Remember 'Alex Rance moments'? Enter Noah Balta

[Rimmer]

Superb athlete yet flawed genius when Alex Rance was learning his trade he tended to have the odd brain fart leaving us bemused. Dimma used to joke about Alex Rance moments in his press conferences. He turned into the best backman of our generation.

I am glad Noah Balta is getting a good run, plenty of Noah Balta moments in the earliest games but less and less as time passes and what a gifted athlete. I hope they get him away from doing too much ruck work though, his leap timing is not great at the moment and I worry too he might get hurt by some of the big units.

He could though be anything, (did you see that mark over Lobb and Taberner which was way better than the 3 selected on the AFL site). Going to love continueing to watch him develop.

 

[Tony Harrison]

Balta ahead of Rance at same stage of career.
Doesn't mean he'll reach the same heights though.

*edit - bit hard for me to say that after only 5 games so I'll say on par with each other.

 

[Bojangles17]

Same but different . I seem To remember rance with a crazy manic attack on the ball that almost had you looking away fearing the collision ahead. Rancey was always gonna be a defender with those defensive skills arriving early and the offensive side blurred by over exuberance with footy in hand . Between seasons that exuberance cooled to be a master in control of his of own destiny .
Noah is a free spirited offensive beast that pushes the limits , I reckon his defensive skills are still quite raw , his offensive game is coming together nicely , plAying as a follower will help fast track his development as he’s seeing so much of the action .

 

[SunshineBoy]

Same but different . I seem To remember rance with a crazy manic attack on the ball that almost had you looking away fearing the collision ahead. Rancey was always gonna be a defender with those defensive skills arriving early and the offensive side blurred by over exuberance with footy in hand . Between seasons that exuberance cooled to be a master in control of his of own destiny .
Noah is a free spirited offensive beast that pushes the limits , I reckon his defensive skills are still quite raw , his offensive game is coming together nicely , plAying as a follower will help fast track his development as he’s seeing so much of the action .

Remember that day early in his career when he got knocked out on the wing, manic attack

 

[Cotcho]

Lol Rance was so s**t at the start. "Rance is wearing his ice skates again..."

 

[Chunky09]

Remember that day early in his career when he got knocked out on the wing, manic attack

I will never forget that, it was a savage hit, I was worried he might not play again after that

 

[Waca Jr]

I will never forget that, it was a savage hit, I was worried he might not play again after that

Was that the same time he broke his jaw v Brisbane?

 

[HTT]

Only thing is when Rance was finding his way we were s**t anyway so the odd goal conceded due to a Rance moment didn’t really matter. When you’re contending for flags it matters a bit more.

 

[joelsyt]

Rance still has his moments.

I find them hilarious now, used to get annoyed with the Rance moments but these days I’ve accepted that it’s just who he is, I think I’d be disappointed if he completely lost those moments.

Rance and his moments have made me a lot more patient with Balta, I just find Balta hilarious when he makes a mistake and what I love about him is he doesn’t let it get to him, he just embraces those mistakes and goes back a second time and just keeps going.

He learns from them.

 

[RunningBounce]

Remember that day early in his career when he got knocked out on the wing, manic attack

10 seconds in. I was sitting in the opposite pocket but could still hear it. Sickening sound.

 

[RunningBounce]

Noah is a free spirited offensive beast that pushes the limits , I reckon his defensive skills are still quite raw , his offensive game is coming together nicely , plAying as a follower will help fast track his development as he’s seeing so much of the action .

Agree.

There were plenty of times last year watching Balta in the VFL last year that my mouth feel open as he merrily danced off down the wing, leaving his opponent to take an uncontested chest mark in front of goal. Hard to even tell what he was thinking. Balta makes some clangers with the footy, but they aren't brain fades. There just * ups because his trying something most mortals couldn't do.

Rance's brain fades were (are) always with the footy. Or mistakes with body-work, that weren't really brain fades.

 

[Chunky09]

Was that the same time he broke his jaw v Brisbane?

Yes I believe it was

 

[THE_GUN]

Balta ahead of Rance at same stage of career.
Doesn't mean he'll reach the same heights though.

*edit - bit hard for me to say that after only 5 games so I'll say on par with each other.

Whilst Rance is a Champion and will become a legend in time if he continue's for another 3 + years
I actually believe Balta has a bigger upside to Rance as he can genuinely play 18 positions in time

At only 19 years of age he is showing as much as any player i can remember in a long time
Im really excited about Balta and what he could become

 

[Dr Tigris]

Balta wasn't the AA junior KPB that Rance was. Balta is more athletically talented. But I suspect doesn't have the same smarts. But if Balta can learn along the way we have a beauty on our hands.

