Noah Balta settles back into defence with outstanding results as Richmond shows ominous formDamien Hardwick has moved the magnets around to inspire Richmond’s form resurgence, with Noah Balta’s defensive return proving a hit.
Marc McGowan
May 10, 2022
NCA NewsWireNoah Balta doesn’t know exactly what he is as a footballer but will be whatever coach Damien Hardwick wants.
Richmond’s 194cm swingman has settled in defence in the past fortnight with typically strong results after the Tigers partnered him up forward with Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt to start the season.
With Lynch leading the Coleman Medal and Riewoldt moving into 18th place for all-time goals, Hardwick said after Saturday’s 27-point defeat of Collingwood that he planned to keep Balta as a defender.
The numbers suggest that’s the right call, with Balta – who also performed back-up ruck duties while Ivan Soldo was out between rounds 4 to 6 – one of the AFL’s best interceptors.
The 22-year-old’s switch to defence, where he was a key cog in the 2020 premiership, has seen him average 4.5 intercept marks, eight marks and 450m gained, which all rate elite if he maintains that rate.
“I think I’m just used to (defence),” Balta told News Corp.
“I did the pre-season in the forward line but I think I’ll let Lynch and Riewoldt do that for now. Who knows? I might go back there this year. It’s just up to Dimma – whatever he thinks.
“It literally depends who we come up against. If there’s a tall backline, I’m usually back, but if they’ve got a small backline, I could go back to being a forward.”
Balta enjoys the unpredictability rather than being frustrated by it, admitting the jolt of a positional move maintained his focus.
“When I go back for too long – Dimma will always speak about this – sometimes my mindset drags away from the process of what I need to do,” he said.
“Then when I get flicked forward, I’m like, ‘OK, what do I have to do now?’. (Mindfulness coach) Emma Murray helped me with that and I’ve learned to see it as an opportunity instead of a negative.”
Balta’s move coincided with Richmond leaving out Robbie Tarrant and recalling 179cm speedster Maurice Rioli to play in attack.
The Tigers’ defence has gone from being one of the worst to about the middle since Balta went down there, while Rioli’s return – on top of Lynch’s form explosion – is part of the reason for their offensive surge.
His tackle pressure and creativity set up multiple Lynch goals against the Pies, and Richmond’s scoring has spiked from an average of 84 in the first six rounds to 139 in the last two weeks thanks to bulk marks inside 50.
It’s enough for Balta to believe the Tigers of old are back, with Hardwick’s famed system humming again and players’ confidence soaring.
Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin’s celebrated return on Saturday certainly helped both of those.
“Dustin is actually, inside the club, a very vibrant person,” Balta said.
“When he’s around, everyone just has a smile on their face. He’s just a legend to be around. And on-field, he’s just a gun. Everyone can see it, so he brings us up on the field and off it.”
https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-noah-balta-settles-back-into-defence-with-outstanding-results-as-richmond-shows-ominous-form/news-story/c792e5835dd70ddbd7f55634870c0929
