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Player Watch #21: Noah Balta - Signed Until 2032
- Thread starter Grockadoc
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Cdog71
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- Sep 21, 2017
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I might be wrong here but to me he looks like he hasn’t really learn’t any position, and if he’s played a lot of juniors that’s a bit of a worry.
Wherever he plays he kinda looks like a ruck rover who can try and take a mark.
Naughton made him look like he didn’t know how to body up very well against someone as good as him at marking and when he’s forward he can get in the way a bit.
If he’s playing CHB at vfl level he’s probably getting the second best tall forward at VFL level, that player might be second or third in line for a call up.
It’s great seeing him play but I hope he doesn’t end up a jack of all trades so to speak.
Wherever he plays he kinda looks like a ruck rover who can try and take a mark.
Naughton made him look like he didn’t know how to body up very well against someone as good as him at marking and when he’s forward he can get in the way a bit.
If he’s playing CHB at vfl level he’s probably getting the second best tall forward at VFL level, that player might be second or third in line for a call up.
It’s great seeing him play but I hope he doesn’t end up a jack of all trades so to speak.
Dr Tigris
Brownlow Medallist
Alternatively if he can become a good ruck rover who can compete with the monsters that would be very nice. Anyway hoep he hits his ceiling, whatever position he plays.
Rance is also an amazing athlete and he uses that ability incredibly as a backman. Richo was a gun forward the moment he walked through the door and kicked 56 goals at the same age Balta is right now. Naughton is the same age as Balta and torched everyone. Balta has shown next to nothing as a natural forward... right now.
It think his best position right now is the one he is playing. He and Miller, who I am also very positive about (and I think will be a CHF) held down the key defensive posts as 18 year olds last year in the VFL. There are some very good players in the VFL. I have no doubts he could be made into a gun CHB.
Sure get his tank up and play him on the wing. He could be amazing. Time will tell.
Phar Ace
Brownlow Medallist
I'd really like to hear from one of his coaches because from what I see he would be really hard to coach as he appears to be pure instinct.
That's not necessarily bad, but it makes him hard to fit into a Dimma-made process-based team. Every now and then he's a bit like the Wild Man of Borneo attending a Devonshire Tea Party - so out of place, yet completely engaging and a little bit terrifying about what might be next - ala that dummy-spit when Naughton marked.
That said, it's exciting to watch not really knowing what might show up quarter to quarter with him.
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parmy2balmey
stay moderated
like rance except rance showed none of the outrageous attacking flair
Muddiemoose
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- Aug 24, 2017
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Part of the reason I prefer him in a forward role over the backline
If he gives away a free I’m the forward line we can still win the ball back but if he’s playing in the backline and gives a couple away it could be costly on the scoreboard
You look at Balta's natural football attributes, tall, very strong, can jump, can sprint very fast, and kick the ball very long on both sides. He is a perfect metres gained player. Ultimately you would think lurking around half back is the natural habitat for that type of player in order to make the most of his gifts. Any role that allows him to dwelling that area of the ground should see some very penetrating balls being pumped forward. There are several ways to get him into that area. Ruck dropping back, orthodox CHB, or starting forward drifting back and being used as a conduit carry the ball from defence and back his carry and long shoe to take his opponent out of play if he tries to stay around his team's half back line. It is possibly the latter I favour at this stage, but it is always foolish in sport to focus team plans solely around maxing the return from one player, especially at the expense of tried and true methods. So we may need to be patient to see the best of Balta. In the meantime, he is great to watch.
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- Aug 25, 2018
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I think the last few pages demonstrate that while we all differ in our remedies we all recognise there are issues with our talls.
For me, I guess it comes down to three things:
(a) We have a great talent in Balta but we don't know how best to utilise him.
(b) Nank is a great contested mark and would be an asset up forward. Both in hitting the scoreboard and helping out Lynch.
(c) We need a competitive tap ruckman and that isn't Nank. He judges the flight so much better than his opponents when the ball is kicked but can't get his hands on it when thrown up or bounced.
