Noah Balta [merged]

[Assange Tiger 😎]

Short's as soft as they come but the new kick in rules will see him one of the first picked every week....

 

The finals failure version of the Bellis....

[Diocletian]

 

[Diocletian]

Claw hasn't seen Balta play either, obviously. How can you pick someone in the FP when all evidence has pointed towards him being a tall, running defender/wingman. Fair enough if he actually starts playing up forward more often but gee, let's wait and see before we include him in the side before a fearless premiership hero like BEllis....

If he reaches his  full potential he could be the biggest thing since Buddy and the first genuine three line superstar (who can also ruck for good measure)...but first and foremost -and perhaps more realistically- I see him as Rance's understudy/apprentice and eventual successor...

[WilliamPowell]

Reckon he should play JLT 1 - as our 2nd ruck option and 2nd main forward

mUch more upside than a few others

[the claw]

Claw hasn't seen Balta play either, obviously. How can you pick someone in the FP when all evidence has pointed towards him being a tall, running defender/wingman. Fair enough if he actually starts playing up forward more often but gee, let's wait and see before we include him in the side before a fearless premiership hero like BEllis....

Have often said hes a chb in waiting and we should play him in Rances role and Rance becomes third tall.

Trouble with that is hes training witht the fwds and they are obviously going to play him fwd.Is he capable of playing as a third tall fwd you bet ya.

Last time i looked Ellis was a defender who may play midfield as a last gasp effort to get him up to the level  so any fool can see Balta would not be taking a game of Bellis well most fools anyway.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Claw hasn't seen Balta play either, obviously. How can you pick someone in the FP when all evidence has pointed towards him being a tall, running defender/wingman. Fair enough if he actually starts playing up forward more often but gee, let's wait and see before we include him in the side before a fearless premiership hero like BEllis....

If he reaches his  full potential he could be the biggest thing since Buddy and the first genuine three line superstar (who can also ruck for good measure)...but first and foremost -and perhaps more realistically- I see him as Rance's understudy/apprentice and eventual successor...

He reminds me of a young Adam Goodes - an unbridled talent who, if harnessed, could simply just solved problem for us across all lines of the ground.

[one-eyed]

Balta's triple effort: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2019-03-03/jlt-1-baltas-triple-effort

Here's Noah's stats:

18 disposals (15k, 3h, 8cp, 10up, 72% eff., 2 clangers)
8 marks (2 contested, 1 in50)
7 hitouts
3 clearances (1 centre, 2 stoppages)
9 inside 50s
3 tackles
1 FA
1 one%er
2 goals
1 assist.
77% t.o.g.

https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/jlt-community-series/2019/1/rich-v-melb

[one-eyed]

Richmond youngster Noah Balta shows he’s ready for the big stage

JON RALPH,
Herald Sun
March 3, 2019 11:07pm

Justin Leppitsch had just hit 25 seasons in the AFL when he made a statement in December about Noah Balta that seemed awfully premature.

“With his athleticism and power, as an athlete he is the most gifted I have seen as a kid coming through,” he told the Herald Sun.

“He could be years away from being the player we think he will be, but the things he does are unbelievable.”

On Sunday, Leppitsch sat in the Richmond coaches’ box watching Balta emerge as an AFL footballer.

Richmond insiders have ­always known Balta’s potential as an 194cm freak athlete.

But the No.25 pick in the 2017 national draft had to put it all together.

As a mostly full strength ­Tigers outfit overran a Melbourne side missing 10 of its best 22 players, Balta did it all.

In the second term he took five intercept marks in 10 minutes, marking Melbourne attacking sorties at will.

After soccering through a goal with the outside of his boot, he kicked another goal from a towering mark in the pocket.

By the third quarter he was hitting up Jack Riewoldt with laces-out passes and taking on Demons with audacious handballs over their head.

In a game where Richmond ran out the winner, his 18-possession, two-goal performance that also included a stint in the ruck was the standout display.

He could play in Round 1 as a ruck/second forward role if Tom Lynch isn’t ready.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/jlt-series-richmond-youngster-noah-balta-shows-hes-ready-for-the-big-stage/news-story/9948d55473b4085c284d12314e3d2a14

[one-eyed]

Balta's "point of the season" yesterday.

VIDEO: https://www.theroar.com.au/afl/video/richmond-rough-diamond-bags-point-of-the-season-732543/

[Diocletian]

[one-eyed]

What's awaiting Carlton ...


gif courtesy of BF.

[one-eyed]

Teenage beast 'the closest thing to Rance' in mix for Tiger debut

AFL.com.au
Marc McGowan
Mar 18, 2019

IF NOTHING else, second-year man mountain Noah Balta has Damien Hardwick's attention.

Richmond's 2017 premiership coach can barely keep his eyes off what Balta – "the closest thing to Alex Rance" – is doing at training, and it's much the same on match day.

An AFL debut for the 19-year-old against Carlton on Thursday night rests on the fitness of prized recruit Tom Lynch, with Hardwick reluctant to play them both alongside Jack Riewoldt in attack.

"He's been incredibly impressive (in the pre-season). He's as athletic as Alex, he's got traits that are incredible to watch and even at training, we watch him and go, 'Wow'," Hardwick told AFL.com.au.

"What he is, is he's very raw. Once we refine him into the player we think he can be, we think he's going to be a very good long-term player.

"Is it going to be this year? Who knows? We hope so. But it might be 12 months down the track.

"Alex was a little bit of a slow burn to get where he is today and we think Noah has the potential to be that kind of player."

Balta, who can play a key post at either end in combination with being a back-up ruckman, was particularly prominent in the Tigers' opening JLT Community Series match.

The No.25 pick in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft kicked two goals, gathered 18 disposals, took six marks and had seven hit-outs against Melbourne before a quieter outing against Hawthorn two weekends ago.

Part of Balta's appeal is his 194cm and 100kg frame, plus the intangibles he brings with his mongrel and swagger for such a young player.

"He's just turned 19, but the sheer size and power is really impressive," Hardwick said.

"He's quite funny on the field. We sit there and constantly amuse ourselves, where he's telling other players what to do when he's actually not doing the right thing himself a lot of the time.

"But that's him learning the game. What we love is that he's got the confidence to do that, which is something we generally have to teach a young player.

"With a lot of hard work, we think he'll be the player we think he can be."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-18/teenage-beast-the-closest-thing-to-rance-in-mix-for-tiger-debut

[Fluffy Tiger]

"With a lot of hard work, we think he'll be the player we think he can be."

I think they mean they think he could be the player they think he can be, I think.

Or maybe "With a lot of hard work he could be a really good player."

[Diocletian]

Just stuffing play him already - he's not some lumbering lump who'll slow us down and he's not some one-dimensional KPP who'll get stuck in his third of the ground or make us "too tall".....so what if he occasionally gets caught out of position or has quiet periods, we need to get as many games into him asap and he'll learn quicker in the seniors with better players around him and IMO  he'll ultimately make us a better, more fkexible, formidable and dangerous side ......




 

[one-eyed]

Thoughts on Balta's debut?

5 disposals (all kicks, 2cp, 4up, 80% eff)
2 marks
1 centre clearance
3 In50s
6 hitouts
1 tackle
5 clangers
2 1%ers
1 goal