Player Watch #21: Noah Balta - Signed Until 2032

[_RT_]

While I've been an advocate for Noah playing in the back line, I'm actually pleased to hear Yze wants to keep him forward even though Gibcus has gone down. If we let him develop for a season who knows just how good he could become up forward and as a 2nd ruck

 

[tunksy]

keep playing hum forward and bring in miller

put kozi in the backline at vfl level.

 

[Andyy]

Can Kosi actually play KPD or is he generally crap at everything?

Been very uninspired watching him play forward.

 

[Hank Heavenly]

If you haven't got if from Yze yet, you are not listening.

He will back his players in, Balta is satying forward.

I assume he will also back kozi for more than one game as a forward

 

[richoplzbreed]

The article about Miller is basically the media dept telegraphing he's the Gibcus replacement this year. Balta MUST stay FWD or at least this FWD/ ruck combo all year. The ridiculous salaries Ratogolea, Doedee, McKay and Zerk got last year can easily see Balta getting offers of >$1.1mil when he's a FA. Can't afford to lose him he's our only consistent young A graders.


That powerful lead and grab last week has showed what he's capable of. So long as our moron mids stop missing our KPF and putting it on the defenders tit, I can't see Balta and Lynch getting out marked too often so will be plenty of crumbs for Bolton, Dusty & Clarke to start really kicking some goals. He's drifted from 151-1 to 81-1 (TAB) and 101-1 (sportsbet). So get on him he'll be 20-1 soon.

 

[Daka]

Yze already spoke on SEN, saying their determined for him to stay forward as they already know he can play defense and go back if an injury happens to a defender.

 

[Nerflardio2424]

lynch will get the best defender every week you’d think, Noah’s athleticism would send shivers down most 2nd/3rd defenders panties

 

[BearMe]

Bolta is much better player down back he does not have forward craft needs to be lead to ball.

 

[Growapair]

Bolta is much better player down back he does not have forward craft needs to be lead to ball.

Absolutely ... play him in backline ... he will get 25+ disposals and impact the game ... Yze is making the. rookie coach mistake ...

Staying attached to the game plan when it ain't going to get a win in the short term

We must be competitive to inspire the players confidence ... his preferred game plan is based on winning contested ball and centre clearance ... No Taranto Hopper and Ross means that ain't happening ...

Last week's loss was because he hasn't changed the game plan to fit the players currently available.

He left Young, Miller and Brown to deal with Darcy, Ugly Hagan and Naughton ffs ... no wonder they kicked a cricket score.

With Balta at full back we would have halved their score and been in the game ... Balta Vlastuin Broad spent years together winning premierships out of defence ... he should be leaning on that until he gets Taranto back

 

[tunksy]

First game back after injury and it’s immediately play him down back again

 

[banzai]

Absolutely ... play him in backline ... he will get 25+ disposals and impact the game ... Yze is making the. rookie coach mistake ...

Staying attached to the game plan when it ain't going to get a win in the short term

We must be competitive to inspire the players confidence ... his preferred game plan is based on winning contested ball and centre clearance ... No Taranto Hopper and Ross means that ain't happening ...

Last week's loss was because he hasn't changed the game plan to fit the players currently available.

He left Young, Miller and Brown to deal with Darcy, Ugly Hagan and Naughton ffs ... no wonder they kicked a cricket score.

With Balta at full back we would have halved their score and been in the game ... Balta Vlastuin Broad spent years together winning premierships out of defence ... he should be leaning on that until he gets Taranto back

I would prefer he played in defence but halved their score lol. He had some shocking games in defence late last season, hes not Rance, he has lapses in games and will still get goals kicked on him.

Also why would we be in the game if we cant score anyway? It wasnt like the Melbourne game where our midfield led by Hopper was excellent. No defence was holding up to an uncompetetive midfield like that.

 

[fargothegreat]

I say keep him forward for the whole year. If it hasn't worked by then recruit some key forwards and move him back again.

 

[Vassp]

we could play Balta at CHF , give us some marking power as we seem to break down there most games lately.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Bolta is much better player down back he does not have forward craft needs to be lead to ball.

I agree, he's better in the backline, but playing in the forward line allows him to go into the ruck

 

[RobsJourney]

Here's my 2 cents...

- We have maybe a decent forward in Balta, but every time the experiment has been tried, it has either failed or just been average. He is also exposed to the ruck and risks injury there given he is not a specialist in that position. One little knock to the knee was all it took to put him out for a third of the season.

- We have an elite AA level defender with a booming kick in Balta who, alongside Josh Gibcus and potentially Luke Trainor if we draft him, as well as Tom Brown, will form an amazing defence for the next decade, the latter half of which should be incredible.

We're in no position to contend now, so why turn an elite defender into a likely bust forward, when we have time up our sleeve to either draft or trade in our next key forward?

Put Balta back where he belongs.

