Player Watch #21: Noah Balta

[tigerwill]

She was the gym teacher at noahs old school st Bernards nothing to see here just like any teacher student reunion

eleni glouftsis

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

eats a whole raw pig for breakfest lunch and tea

You claimed he was vegan or are we still discussing the female umpire ??

 

[guruisatiger]

eleni glouftsis

That's her

 

[Al Heimer]

eleni glouftsis

More Eleni and less Curtis please Gil.

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Roksman]

and hes a vegan too

imagine if he was carnivore

You claimed he was vegan or are we still discussing the female umpire ??

There's no such thing as a Croatian Vegan, that's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one.

 

[CaptchaProofBot]

I tap you now, you tap me later , ok ?

 

[GoTigers2015]

 

[parmy2balmey]

too unselfish, could have run his full measure and slotted it

 

[DontArgue4]

that is a large kick.....

on his non preferred

could be anything this kid

 

[richoatthedisco]

This kid is a superstar in the making. Just play him. He's raw but ready to run with the big dogs. He'll learn so much more in the 1s than the 2s.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

This kid is a superstar in the making. Just play him. He's raw but ready to run with the big dogs. He'll learn so much more in the 1s than the 2s.

Big dawg, I like it!

 

[Dr Tigris]

This kid is a superstar in the making. Just play him. He's raw but ready to run with the big dogs. He'll learn so much more in the 1s than the 2s.

Yeah, nah.

If he can't match it at seniors it might hold him back. I reckon he's the sort that needs to get some leather and be involved to step up. If he can match it in the AFL, then yes play him. But if he is really just there but not doing much then play VFL. We'll only find out when he does play. Although the coaches would have a good idea of his ability. And they are trying him out in the firsts. So they must think he's close.

 

[Lsta062]

Oof what a kick

Lock for Round 1 in my opinion. Needs to play in our interstate games especially so that his booming kick and strong marking can be put to great use on shorter or narrower grounds.

 

[Cdog71]

Yeah in the vfl when theres less at stake he can practice things, systems and running patterns for different things.
I think he’s gonna be a great competitor at afl and I don’t think as a ruckman he needs to focus too much on the craft or try and restrict the oppo ruckman. He needs the strengrhs that we see and to be able to use them at AFL level.
They should encourage the confidence and tell him to go and get the ball.
He’s gonna improve I think he’ll improve quicker at afl level

 

[Cdog71]

Heavy in the hips too.
Try stopping that coming through a pack at speed.

 

[GoTigers2015]

Played ruck and forward at Calder Cannons in his bottom age year. Is his preferred position.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...s/news-story/8244b8ce15de9ae592644596bf98e777

NOAH Balta is fortunate for his uncle’s connections.

On the eve of the 2015 season, the Calder Cannons youngster, then just 16 years of age, was in need of some footy guidance. And his uncle had the man — his mate, John Barnes. The Essendon premiership player took his calls, gave him invaluable advice and taught him the craft of being a big-bodied player thrust into a range of roles on the footy field.

He provided Balta with the biggest influence on his footy journey so far. And he helped the talented teenager announce himself with a breakout campaign in his draft year. “He came and had a kick with me one time at the park,” Balta tells foxfooty.com.au.

“If I give him a buzz, he’s always there for me. He talks to me when I need a chat, he has a kick when I need a kick. He works on my skills and helps me slowly improve them day by day.”

Barnes knew a thing or two about being an undersized ruckman. At just 193cm, he spent the majority of his 202-game career at Essendon and Geelong competing with giants.

Balta, a key forward throughout his junior career, was keen to follow in his footsteps. Having been trialled down back with both the Cannons and with Vic Metro, Balta wanted to add more strings to his bow. It was in the air where he would next try his hand. A role mixing a key-position spot at either end of the field with periods pinch-hitting in the ruck was designed for Balta. And he flourished.

The 194cm teenager ended the TAC Cup season averaging 15 disposals and 11 hit-outs per match, complementing multiple goals in four of his last eight games. “Barnesy helps me with my ruck work as well,” Balta says. “We just did a bit of ruck work together. Plus my cousin, who is my age, is 210cm. He’s going to Hawaii for basketball. We’d all do a bit of ruck work with Barnesy. “He told me as a smaller ruck, I should be able to beat all of these talls. I just got used to it.”

Balta prefers playing in the forward line. As a genuine key forward, he’s able to use his speed to gain space on his opponent on the lead and his size to become a strong marking threat in the air.

That led to 18 goals from just eight games in his bottom-age season with the Cannons. However, throughout his draft year, he’s been pushed more and more into a defensive role. He was among the most promising key defenders during the national championships, narrowly missing out on All-Australian selection having played in a variety of lockdown roles.

Promisingly, he also put his speed into effect from half back, quickly closing down opponents and then bursting forward with an improving ability to move the ball in transition. Such versatility resulted in Balta being the only player in the TAC Cup to rank in the top 70 in key indicators for all three positions — intercept marks, hit-outs and goals — according to Champion Data.

