Player Watch #21: Noah Balta

[fargothegreat]

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

He looked amazing when we had Lynch sitting deep. Allowed him to roam up the ground and go into the ruck without our forward structure being destroyed.

Round 1 he had 23 touches, 9 marks and 3 goals playing this role. Was just about BOG from memory.

Unfortunately since then the whole side's turned to shit.

 

[RobsJourney]

He looked amazing when we had Lynch sitting deep. Allowed him to roam up the ground and go into the ruck without our forward structure being destroyed.

Round 1 he had 23 touches, 9 marks and 3 goals playing this role. Was just about BOG from memory.

Unfortunately since then the whole side's turned to s**t.

He spent a chunk of the game behind the ball, hence the disposals.

 

[Grrr]

Why not put Balta back and Young forward. It didn't work with Miller because Miller is not a great reader of the ball in the air, and has no mongrel in him, which forwards need. But Young reads the ball well in the air, hence his spoiling ability, is mobile, a good kick and with a bit of luck some attack on the footy in the air.

Young has shown he can play at the level, Balta has been underwhelming as a forward, what have we got to lose to swing things around.

 

[tora tora tora]

Why not put Balta back and Young forward. It didn't work with Miller because Miller is not a great reader of the ball in the air, and has no mongrel in him, which forwards need. But Young reads the ball well in the air, hence his spoiling ability, is mobile, a good kick and with a bit of luck some attack on the footy in the air.

Young has shown he can play at the level, Balta has been underwhelming as a forward, what have we got to lose to swing things around.

Balta KPD is a good move but Nank & Young & Kosi as ruck KPFs? a bit of a gamble. Young hasn't really played forward at all. But yeah, play like Lefau doing the defensive things.

 

[Jedwards]

The reason Balta was moved forward was they believed he could take a key defender away form Lynch and he can play 1on1 instead of 2v1 as was happening.

Also I have a feeling Balta wasn’t a fan of playing in the back line, he likes to be cheered more than booed and when you’re a defender one small mistake and the supporters will crucify you for it.

I don’t think he is a natural forward. Doesn’t have a leading pattern atm.
His marking has also been down and is more inclined to wrestle with the defender than run/lead away.

I think for the benefit of Young and Miller, having Balta come back to defence and play a 3rd man up type role would really help the team out. Once we get a few players back there, we can swing him back to the forward line.

He will play better as a 2nd forward and pinch hitting in the ruck, but for now it would be better for the team if he was in the backline.

Could throw Sampson forward and although he has spud moments, the kid tries and is capible of a simular output to what Balta is giving in The forward line. Could even throw in Kosi as a 2nd forward to give the players an option.

also, ive been saying it all year. Throw either Grimes or Broad forward to provide a chop out. Both are tall and strong enough, just provide a contest - others can get more opportunities to kick the goals.

 

[fargothegreat]

Right now there's more evidence to suggest Balta is a better key defender than key forward, but he has shown signs up forward and should be left there for the rest of the year to see how he goes in the role. Us losing by 100 points every week doesn't really set him up well to succeed as a key forward, so he needs more time imo.

 

[Grrr]

Balta KPD is a good move but Nank & Young & Kosi as ruck KPFs? a bit of a gamble. Young hasn't really played forward at all. But yeah, play like Lefau doing the defensive things.

We need mobile talls that hit the pack and mark the ball. For some reason Balta hasn't really done this, Lefau has at times, Kosi just doesn't seem mobile enough and good enough when he gets to the right place, maybe Young will. He seems to have good aggression at the ball. I would be surprised if he hasn't played forward earlier in his footy at his size.

Lefau can second ruck. This year is a learning year, especially for Lefau. Train him as a second ruck for next year so he has something extra to offer. What have we got to lose by throwing a few players around.

 

[fargothegreat]

We need mobile talls that hit the pack and mark the ball. For some reason Balta hasn't really done this, Lefau has at times, Kosi just doesn't seem mobile enough and good enough when he gets to the right place, maybe Young will. He seems to have good aggression at the ball. I would be surprised if he hasn't played forward earlier in his footy at his size.

