Training Pre Season 21/22

[Rioli2Rioli]

IMO Balta fwd would have to be a "break glass in case of EMG" scenario (if JR or TL go down), he's done it in games in recent yrs (once he went back). IMO plan A has him back. Fact is we need a plan B for a key fwd just in case & of the backs & rucks he's the best option atm.

Not particularly

I remember when Balta was drafted i always thought he would be a foward but then he played so well in defence after Rance retired he just looked a natural but going foward there is no reason he cannot be developed as a FF.

I see alot of comparisons with his athletic ability kicking and strength as well as size to Fraser Gherig who started off his career at the eagles as a defender and part time foward but turned into a real beast of a FF when played there at St kilda.

They are the same size and similar weight with similar attributes

 

[RJKTiger]

Please stop saying "down forward" on every single post. It's up forward and down back. Anyone who has ever played the fgame knows that.

yawn

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

yawn

And it's not 'yawn' it's zzzzzzzzzz...

 

[RJKTiger]

Not particularly

I remember when Balta was drafted i always thought he would be a foward but then he played so well in defence after Rance retired he just looked a natural but going foward there is no reason he cannot be developed as a FF.

I see alot of comparisons with his athletic ability kicking and strength as well as size to Fraser Gherig who started off his career at the eagles as a defender and part time foward but turned into a real beast of a FF when played there at St kilda.

They are the same size and similar weight with similar attributes

The point is why ******* bother if you already know you have an Alex Rance clone & you have seen him actually BE that.

Being a clone of the greatest defender in the history of the game seems to be quite the gift. Take it and move onto fixing other problems with other pieces. * - if we needed a 3rd tall that badly, we should have just payed CCJ or Chol and told them - you will be starting 18 as we desperately need a 3rd tall. I am positive that would have been enough to keep 1 of the 2.

 

[Serenity_Now]

The only way I really see Balta playing forward is if he becomes the 2nd ruck. Can’t see him as a third tall forward if we’re playing both Nank and Soldo.

With the drop in rotations last season, running power is massive and I don’t think you can carry that many talls.

 

[beema limapep]

The point is why ******* bother if you already know you have an Alex Rance clone & you have seen him actually BE that.

Being a clone of the greatest defender in the history of the game seems to be quite the gift. Take it and move onto fixing other problems with other pieces. fu** - if we needed a 3rd tall that badly, we should have just payed CCJ or Chol and told them - you will be starting 18 as we desperately need a 3rd tall. I am positive that would have been enough to keep 1 of the 2.

So what are you trying to say exactly? Balta fwd is ok?

 

[ForeverHardcore]

Does no one else see the similarities between naughton from the dogs and Balta?

Naughton started out as a defender
Everyone Including me think he’ll be the best back at the dogs but bev turned him into a chf. The traits with Balta are obvious imo
Both attack the ball with no regard, both have great hands, both have prick in them and if there’s anyone we can turn into that type of naughton forward it’s Balta with his athleticism.
Forwards are way harder to find then defenders and that’s probably how our MC are looking at it.
Fwiw I love him as a defender but I can see why they’re making the move. If he kicks 30+ goals we’ll be laughing

Just my two cents

 

[juss]

Does no one else see the similarities between naughton from the dogs and Balta?

Naughton started out as a defender
Everyone Including me think he’ll be the best back at the dogs but bev turned him into a chf. The traits with Balta are obvious imo
Both attack the ball with no regard, both have great hands, both have prick in them and if there’s anyone we can turn into that type of naughton forward it’s Balta with his athleticism.
Forwards are way harder to find then defenders and that’s probably how our MC are looking at it.
Fwiw I love him as a defender but I can see why they’re making the move. If he kicks 30+ goals we’ll be laughing

Just my two cents

They aren't "making the move". He's training there for match simulation work and maybe if they need to throw him forward at times. He'll still start round 1 as a defender.

 

[JR82]

Lol training with the forward group does not make you a premiership quality Full forward champ.Some of you fella's really need to learn to read the post fully before thinking you have "check-mated" someone.

He may well play forward, I just see no reason to believe that moving our #1 key defender to be our #3 tall forward a "winning move".

