Noah Balta [merged]

[the claw]

Still don't think he has done anything to suggest he is needed or is a must down back.
Whichever way we go i believe one of Balta, Miller and Nyuon has to be played and developed as a key fwd.
Im confident Gibcus will hold down a key defensive post for us next year. Him paired  with Tarrant as key defenders along with Grimes and Broad
really does mean tall backs are not an issue for us but key fwds or the lack there of really is.

We have basically ignored this problem for yrs on end and if we are not going to address it thru any of the drafts or trade then we have to address it from with in.

Then it becomes a simple question who from within is best credentialled to be developed as a key fwd playing in the seniors.
No matter how you look at it Balta is by far and a way the best credentialled player to develop there.
Not only does he have the right attributes but he also has the experience.

Going back to this. Still has to happen especially if we do not get an experienced key fwd in to help Lynchy and with Jack Retired.
Will say one of Noah's problems have been the brain fades if you like they remain a constant and it really hurts when playing in defense but is not such a big problem playing fwd. I also think when he has to stand a player he struggles at times.

Circumstance hurt us a bit this year we lost Gibcus before the season and then Tarrant never got going so we had to play someone back and they chose Balta.

Reckon he had a 5 or 6 week period where he looked like he finally found that consistency that he needs and managed to cut a lot of the mistakes out of his game. But then inevitably it fell away.
 What really disappointed me was we could not see a way to play Miller as a defender and Nyuon at all.

Going fwd well if i listen to vfl watchers Bradtke is a dud but i cannot agree at this point in time with that. Would like to see what he can produce with some fitness and a real preseason behind him.
Bauer while a good aerialist is not a KPP IMO. Get sick of having to make the distinction between a genuine kpp height and size and what we all call a third tall flanker type who can play kpp if there is a need.

Next year i Would like to see  us play Ryan is as many games as possible as first ruck i hope they lock him in the weights room in the off season.

Next year  id be real happy to see them play  Lynch Balta and Bauer fwd. Then put some pace  and real speed at their feet.

It not as if Balta and Bauer are are slow coaches either. They both look like good mover over the ground.

As i have done for the last few years now, and asked we play and develop Balta as  a forward i will say it again we desperately need to find a KEY FORWARD who can play straight away. That means a trade of some description or free agency. Imo there is a solution with in and that is not waste another season playing Balta in defence but play him fwd and settle him there.

Do that and then go out and chase the free agent or trade for a mature kpd which is much easier to do than find a key fwd.Or god forbid even try Miller back there next year if he is not given the flick. He certainly has not worked out as a fwd.

When we previously had Balta fwd he seemed so lost. I remember a pre season game he played well and then didnt deliver after that.
I think Bauer can be a Key forward, just needs to put on some muscle. Hes in the same mould as charlie curnow.. athletic, great hands and foot skills. Just like charlie, needs a few years in the system for strength and fitness. Who knows, maybe gibcus will be the next forward anyway. Interesting times ahead.

You can only remember a preseason game where he played well as a fwd. Mate im told you dont see games live in perth how would you know. I suggest you look at the attributes where he actually played as a kid and most importantly the real promise has showed when played as a fwd at the top level. The bloke reeks of being a genuine kpf. Trouble is playing fwd is so much harder than playing back and every time he doesnt meet expectations there is no patience. Developing into a afl KPF does not happen overnight and certainly doesnt happen by mostly playing him in defense. What ever happened to the word patient with you lot.

[one-eyed]

Balta equal-second for contested marks in the comp.


https://twitter.com/AFL/status/1694147156838609005

[one-eyed]

Balta back or forward?

Tony Greenberg
Richmond Media
24 August 2023

The great Noah Balta debate has been reignited.

Is he best suited within the Richmond line-up as a key defender or key forward?

What has prompted the resurfacing of the debate about Balta’s ideal on-field position, is how he performed against North Melbourne at the MCG last Saturday after being moved into attack by the Tigers’ interim coach Andrew McQualter.

Balta, who’d had a few goals kicked on him early in the game in his customary key defensive role, responded impressively to the shift forward, finishing the match with a game-high 10 marks, four inside-50s, four tackles, two goals, six score involvements and 279 metres gained.

He utilised his elite athletic traits to full advantage in Richmond’s forward half and subsequently had even Tiger goalkicking great Matthew Richardson, a big fan of Balta the backman, pondering whether he might be the answer to the Club’s search for Jack Riewoldt’s replacement.

“I’ve always been staunch on this, that he’s a defender, but it depends what happens over the off-season,” Richardson said on this week’s episode of the Club’s official podcast Talking Tigers.

