When Richmond’s third pick in the 2017 AFL national draft (No. 25 overall) Noah Balta was asked in a Roar Vision interview late last year what Tiger fans could look forward to him providing on-field, he replied: “Excitement . . . a lot of X-factor. That’s what I get told a lot, so I’m going to say that”.
Well, those Yellow and Black barrackers who saw Balta strut his stuff in the Tigers’ AFLX tournament at Sydney Allianz Stadium last Saturday, would have to agree that the athletic, tall teenager possesses plenty of potential.
Across the two games, Balta took some impressive marks, showcased his mobility around the ground, and kicked an eye-catching ‘Zooper’ goal.
Afterwards, he caught up with ‘Roar Vision’ to discuss the AFLX concept and how he fared first-up in Tiger colours.
“It was different . . . it feels a bit more like a drill. It’s real high speed as well. The ball’s just flicking around everywhere. You’ve got no time to really think . . . you just think, do, straight away,” Balta told ‘Roar Vision’.
“It was good just being there. It was a bit fatiguing in the second game (v Brisbane), so I really took my time lining up for it (his Zooper goal) and tried to be a bit more composed . . .”