I mean with CCJ & Chol both leaving (which we KNOW was not our plan), they need to have someone prepared to take the role incase Tom or Jack go down. Do any of us think that Balta "down forward" would be a conversation we would be having is either of Chol or CCJ stayed? Or is Balta, the "Plan B"?

Answer me this champ - do you think Balta plays forward if Jack and Tom are fit? If they are both fit, where will Balta play? And if the answer is no - then what does that make Balta? A Forward? Or a back-up forward? Big difference

FWIW IMO Balta only plays fwd if Tom or Jack go down, fact is we need someone ready in case that does happen. If not Balta then who is the best choice for the role? It also indicates that Ryan isn't ready yet which isn't to be expected of him yet anyway.

 

[JR82]

Without Ross and RCD playing regular footy we will not go anywhere I reckon. Of course contingent that they come on and don't bomb, but they need to be backed in because we cannot rely on our old brigade getting us through the slog of a home and away season.

Agree 100%. Given our injuries to the same blokes again to this point it's starting to look more like a developement year as opposed to a contending year. Ideally it's a contending year but as u say we do need Ross/RCD etc to be getting more games into them which helps us in the longer term.

 

[JR82]

I think the coverage is between what "back up" means.

IF Tom & Jack are fit - where will Noah play. That is the crux of it. Most of us agree that if Jack & Tom are healthy, then Noah will not be a forward & will likely remain downback, therefore - he is A BACKMAN, not a forward.

The main reason he is likely training with the forwards is because he has SFA time down there and with the unexpected leaving of CCJ and Chol, we need him to be "ready" incase the sh*t hits the fan (like it already somewhat has with Lynch doing a hammy).

Others seem to think he is the answer to our forward problems. I don't see how a back up is a solution to anything.

IF people are suggesting Noah is our Longterm solution to KP forwards, then i really think the club is pissing up the wrong pole there. We would be better off targeting the "long term" options in the coming draft, free agency etc - A future back 6 of Balta, Gibcus, Broad, Vloss, Short, Mansell etc is bloody exciting to me, that looks to me a likely Premiership backline. Do i think a Forward line of Samson Ryan, Balta, MRJ, Stack looks like a "future premiership" forward line? I strongly doubt it, but would love to be proven wrong.

Tarrants inclusion only replaces Astbury, he is not "an extra" piece. Broad's return from injury also does not "cover" Balta as they previously existed in the same structure.

I think the biggest mystery here is why is it causing so much of a blood rush to certain supporters wangs over a player being labelled as a "back up forward"? Its hardly a sexy role & its clearly not a "mastermind" game changing move as its only happening because CCJ and Chol walked & neither of those 2 were really "world beaters". The club all but said it was ready to give bigger roles to either one if they stayed - but both chose not to (which tells you something about the role too perhaps). If either stayed, it would not even be a topic. Based on that, i don't see why this is so exciting to people

I agree here, Balta as "break glass in case of EMG" this yr till we get to this yrs Draft would be my guess.

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

The point is why ******* bother if you already know you have an Alex Rance clone & you have seen him actually BE that.

Being a clone of the greatest defender in the history of the game seems to be quite the gift. Take it and move onto fixing other problems with other pieces. fu** - if we needed a 3rd tall that badly, we should have just payed CCJ or Chol and told them - you will be starting 18 as we desperately need a 3rd tall. I am positive that would have been enough to keep 1 of the 2.

The thing is that he wouldnt be the 3rd tll if we decided to go that way after jack retires
50-70 goal FF is a lot harder to find that a full back if you need fire power and have a reasonable defender to replace him (Gibcus , Biggy or Miller)
tarrant short term

 

[JR82]

For anyone that has been to training recently, is there any hint as to any positional changes or game style changes? in particular our f50 entries under Teague etc?

 

[tropicaltiger]

Balta will not be overused this season and if Tarrant can be good and injury free in DAs old spot, i see Balta being a bit back. a bit forward too if Caddy is not pleasing selectors, a few minutes here and there and a bit of a gallop on a wing at various stages. and loads on the pine, Dimma will try him as an offensive matchup rather than a plug and play pit bull negator like Jack Graham

34

Jack Graham

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

G

0.4

3star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

G

0.0

1star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

G

1.0

4star

. thats how i'd use him anyway.