“I don’t know what Blair (Hartley) and the list management are doing . . . if they’re looking at forwards from other clubs, which they may well be.

“But, if for whatever reason you couldn’t find that key forward, and (Josh) Gibcus is back fit, playing in defence, with Tylar Young, and ‘Grimesy’ (Dylan Grimes) contracted again next year . . . if you haven’t got that other key forward, maybe it is Balta with (Tom) Lynch.

“You know he can do it and if you need another key forward, maybe you’re searching for something you’ve already got.

“That’s the for (case).

“The against is that for most of this season he’s been the No. 1 intercept marking player in the comp. and right up there in intercept possessions.

“You’ve just got to remember that.”

Balta, 23, has played 84 senior games with Richmond, including the 2020 Grand Final triumph over Geelong at the Gabba in Brisbane.

He started the 2022 season up forward and kicked eight goals in the first three rounds, with an AFL career-high haul of four against Greater Western Sydney at the MCG in Round 2, before settling in defence as the year wore on.

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1414233/balta-back-or-forward

[one-eyed]

Fox Footy's view on Balta's game today:

Noah Balta played an effective shutdown role on Aliir Aliir until the star Port Adelaide defender got off the chain in the second half.

A clear tactic from Andrew McQualter by swinging Balta forward to nullify Aliir, stopping the Power gun’s natural intercepting game went a long way in keeping Richmond in the game.

Take notice Port’s finals opponents ....

“Noah Balta has been fantastic … he really gave Aliir Aliir a full set of cards he had to deal with,” Hawks legend Dermott Brereton said on Fox Footy.

“He struggled there for a little bit and has had very little effect on the game.”

However Aliir would take five of his eight intercepts in the third quarter alone to build confidence and help turn the game.

Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson noted that Port Adelaide playing more in its forward half – winning the inside 50 count 19-9 in the third term – allowed Aliir to “be more dangerous on the wings” and not “caught out in defensive 50.”

Ironically, Brereton believes Balta was more cautious of Aliir in the third term instead of playing his natural game.

“It was as if Noah Balta said: ‘Right, I’m just going to play on Aliir Aliir this quarter and tag him.’ But he got off the chain,” the five-time premiership player said.

“It’s amazing we can call it a centre half back getting off the chain. But all those intercepts in the third quarter, it was just so strong for his team there.

“Noah Balta was a handful when he went and marked the ball in the first half, he changed his game style approach there.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/live-afl-2023-port-adelaide-power-v-richmond-tigers-round-24-live-scores-updates-stats-video-stream-result-news-blog/news-story/c14256a3e9d27d1b2007fb125eb59068

[one-eyed]

Most intercept marks 2023

Balta 88
Weitering 84
Ballard 82

https://twitter.com/_tigertime/status/1697567031183417828

[one-eyed]

24 today 


https://twitter.com/Richmond_FC/status/1716223656198856974

[one-eyed]

Biggest AFL pre-agents already on club whiteboards for 2024

David Zita
Fox Sports
October 30th, 2023

Noah Balta (Richmond)

Balta is a player who oozes potential and has had stages where he looked to have put the pieces together. He’s always prone to some moments that leave fans pulling their hair out, but equally he can be a gamebreaking force when his dash out of defence helps create scores for his side. He’s only just turned 24 and his best years are ahead. We saw this off-season the market for someone like Esava Ratugolea, who was largely unproven as an interceptor, so the value Balta could command would be high.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-news-2023-top-preagents-for-2024-season-out-of-contract-after-2025-free-agents-trade-targets-best-players-sam-taylor-tom-de-koning-oscar-allen/news-story/78ed93599e23984c2aace16525081db1

[one-eyed]

WHY RIEWOLDT BACKS YZE’S CALL TO PICK STAR DEFENDER AS HIS FORWARD REPLACEMENT

By Lachlan Geleit
SEN
8 Feb 2024

Richmond great Jack Riewoldt is getting used to life after football after calling time on his 17-year career at the end of last season.

After 347 games and 787 goals in the yellow and black, Riewoldt leaves a huge hole in Richmond’s forward line and the Tigers are set to get creative to find Tom Lynch’s new inside 50 partner.

While Jacob Koschitzke could be that man after joining from Hawthorn in the trade period, the Tigers could also be set to use premiership defender Noah Balta as a key forward with new coach Adem Yze said to prefer the 24-year-old at the other end of the ground.

Even though Balta has played the majority of his 85 games down back, and took the third most intercept marks in the AFL last season, he’s still shown great promise as a forward at stages and Riewoldt agrees with Yze that the power athlete is best used in attack.