I am always suspect about draftee reports that they are god's great gift. And that was Balta's reports. But in this case I think people did see what he has. Amazing talent.

 

[THE_GUN]

Rance also didnt have the help of people like

Rance , Astbury , Riewoldt , Lynch , Grimes etc to learn from Balta does so im thinking there is very little chance of him not becoming the player we think he will be with the Coaches and players and development staff we have now

 

[A Tiger 4 lyf]

Not as good as richo moments though

 

[Dr Awkward]

Yeah Balta really has that goofyness and potential for clangers. Going to be a ripping player though. Doesn't seem to be a natural defender, more of a roamer. I think more like Kouta than Rance.

 

[johnno77]

Yeah Balta really has that goofyness and potential for clangers. Going to be a ripping player though. Doesn't seem to be a natural defender, more of a roamer. I think more like Kouta than Rance.

Yep Kouta is the player I keep thinking of when I see him running around. Imagine how salty Carlton fans would be if the media started comparing him to Kouta!?
Hopefully he becomes that caliber of player!

 

[Vassp]

Kouta was mr 1 mtr handball. Balta is more similar to Richo. Richo at Richmond of today would annihilate.

 

[mopsy]

Balta wasn't the AA junior KPB that Rance was. Balta is more athletically talented. But I suspect doesn't have the same smarts. But if Balta can learn along the way we have a beauty on our hands.

I am always suspect about draftee reports that they are god's great gift. And that was Balta's reports. But in this case I think people did see what he has. Amazing talent.

Alex was always a great mover across the ground i watched him and Chris Yarran who i never ever took a liking to play plenty of times at S/D in their junior yrs.

In his draft yr i had Tayte Pears and Collier at his pick not expecting him to be there but it was a no Brainer to take him when he was still there.
Alex had a lot of work to do but his ability to cover the ground imo he looked like an oversized h/b has always been a real strength. I still think Alex struggles to some degree when isolated one out.

What i have gathered on Balta is as a junior he played his best footy as a defender. I actually think looking at his games he needs the play in front of him.
Finally if i was going to criticise a part of his game id say to date he has not been overly good in the air or marking contests and he lacks stamina.

What he does have is good height 194cm tall enough for kp. He is a great size 100kg and that implies strength and power. He's also explosive quick and agile and he has plenty of good old fashioned skills.
To me everything about him screams out KPD.

 

[YeOldTiger]

Really need to see this kid add the torp to his repertoire. Imagine those thighs at full pace and the occasional big long 70m barrel.

Becomes a 150m player from fb lol

 

[Grrr]

Alex was always a great mover across the ground i watched him and Chris Yarran who i never ever took a liking to play plenty of times at S/D in their junior yrs.

In his draft yr i had Tayte Pears and Collier at his pick not expecting him to be there but it was a no Brainer to take him when he was still there.
Alex had a lot of work to do but his ability to cover the ground imo he looked like an oversized h/b has always been a real strength. I still think Alex struggles to some degree when isolated one out.

What i have gathered on Balta is as a junior he played his best footy as a defender. I actually think looking at his games he needs the play in front of him.
Finally if i was going to criticise a part of his game id say to date he has not been overly good in the air or marking contests and he lacks stamina.

What he does have is good height 194cm tall enough for kp. He is a great size 100kg and that implies strength and power. He's also explosive quick and agile and he has plenty of good old fashioned skills.
To me everything about him screams out KPD.

This is what I have also noticed, which he sometimes gets criticised unfairly for a bit, but he seems to do the small things well. His kicking is good, he doesn't fumble and he seems to make good decisions. He would be a fantastic second ruck option, but we have them. We don't have any back up key defenders, and they are so important to our system, so he should be developed there with a view to other options down the track perhaps. With Bigoa Nyuon perhaps we have the makings of Rance/Astbury replacements.

 

[Calcium Man]

This is what I have also noticed, which he sometimes gets criticised unfairly for a bit, but he seems to do the small things well. His kicking is good, he doesn't fumble and he seems to make good decisions. He would be a fantastic second ruck option, but we have them. We don't have any back up key defenders, and they are so important to our system, so he should be developed there with a view to other options down the track perhaps. With Bigoa Nyuon perhaps we have the makings of Rance/Astbury replacements.

The most athletic KPD pairing of all time!

 

[THE_GUN]

Not saying he is going to make it as an afl player of become a star but Ben Miller is also another freak with his Speed agility also
If by some chance they all make it we could possibly have the biggest and most agile defence in the league with
Balta , Biggy , Miller & Garth

 

[Grrr]

Not saying he is going to make it as an afl player of become a star but Ben Miller is also another freak with his Speed agility also
If by some chance they all make it we could possibly have the biggest and most agile defence in the league with
Balta , Biggy , Miller & Garth

CHF in the making.