Lefau can second ruck. This year is a learning year, especially for Lefau. Train him as a second ruck for next year so he has something extra to offer. What have we got to lose by throwing a few players around.

Young actually spent a few weeks as a ruck/forward in the VFL the year before we recruited him. Was okay from memory scoring about a goal a game without dominating.

 

[OFFtheBALL]

Young actually spent a few weeks as a ruck/forward in the VFL the year before we recruited him. Was okay from memory scoring about a goal a game without dominating.

interesting... i cant see it, but why not have a crack at it. now better than ever lol

 

[Hank Heavenly]

if the season is gone, we might as well try something, so as we launch into pre-season, a few questions woulod hopefully already be answered

try Young forward with Balta Back
try Ryan as KPF with Balta second fwd/second ruck
try Balta as KPF with Ryan second fwd/second ruck
sh!t, even try Ryan first ruck and Nank second fwd/second ruck (he would at least offer Balta some protection)

 

[Grrr]

if the season is gone, we might as well try something, so as we launch into pre-season, a few questions woulod hopefully already be answered

try Young forward with Balta Back
try Ryan as KPF with Balta second fwd/second ruck
try Balta as KPF with Ryan second fwd/second ruck
sh!t, even try Ryan first ruck and Nank second fwd/second ruck (he would at least offer Balta some protection)

Ryan can barely beat VFL ruckman.

 

[Coach_Required]

The supporter fascination for Balta to play in the backline is quite amusing.

Keeps me entertained while our season is in the toilet.

 

[Hank Heavenly]

Ryan can barely beat VFL ruckman.

From all reports he actually goes ok at VFL level but can't translate that in AFL form...

So given the position we are in, why wouldn't you give him a 10 game stretch to find out. That way, by seasons end, you will know for certain either way whether we both keeping him or not.

No point doing that in the 2's

 

[harimal12]

Drops his head to much,then stands and watches while the oppostion take off with the ball.I think he is more suited to the forward line,good kick for goal.

 

[Grrr]

From all reports he actually goes ok at VFL level but can't translate that in AFL form...

So given the position we are in, why wouldn't you give him a 10 game stretch to find out. That way, by seasons end, you will know for certain either way whether we both keeping him or not.

No point doing that in the 2's

I've watched all the VFL games and he does well at full forward, but there are very few tall backs so has a big advantage.

He evens ruck contests, and with his reach he can reach around them and has decent ruck craft, but he gets folded in half too much.

He is back up and I have my doubts he will be anything more. But he will stay on the list due to us having no other AFL ruck besides Nank. So he may benefit from turning 24 and a season more of strength work, so you never know. But at FF in the AFL or against quality ruckman he is not ready. Better options I think.

 

[Charlie Pannam]

if the season is gone, we might as well try something, so as we launch into pre-season, a few questions woulod hopefully already be answered

try Young forward with Balta Back
try Ryan as KPF with Balta second fwd/second ruck
try Balta as KPF with Ryan second fwd/second ruck
sh!t, even try Ryan first ruck and Nank second fwd/second ruck (he would at least offer Balta some protection)

This is about 3rd time of changed my mind on Balta- back or forward
Now I’m thinking move him to the backline.
I just think it’s an opportunity to get something out of this season, by getting our back half into some sort of long term order.
Miller has shown enough, to suggest he can play on the big kpf.
Balta can slot into that 2nd kpd role.
I’d like to see Bauer as our 3rd tall.
And Tresize as that medium sized defender.
Leave Rioli and Vlastuin in their current role and trial Smith as our 7th defender.

Not fussed where Young ends up imo he won’t make it long term but obviously is needed now.

At least this way we might look back at the end of the season and think we have the foundations of our back 6 set for the future

 

[Hank Heavenly]

I've watched all the VFL games and he does well at full forward, but there are very few tall backs so has a big advantage.

He evens ruck contests, and with his reach he can reach around them and has decent ruck craft, but he gets folded in half too much.