“Yeah, I’d play him forward,” Riewoldt said on SEN’s The Run Home.

“I think he can add more value up forward. They’ve got a couple of backs with (Josh) Gibcus coming back that can shore up the back end.

“I’d like to play Balta up forward if I was Adem Yze.”

As an onlooker, Riewoldt hopes the Tigers have a good year coming off a 13th-placed finish and he’s most looking forward to the Opening Round clash against Gold Coast and their new leader, Richmond’s triple-premiership coach Damien Hardwick.

“It’ll be a good year for the Tigers, hopefully,” Riewoldt said.

“I'm really interested in the first game, which will be the Opening Round, as it’s been slated.

“I just think that the AFL have worked their magic perfectly, the Tiger army will be heading up to the Gold Coast to watch one of their favourite sons coach against them.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/02/07/why-riewoldt-backs-yzes-call-to-pick-star-defender-as-his-forward/

[the claw]

Whilst ive been an advocate for him playing fwd it seems to me that now depends on how well Gibcus can come back and if Grimes is not shot.
We really dont have a lot of tall fwds or defenders on the list especially in development. If those two cannot play real good footy for us then it leaves only Young which means Balta will have to play back.

Miller who to date has shown he is not a fwd imo, is lucky to be there and at age 24 you have to ask how much more development is left..
Bauer who is not exactly what you would call a big kpp but a tall who may be able to play kpp if things get bad..
Gibcus who has to come back from injury.
Ryan who lets face it is a ruckman and with Balta playing fwd will not get a game not with Lynch and Koschitzke there as well.
Fawcett is only just starting and i would strongly argue he is the only genuine  kpf we have in early development.

Imo with 5 ruckmen  Naismith, Nankervis, Ryan, Colina and OH-B we have one  too many possibly two. Imo  those two spots should have gone to Genuine kpp's. We imo and a lot disagree,  i firmly believe excluding running players like McIntosh and Broad we need a total of 16 talls/kpp's on the list that allows for depth and succession planning.it also gives us a bit more leeway on picks we may get wrong.

Every team mostly go into games with two kpf's with either a third tall fwd or a ruck/fwd. Every team has two kpd's and a third tall defender its pretty standard structure so logic tells me as a club we need to be mirroring that structure in our second team.That means just there 12 players and 3 or four ruckmen.

At the end of the day i suppose im advocating we actually have a few more kpp's in our system.

[Gracie]

Whilst ive been an advocate for him playing fwd it seems to me that now depends on how well Gibcus can come back and if Grimes is not shot.
We really dont have a lot of tall fwds or defenders on the list especially in development. If those two cannot play real good footy for us then it leaves only Young which means Balta will have to play back.

Miller who to date has shown he is not a fwd imo, is lucky to be there and at age 24 you have to ask how much more development is left..
Bauer who is not exactly what you would call a big kpp but a tall who may be able to play kpp if things get bad..
Gibcus who has to come back from injury.
Ryan who lets face it is a ruckman and with Balta playing fwd will not get a game not with Lynch and Koschitzke there as well.
Fawcett is only just starting and i would strongly argue he is the only genuine  kpf we have in early development.

Imo with 5 ruckmen  Naismith, Nankervis, Ryan, Colina and OH-B we have one  too many possibly two. Imo  those two spots should have gone to Genuine kpp's. We imo and a lot disagree,  i firmly believe excluding running players like McIntosh and Broad we need a total of 16 talls/kpp's on the list that allows for depth and succession planning.it also gives us a bit more leeway on picks we may get wrong.

Every team mostly go into games with two kpf's with either a third tall fwd or a ruck/fwd. Every team has two kpd's and a third tall defender its pretty standard structure so logic tells me as a club we need to be mirroring that structure in our second team.That means just there 12 players and 3 or four ruckmen.

At the end of the day i suppose im advocating we actually have a few more kpp's in our system.

Colina and Hayes-Brown are cat B rookies and as such do not take up positions on the main list. No where guaranteed to progress but Soldo was once a cat B rookie. Rolling the dice

Three main ruckmen on the main list is the correct amount

[Diocletian]

Henceforth our forward line will be known collectively as "Paul" and the back line "Peter"....

[one-eyed]

Balta confirmed as a forward this year  .

Watch here: https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1755866288176656561

and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwTW8iivv3Q

[Diocletian]

It'll go about as well as when the Filth did the same with Darcy Moore - who was as convincing as a forward as he is a heterosexual...

[Tigeritis™©®]

It'll go about as well as when the Filth did the same with Darcy Moore - who was as convincing as a forward as he is a heterosexual...

[Simonator]

You know he has a girlfriend ?