 

[Karp3_dm]

Yeah agree re Lambert.

Need a clone to take some of the workload off his shoulders, his role is absolutely pivotal to the brand we play.

2 way gut running mids are greatly under appreciated, mainly due to everyone being so focused on the superstars eg Dusty

They said Judson Clarke has been training to be the next Kane lambert

 

[A Tiger 4 lyf]

Balta ruck/midfielder > Defender > Key forward

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

Trying balta up forward is a no brainer.
Pros:
•great strong pair of hands

Frustrating seeing blokes drop marks all the time. If you get both hands to it, you should hold it.

Thankfully, as the quoted says: great hands; best in the comp.

A mate of mine used to call Kernahan ‘clamps’. Noah’s the same.

I see alot of comparisons with his athletic ability kicking and strength as well as size to Fraser Gherig who started off his career at the eagles as a defender

Good comparison. Or Neitz

 

[Grrr]

Yeah agree re Lambert.

Need a clone to take some of the workload off his shoulders, his role is absolutely pivotal to the brand we play.

2 way gut running mids are greatly under appreciated, mainly due to everyone being so focused on the superstars eg Dusty

Jack Graham.

 

[Grrr]

FWIW IMO Balta only plays fwd if Tom or Jack go down, fact is we need someone ready in case that does happen. If not Balta then who is the best choice for the role? It also indicates that Ryan isn't ready yet which isn't to be expected of him yet anyway.

If Jack goes down maybe Miller, if Lynch goes down maybe Ryan. Miller has not been tried forward even at VFL level due to our dearth of VFL backs and Chol, CCJ and a few others taking the key forward posts. But he has size speed and a great kick.

As with Balta training forward, it may not be to necessarily play there but to have it as Plan B. Hope they do the same with Miller and even Biggy as other than Ryan who is pretty one dimensional, there is nobody else.

 

[Grrr]

A fit Nank/Soldo would make a massive difference to those situations
I don’t really see them as a forward line issue but more just lacking a reliable tall in the middle of the ground to help with transition

Our midfield is full of short people so we get caught out with those long kicks down the line

Marking rucks make a big difference but generally they mark in the back half a kick behind play. Nank and Gawn take most of their marks in the back half. Marking wingman are great value but they are a thing of the past. Delidio gave us a target, but marking mids like he and Fyfe are pretty rare.

 

[captain blood 17]

Yeah agree re Lambert.

Need a clone to take some of the workload off his shoulders, his role is absolutely pivotal to the brand we play.

2 way gut running mids are greatly under appreciated, mainly due to everyone being so focused on the superstars eg Dusty

Do you reckon Jack Ross could do the Lambert role?

 

[fargothegreat]

For anyone that has been to training recently, is there any hint as to any positional changes or game style changes? in particular our f50 entries under Teague etc?

Not sure on game style, but re: positional changes:

• Balta training forward
• Stack forward
• Aarts midfield
• Caddy back to the forward line

 

[fargothegreat]

I think our midfield is still a massive concern going into this season. We didn't recruit anyone to fill the biggest hole on our list, and already we're seeing the same blokes getting injured over preseason again.

Unless RCD/Ross/Dow/Martyn can step up I feel we're in real trouble.

 

[captain blood 17]

I think our midfield is still a massive concern going into this season. We didn't recruit anyone to fill the biggest hole on our list, and already we're seeing the same blokes getting injured over preseason again.

Unless RCD/Ross/Dow/Martyn can step up I feel we're in real trouble.

I’m cool with it. Cotch, Martin, Edwards, RCD, Prestia, Lambert, Nank, Soldo, Graham, Bolton, Baker and whoever else i missed going through it is bloody strong, quick and big bodied enough to compete.

 

[DickieKnee]

RCD/Ross/Dow/Martyn

Big year for these blokes. If they don't break into our best 22 proper I feel they will be gone.