My solution has been to go for Soldo allowing Nank to go forward. I know that is not a popular view, not that anything we say matters anyway, but if a ruckman comes in I can't see it being anyone else because Soldo does pretty much all the ruck duties in the reserves. Clearly, he is rated the superior understudy at present.
If we don't do this then I don't know how we get another target up forward. Not to mention that Moore is now injured as well.
For me, I guess it comes down to three things:
(a) We have a great talent in Balta but we don't know how best to utilise him.
(b) Nank is a great contested mark and would be an asset up forward. Both in hitting the scoreboard and helping out Lynch.
(c) We need a competitive tap ruckman and that isn't Nank. He judges the flight so much better than his opponents when the ball is kicked but can't get his hands on it when thrown up or bounced.
My solution has been to go for Soldo allowing Nank to go forward. I know that is not a popular view, not that anything we say matters anyway, but if a ruckman comes in I can't see it being anyone else because Soldo does pretty much all the ruck duties in the reserves. Clearly, he is rated the superior understudy at present.
If we don't do this then I don't know how we get another target up forward. Not to mention that Moore is now injured as well.
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Morro
Brownlow Medallist
Has he taken a contested mark yet?
Can't seem to clunk any which is a shame for his size.
Can't seem to clunk any which is a shame for his size.
Phar Ace
Brownlow Medallist
One against each of the Bullies and Swans. It'll come with confidence hopefully. Naughton had just 4 in his first 5 games in 2018, but by season's end was clunking then well (15 in his last 5 games of season 2018)
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My concern is he looks a great athlete but lacks a lot of football smarts and as mentioned he doesn’t have a locked in position either. I guess I am a touch less bullish than 99% here seem to be.
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Miller is an exciting prospect, but atm he’s a little boy in a big mans body. When the brain comes in sync with that body he is going to be one hell of a beast.
Rance was not born a natural footballer, he was born an athlete who learnt the game through his will to compete. Riewoldt was not born an athlete, he was born a footballer who improved his athleticism through his will to compete.
Balta is a Rance. Hes not a natural enough footballer to just ask him to swing around all parts of the ground and influence it. He wont. He is a raw athlete with unlimited athletic potential but he needs to be taught how to football as either a forward or a defender. He could be great at either, or only decent at both. By the end of this year, its time to make a call which one.
Do we want a solid-good big versatile utility, or a genuine KPP at one end who could be anything in time?
Balta is a Rance. Hes not a natural enough footballer to just ask him to swing around all parts of the ground and influence it. He wont. He is a raw athlete with unlimited athletic potential but he needs to be taught how to football as either a forward or a defender. He could be great at either, or only decent at both. By the end of this year, its time to make a call which one.
Do we want a solid-good big versatile utility, or a genuine KPP at one end who could be anything in time?
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At least we would not have to worry about his kicking for goal!
- Apr 27, 2014
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At the same age Rance was uncoordinated and very clumsy with his disposal. However his athleticism was always there , but just wayward bc Rance being Rance wanted to be in every contest. I remember some Carlton bloke(Fisher???) kicked 7 on him at Preston very early on in his career and Rance was throwing himself at every contest, but he was totally fooled by a more experienced opponent. By the end of the day after the seventh was kicked on him he was exhausted and he was on all fours in despair with his head wanting to be buried in the ground.
People were laughing at him and saying he would never make it let alone be a defender. My opinion was that with his determination,athleticism and physique he could be anything if properly educated and I’m not sure whether I was laughed at more than Rance that day for the comments . Miller is a bigger build , but he has the prospects of being a very good ruck/ chf and with Balta plus CCJ we snagged some very good mobile big men late 17. Education and development are big factors with these big men and also the FD knowing where there true strengths lie. For example for years I used to argue with bro that Richo was a waste in the FL and should run around free further up the ground and when it happened it was bloody amazing to see how more naturally gifted this guy was.
So I’m glad Balta is getting a look at all sides of the globe, but I want him to be a Richo-Kouta man as I see him in the same league. I could be wrong , but at least we’ll see it tried early in his career and not like Richo at 138yo .
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Morro
Brownlow Medallist
stop it. If that was true, he would be played there.