 

[TigerImposter]

Here's my 2 cents...

- We have maybe a decent forward in Balta, but every time the experiment has been tried, it has either failed or just been average. He is also exposed to the ruck and risks injury there given he is not a specialist in that position. One little knock to the knee was all it took to put him out for a third of the season.

- We have an elite AA level defender with a booming kick in Balta who, alongside Josh Gibcus and potentially Luke Trainor if we draft him, as well as Tom Brown, will form an amazing defence for the next decade, the latter half of which should be incredible.

We're in no position to contend now, so why turn an elite defender into a likely bust forward, when we have time up our sleeve to either draft or trade in our next key forward?

Put Balta back where he belongs.

Well said.

 

[barracoutta]

let Yze create his own team - if that means using Balta forward let him! Backs need time to develop and the current kids are earning valuable experience.

i've noticed Balta getting higher up the ground creating contests - again valuable experience for him. Has the ptoential be a handy type like Bliclavs though the midfield

 

[RobsJourney]

let Yze create his own team - if that means using Balta forward let him! Backs need time to develop and the current kids are earning valuable experience.

i've noticed Balta getting higher up the ground creating contests - again valuable experience for him. Has the ptoential be a handy type like Bliclavs though the midfield

How often do these utility/handy types do much? Look at our premiership sides, all players played in their natural positions. Look at most gun sides that play well in finals; generally your most natural footballers take over when the shit gets real, the pure mids, the gun key backs and key forwards.
Balta was a key defender in one of our flags too, 4 years ago at a very young age. Miller and Young aren't showing anywhere near that much, valuable experience or not.

I don't mind experimenting when a player is STRUGGLING at AFL level in their natural position, but when they're thriving in their natural position, why the bloody hell would you move them? You have one puzzle piece solved in your next premiership team which, by no coincidence, makes it so much easier to lock in other parts of your 22 (eg when you have a prime Rance or prime Dusty, you can almost put anyone around that level of player, not saying Balta is that level btw). By uprooting Balta, we may just destroy his career and our own path forward, the flow on effect could be that we draft a key defender at a pick that turns out to be crappy, when we could have drafted a gun midfielder or forward if Balta was playing where he clearly belongs.

I just think too much stuffing around ends up stifling rather than improving.

 

[barracoutta]

How often do these utility/handy types do much? Look at our premiership sides, all players played in their natural positions. Look at most gun sides that play well in finals; generally your most natural footballers take over when the s**t gets real, the pure mids, the gun key backs and key forwards.
Balta was a key defender in one of our flags too, 4 years ago at a very young age. Miller and Young aren't showing anywhere near that much, valuable experience or not.

I don't mind experimenting when a player is STRUGGLING at AFL level in their natural position, but when they're thriving in their natural position, why the bloody hell would you move them? You have one puzzle piece solved in your next premiership team which, by no coincidence, makes it so much easier to lock in other parts of your 22 (eg when you have a prime Rance or prime Dusty, you can almost put anyone around that level of player, not saying Balta is that level btw). By uprooting Balta, we may just destroy his career and our own path forward, the flow on effect could be that we draft a key defender at a pick that turns out to be crappy, when we could have drafted a gun midfielder or forward if Balta was playing where he clearly belongs.

I just think too much stuffing around ends up stifling rather than improving.

I'm just saying this is Yze's team - if he sees his best position forward rather than back then let him.

i dont disagree with your thoughts - but let's just see how this plays out and form an opinion down the track, understanding Yze vs Dimma game plan might be better suited for Balta as a forward. i thought he played pretty good in that game before he got injured

 

[Tiger2709]

I agree, he's better in the backline, but playing in the forward line allows him to go into the ruck

Also his occasional brain farts don't hurt as much, stick with him up forward, what do we have to lose apart from a few more games, now's the time to sort out who can play where.

 

[A Tiger 4 lyf]

Lefau has better leading patterns etc

Noahs a defender, he’s playing forward because we severely lack in that department and was seen as the best choice

Sign a proper key forward & this guy goes back to fullback




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[juss]

We all hope so because it would solve a huge problem for us, but the signs so far is he can be a solid forward, or a great defender.
I'd go the great defender any day given that choice.

Quoting from Feb, still feel the same.

Reckon we could use an elite defender right now more than an okay forward.

 

[26_Miles]

Can we please just put him in defence where he plays his best footy? Every now and then he’ll have a good game up forward due to his athletic abilities but he’s such a better defender.

It won’t fix us but at least it allows Noah to play his best football.

 

[Profop]

Who plays forward if not him currently? He’s clearly our only option

His main problem is that he’s not a number 1 option. He looked so much better with Lynch in the team

 

[JackNah_8]

Who plays forward if not him currently? He’s clearly our only option

His main problem is that he’s not a number 1 option. He looked so much better with Lynch in the team

Kosi or Ryan?

We don't have many options