Noah Balta - Welcome to Tigerland | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Noah Balta - Welcome to Tigerland

They haven’t actually announced the results of the scans yet so hoping there’s no structural knee damage. Do they need the swelling to subside to get a clearer picture?
Looks like only bone bruising on his knee so dodged a bullet there.
Operated on today for his significant ankle syndesmosis injury
 
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I've been very consistent in my take on this bloke. From the first intra club to 2021 I have been convinced that Noah Balta is a small.

Noah Balta is a ground player. Ground acquisition. Blistering disposal in traffic. Ground skills. Risk taker.

You might wonder why we don't see that. It's because we're playing him at full back.

Noah Balta is not a natural aerialist. Has not shown this ever in my years of viewing him. He can take a catch but he's a two-footer. Not a leaper.

Has anybody else noticed how much better DTL looks in the role (last week) than the enigmatic but mercurial Noah Balta?

I think Noah is a tall point guard. Must not board. It's hard for tall point guards. Smaller ones get under them and around them.

In Australian Rules Football we get three point guards if we want them.

Noah will probably not come on quickly. He has had a shocking football education. (Or didn't pay attention. Who did?)

I believe we should rebreak Noah as a change mid. Part time point guard. And as a #3 forward (Not for the boards. Not a marking target.) A running player who gets high and shoots from outside. (Shooting guard.)

Noah Balta is a small. Always was. Let's play him small.

(Keep him off the paint. He's a guard.)

BTW does he actually have a basketball background?
 
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Yeah, at the time I thought it wasn't knee as he was walking off the ground. But damned hard to tell, an almost complete lack of medical training doesn't help, but most players I've seen who have done an ACL/PCL or the like tend to need a lot of help leaving the ground.

DS
Ive done an acl. I played out a mixed netball grand final on it. … You can walk on it fine but it’s extremely unstable and if you try and change direction it feels like the top half of your leg is moving independently of the bottom half as like the tigers at the moment it lacks connection

obviously a lot of internal bleeding etc gets it the next day but I don’t think I had crutches until after the oppo. Long time ago though!
 
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Ive done an acl. I played out a mixed netball grand final on it. … You can walk on it fine but it’s extremely unstable and if you try and change direction it feels like the top half of your leg is moving independently of the bottom half as like the tigers at the moment it lacks connection

obviously a lot of internal bleeding etc gets it the next day but I don’t think I had crutches until after the oppo. Long time ago though!

Hmm, I suppose my partner still manages to walk around, albeit with issues and don't ask her to run and turn, but the diagnosis on her ACL (which has been an issue for decades) is that it is "vacant". She don't have one any more.

DS
 
Noah will probably not come on quickly.
You can't be serious? He is young. Think of Rance at his age. Astbury has played in the backline for about 8 years. Balta has 2 years experience in the backline. I think you have lost perspective with your view. I would like to give a burst in the midfield/wing. However, he is a big boy and in tight could be a bridge to far. The issue will be if we do not replace Astbury quickly. Then he could be overexposed with not enough help.
 
I'm quite serious, st. FWIW you seem to agree. At least that's your post says.
 
Heh heh. "How dare you say Noah won't come on quickly! Give him time!"

Would love to see Noah forward with some time on-ball. We'd need to find two key backs, though.
 
I've been very consistent in my take on this bloke. From the first intra club to 2021 I have been convinced that Noah Balta is a small.

Noah Balta is a ground player. Ground acquisition. Blistering disposal in traffic. Ground skills. Risk taker.

You might wonder why we don't see that. It's because we're playing him at full back.

Noah Balta is not a natural aerialist. Has not shown this ever in my years of viewing him. He can take a catch but he's a two-footer. Not a leaper.

Has anybody else noticed how much better DTL looks in the role (last week) than the enigmatic but mercurial Noah Balta?

I think Noah is a tall point guard. Must not board. It's hard for tall point guards. Smaller ones get under them and around them.

In Australian Rules Football we get three point guards if we want them.

Noah will probably not come on quickly. He has had a shocking football education. (Or didn't pay attention. Who did?)