He is back up and I have my doubts he will be anything more. But he will stay on the list due to us having no other AFL ruck besides Nank. So he may benefit from turning 24 and a season more of strength work, so you never know. But at FF in the AFL or against quality ruckman he is not ready. Better options I think.

Happy with all of that, except the last part, I don't really think we have any options while Lynch is out, I think we need to bring him in to be a target up forward, and to give Nank some relief.

He may not be up to it, sure, but we have what 10-12 more games to find out at least

 

[Football Tragic]

I heard an interview with him recently and he said his preference was to place back because he felt like he was working with a team rather than all the pressure just on him individually. He said he'd be happy to play forward for as long as the coach and team needed him to but I go the distinct impression that he feels his natural position was as a backman.

It's all academic at the moment anyway, we do not have any tall targets up forward so we need him there. We saw this coming years ago but when you don't have quality draft picks for that length of time, you either pay massive overs to bring someone in or hope you can craft one out of the players you have. We went for the second option and it looks a bust atm.

That's why this draft, and most likely the next couple after that, are so important to draft a power forward and a new engine room. Balta is doing everything he can as an athletic tall but he just doesn't have the forward-craft that some just seem to arrive with.

 

[RobsJourney]

I heard an interview with him recently and he said his preference was to place back because he felt like he was working with a team rather than all the pressure just on him individually. He said he'd be happy to play forward for as long as the coach and team needed him to but I go the distinct impression that he feels his natural position was as a backman.

It's all academic at the moment anyway, we do not have any tall targets up forward so we need him there. We saw this coming years ago but when you don't have quality draft picks for that length of time, you either pay massive overs to bring someone in or hope you can craft one out of the players you have. We went for the second option and it looks a bust atm.

That's why this draft, and most likely the next couple after that, are so important to draft a power forward and a new engine room. Balta is doing everything he can as an athletic tall but he just doesn't have the forward-craft that some just seem to arrive with.

I don't agree with this bit.

Because we're so decimated and finals are already gone, we should be trialling the guys who are more likey to play as forwards than a guy we know is an AA key defender. Let him continue to hone his craft alongside the other key defenders we have, and try guys like Ryan forward, and give some more opportunity to Koschitzke.

We're not gonna be winning games and we probably don't want to now either, we're far better off getting pick 1 or 2, so why put Balta forward to possibly give us a slightly higher chance at winning?

I don't see why we should attempt to structure up correctly for the sake of it, not now.

 

[lllscroatlll]

his synergy with baker in the bl is sorely missed, they loved playing together back there and both prefer defence

now we have young dropped with the confidence beaten out of him, a player who was growing in leaps and bounds alongside balta et al

bit uneasy on yze running with a dead horse on this

the backline needs him in his best position as does the club we are struggling at both ends but swinging balts back instead of fwd actually helps one end rather than ensuring both are shyte

 

[_RT_]

I don't agree with this bit.

Because we're so decimated and finals are already gone, we should be trialling the guys who are more likey to play as forwards than a guy we know is an AA key defender. Let him continue to hone his craft alongside the other key defenders we have, and try guys like Ryan forward, and give some more opportunity to Koschitzke.

We're not gonna be winning games and we probably don't want to now either, we're far better off getting pick 1 or 2, so why put Balta forward to possibly give us a slightly higher chance at winning?

I don't see why we should attempt to structure up correctly for the sake of it, not now.

At the same time though, why put him back and strengthen our back half? If the long term plan is to have Balta as a forward then surely we're better off to continue to develop that.

 

[Profop]

At the same time though, why put him back and strengthen our back half? If the long term plan is to have Balta as a forward then surely we're better off to continue to develop that.

With how Young was going I guess they figured the gap between Young and Balta is the backline is greater than the gap between Ryan and Balta in the forward line

Not totally convinced that’s actually the case but Young was horribly out of form so can understand why they pulled the trigger on it

 

[GastevsBeard]

leave him in defence - forever

 

[Googstar]

I understand he is still not match fit but he still looks injured to me.

 

[lizard man]

Needs someone to roll the footy along the floor so he can run in and practice the clean ground ball pick ups