A TAC Cup clash against the Bushrangers in July, his best performance of the year, yielded 31 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 14 score involvements and seven marks in a role combining defensive and ruck work. It was confirmation he could make the switch to whatever position he was needed in.
“I feel I can adjust to being a defender,” Balta says. “But because I’ve played forward my whole life, it comes a bit more naturally to me.”

Just don’t ask young Balta to spend his spare afternoons watching footy. Perhaps a bigger fan of the round ball code as he is to the oval shaped variety, Balta isn’t the self-confessed footy nut many within this draft crop express themselves to be. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy footy, I can watch it, I just prefer not to,” Balta says.

“If I have to do reviews of my own game, I can watch that stuff. I just prefer doing other things.” But that hasn’t turned recruiters off. Once looked at as an early second-round prospect, Balta is bolting up the order. Some even believe he could even push the top-10 come November’s national draft. “It would mean the world,” Balta says. “It would be a dream come true. I’d be speechless. You can’t describe what it would be like. “Just the other day, I was signing 300 cards of myself. I thought ‘gee, it’s actually becoming a reality’. Things like that gives you confidence.”

 

[captain cotch 9]

He is a 5th mid that competes in the ruck IMO.

 

[tora tora tora]

The female umpire was the physical ed teacher at saint bernards college where Noah went to school

St Bernards? can't help emselves, gone from peddo Christian brothers to just peddos

 

[tora tora tora]

Yeah, nah.

If he can't match it at seniors it might hold him back. I reckon he's the sort that needs to get some leather and be involved to step up. If he can match it in the AFL, then yes play him. But if he is really just there but not doing much then play VFL. We'll only find out when he does play. Although the coaches would have a good idea of his ability. And they are trying him out in the firsts. So they must think he's close.

I'd guarantee him the opening 4 rounds while Grigg, Caddy & Lynch are not playing. If he's going OK he stays if not, comes back to VFL.

 

[richoatthedisco]

Yeah, nah.

If he can't match it at seniors it might hold him back. I reckon he's the sort that needs to get some leather and be involved to step up. If he can match it in the AFL, then yes play him. But if he is really just there but not doing much then play VFL. We'll only find out when he does play. Although the coaches would have a good idea of his ability. And they are trying him out in the firsts. So they must think he's close.

But he can match it in the seniors. He's bigger and faster than most kids his age - and most VFL footballers come to that. Competing against the bigger, faster AFL types will accelerate his development. He'll be challenged physically and mentally, he'll see what he can do already and where he needs to improve, and will absorb so much just by being on the same field as Rance, Dusty, Jack and Cotch.

We will play a second ruck. It will be him to start with. It's a minor role in the scheme of the team and is as good a spot as any to test out a young tall. When he needs a break, hopefully Chol or CJ are ready for a go. If Chol builds on what he showed against Box Hill, I would give him a crack if and when Noah needs a break. Soldo only plays if we don't have Nank.

 

[Dr Tigris]

But he can match it in the seniors. He's bigger and faster than most kids his age - and most VFL footballers come to that. Competing against the bigger, faster AFL types will accelerate his development. He'll be challenged physically and mentally, he'll see what he can do already and where he needs to improve, and will absorb so much just by being on the same field as Rance, Dusty, Jack and Cotch.

We will play a second ruck. It will be him to start with. It's a minor role in the scheme of the team and is as good a spot as any to test out a young tall. When he needs a break, hopefully Chol or CJ are ready for a go. If Chol builds on what he showed against Box Hill, I would give him a crack if and when Noah needs a break. Soldo only plays if we don't have Nank.

I don't disagree in principle. It does happen that a kid steps up from not handling/killing the pressure of VFL, does work over the off-season and steps right into the AFL. But usually it's more of a progression. I love the look of him. But to me Balta is unproven talent, that needs a lot of work to be AFL ready. Hope I'm wrong. I just expect him to have a few games, do a few cameos to get us excited and play most of the year in the VFL, and have variable form there. But, I do expect him to develop considerably from 2018. With his natural talent I wouldn't be surprised if in 2020 he's playing AFL regularly. More fitness and a better understanding of what to do.

 

[guruisatiger]

St Bernards? can't help emselves, gone from peddo Christian brothers to just peddos

Can't remember any pedophile brother's when I was there

 

[guruisatiger]

I don't disagree in principle. It does happen that a kid steps up from not handling/killing the pressure of VFL, does work over the off-season and steps right into the AFL. But usually it's more of a progression. I love the look of him. But to me Balta is unproven talent, that needs a lot of work to be AFL ready. Hope I'm wrong. I just expect him to have a few games, do a few cameos to get us excited and play most of the year in the VFL, and have variable form there. But, I do expect him to develop considerably from 2018. With his natural talent I wouldn't be surprised if in 2020 he's playing AFL regularly. More fitness and a better understanding of what to do.

Reckon Noah is a lock for round 1

 

[Dr Tigris]

Reckon Noah is a lock for round 1

Might be.

It's a good time to give him a game. Carlton are not awesome, and he'll not have huge pressure. And we get to see how he goes in the AFL.

 

[tora tora tora]

Can't remember any pedophile brother's when I was there

Weston in 1973