Noah Balta - Does he have the AFL's rarest skill set?

[bzparkes]

Which club went down that road exactly?

Pushing out most of their mature players to focus on youth? North are the most obvious example.

Slash & burn doesn't work, because no A-graders are going to want to move to your club. because any chance of success is too far away, so you end up over-relying on on the kids before they're ready, then are stuck trying to bring in middling talent.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I'd say 5 years is probably the maximum a player should be considering, unless they have a career start like Daicos and sign through to FA.

Sure, players want security but anything more than 5 is irresponsible, IMO.

Yep, brilliant. In a planet where Battle and Perryman are getting 6 year deals on $900k+ BZP is going to tell all his premium players you can't have a deal longer than 5 years unless you are squib Daicos.

Cue mass exodus.

I've got news for you BZP. If Noah Balta was at Eagles, he would be getting contracted until 32 years of age, just like is happening at Richmond.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Pushing out most of their mature players to focus on youth? North are the most obvious example.

Slash & burn doesn't work, because no A-graders are going to want to move to your club. because any chance of success is too far away, so you end up over-relying on on the kids before they're ready, then are stuck trying to bring in middling talent.

Geelong built a dynasty essentially from high draft picks.

Hawthorn built a dynasty from high draft picks.

Richmond built a dynasty from high draft picks.

Melbourne had a cleanout and won a flag 7-8 years later.

Richmond are letting 4 players in the 25-27yo range go. They will retain 8 Premiership players on their list. And Taranto, Hopper, Miller, Ross, Mansell, Rioli Jnr who are already established within the team. Plus 5 x top 30 draft picks from 2021. Plus a player like Campbell who seems to have found a place for himself in the team.

This is not North melbourne because North Melbourne didn't have players to sell to net them 6 or more rd 1 draft picks in a strong draft.

It is unprecedented. So you will just have to wait 4-5 years and see how the Tigers new draftees are progressing. Along with likely 2-3 decent free agents and some decent trades the club is likely to secure over the next 3-4 years.

 

[Daka]

Gee, clubs really are getting dumber.

You literally have the Clayton Oliver situation right there(+ previous issues with Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, etc) and Richmond go and do this.

So, so dumb.

I can't imagine anyone else was offering him a similar contract they had to match to keep him.

The problem is the landscape of the AFL right now, everyone is getting 6-7 year deals, if Richmond didn't do it someone else would have. I totally agree though... it's getting ridiculous.

 

[BF Tiger]

If it's seven years at $1,000,000 then yes, I agree it's stupid.
If it's seven years at $500,000 then I think most footy followers would think that is good business.

Probably lies somewhere in-between.

Wonder if it is indexed to increases in TPP. $700,000 might seem cheap in the 2031/32.

 

[boncer34]

The problem is the landscape of the AFL right now, everyone is getting 6-7 year deals, if Richmond didn't do it someone else would have. I totally agree though... it's getting ridiculous.

No they wouldn't.

 

[V_23]

blaisee must be in charge of giving out contracts at Punt Road

7 years!?

 

[blaisee]

The player with the afl rarest skill set gets the afls rarest contract .

Well what do you know ?

Bloke is a unicorn and would have a number of 7 year contract from many clubs to choose from .

 

[juss]

He's a gun, glad to secure him for the next 7 years, he's a tremendous athlete so I dont see his body failing him.

Put him at CHB and then set and forget he's a very good KPD and interceptor locked in and secures one of the key positions.

 

[juss]

Tom Lynch getting paid $1.5m next year and can't even get on the park 'working out' for you? Yes, helped with the 2 flags but now you're stuck paying a bloke who will barely play and you can't even trade him out.

I'd trade back the 2 flags if it meant we had another million in cap space next year for sure, good take.

 

[Lingsface]

Wow at that contract! He genuinely has always reminded me of Ratogulea. Great frame, athleticism but you just are always thinking imagine if he new what to do how good he could be!

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Wow at that contract! He genuinely has always reminded me of Ratogulea. Great frame, athleticism but you just are always thinking imagine if he new what to do how good he could be!

Same except one is a Premiership player who can roost it 70m both feet and has an 8 year stipulation, and the other is Ratugolea.

 

[tiger_tough]

Tom Lynch getting paid $1.5m next year and can't even get on the park 'working out' for you? Yes, helped with the 2 flags but now you're stuck paying a bloke who will barely play and you can't even trade him out.

There goes any money to bring in any decent players with some of the picks Richmond are reported to be potentially getting.

4x premiership players out the door, 3 of them in your top 5 B&F, with a bunch of unproven talent to replace them.

There's not one club this millennium that's had a happy outcome going down that road.

Tom Lynch has paid his dues already son. Anything after the 1st flag was a bonus. The money isn't a problem, we obviously had his cash available even before Rioli, Graham and Bolton bailed. Then there's Dusty's $1.3mill, Grimes' cash. Millions of dollars freed up.

 

[boncer34]

Tom Lynch has paid his dues already son. Anything after the 1st flag was a bonus. The money isn't a problem, we obviously had his cash available even before Rioli, Graham and Bolton bailed. Then there's Dusty's $1.3mill, Grimes' cash. Millions of dollars freed up.

Tigers war chest.

 

[juss]

Also given our list position, I assume Balta's deal is heavily front loaded, where we have ample cap room and don't really have cap pressure being a bottom team, so assuming smart cap management which we trust Blair to do, he's probably quite cheap on the back end of his deal where we are hopefully rising up the ladder in that time.

 

[Rich01]

Tom Lynch getting paid $1.5m next year and can't even get on the park 'working out' for you?

Believe his contract was around $6.3m for seven seasons. For that today you get Perryman.

For us it netted two flags.

Take that contract any day.

 

[blaisee]

Balta is a player you can build your team around

 

[ThatsjustDappa]

Well All Australians demand big contracts.

 

[Wojcinski]

as much as I like to make fun of our little brother Richmond, this is a good signing. Balta is the only AFL level player under the age of 27 they have on their list heading into 2025