmas-botched-half-time-speech-inspired-the-tigers/