I believe we should rebreak Noah as a change mid. Part time point guard. And as a #3 forward (Not for the boards. Not a marking target.) A running player who gets high and shoots from outside. (Shooting guard.)

Noah Balta is a small. Always was. Let's play him small.

(Keep him off the paint. He's a guard.)

BTW does he actually have a basketball background?
Nah I think that might be Pendlebury, I think I may have heard that whispered somewhere once.
 
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Pendles is certainly a point guard, craigybabes. LeBron Petracca too. It's no disadvantage.
 
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I've been very consistent in my take on this bloke. From the first intra club to 2021 I have been convinced that Noah Balta is a small.
You've also been consistent as long as I've known you that the best talls are smalls.
 
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Heh heh. "How dare you say Noah won't come on quickly! Give him time!"

Would love to see Noah forward with some time on-ball. We'd need to find two key backs, though.
I’ve always liked him down back , due to that lack of natural forward craft and reading of the play from Balta , however I can see him been a great foil for Lynch up forward , big issue atm ,besides him been injured is we appear cupboard bare in the big blokes down back , DTLD is on his own , really need Biggie to come on and come on quick , but I doubt he’ll impact too much next year.
 
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Totally, spooker. All they have to do is bring it to ground. And that's where Noah is a not a natural and is not there atm. Noah could play full back again next year and go quantum. But to date his most brilliant stuff has been at ground level with the ball. And I'm beginning to wonder if we're robbed of that with his playing full back to a passable level.

Particularly when we got another look at DTL last week and he was clearly better in our structure. A reminder.

I'm looking at this list for talent. And I think we need to reimagine 2022. New vision.

FWIW I think we've begun this. Hence Daniel Rioli to HBF in the magoos. There will have to be more than just that. And maybe we should give this bloke a chance to take some risks wit the ball. And to attack it at ground level.
 
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his most brilliant stuff has been at ground level with the ball. And I'm beginning to wonder if we're robbed of that with his playing full back to a passable level
Balta is a freak athlete, and we are definitely limiting his potential output by playing him at full back. In terms of match-winning impact, he could be like a bigger version of Dusty - how many players do we have (or does any team have) that have that unstoppable ability to win their own ball, break lines and kick three goals within five minutes in a GF?

If we could fast forward a year or two and be told Balta had just won the Norm Smith medal, we wouldn't be the least bit surprised. But he probably won't do it from full back.

I remember, whenever you were playing against the likes of Pavlich, Hird, Koutafides, you always knew you were just one quick, unstoppable burst away from staring at defeat.

I have a simple question - what would be easier:
  • find a good KPD and move Noah up the ground
  • keep Noah back and find another Noah to send forward?
Lots of luck finding another Balta!
 
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Balta is a freak athlete, and we are definitely limiting his potential output by playing him at full back. In terms of match-winning impact, he could be like a bigger version of Dusty - how many players do we have (or does any team have) that have that unstoppable ability to win their own ball, break lines and kick three goals within five minutes in a GF?
We have Jack.
Jack Graham that is
 
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I’ve always liked him down back , due to that lack of natural forward craft and reading of the play from Balta , however I can see him been a great foil for Lynch up forward , big issue atm ,besides him been injured is we appear cupboard bare in the big blokes down back , DTLD is on his own , really need Biggie to come on and come on quick , but I doubt he’ll impact too much next year.
Not sure Biggie will make it at all but that might be because he was carrying that latest injury last time I watched him - that Port Melb game I think. But you've forgotten about Miller.

Probably because he is the ... forgotten man.
 
Totally, spooker. All they have to do is bring it to ground. And that's where Noah is a not a natural and is not there atm. Noah could play full back again next year and go quantum. But to date his most brilliant stuff has been at ground level with the ball. And I'm beginning to wonder if we're robbed of that with his playing full back to a passable level.

...
We prised Balta into Fullback to keep our other hybrid talls and our saggers. Plus DLTD and NB couldn't play well together.

But mid? Give him a whistle as he'll get lost and need rescuing.
Forward? As Mr B said does he have the smarts and fox cunning?

Noah,s best play is to hit the incoming at speed and rebound. Play him half back
 
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