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0 Richmond key defender Noah Balta says he is ready to move past former coach Damien Hardwick’s “erratic” ways, as new leader Adem Yze begins his dynasty.
Balta has played under just one coach – Hardwick – for is entire 85-game career that began in 2018.
Under Hardwick, Balta was playing as a key defender.
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However, under Yze, the 24-year-old is promising frustrated Tigers fans a new lease on his career.
He’ll still be near the goals, but this year he’ll be ready to kick some instead.
“I feel like the fans are actually going to like me now, kick some goals,” Balta said on Wednesday.
Balta says he has already trained as a forward under Hardwick, before his former coach, who led Richmond to three premierships in four years, made a last minute change ahead of round one last year.
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“(I’d) done forward the whole pre-season (last year)… and in round one (2023) I went to the backline the first quarter.
“I found out right before the game (that I was playing in defence).”
Balta put the change down to Hardwick’s “erractic” ways.
“Dimma (Hardwick) was a bit more erratic to say the least,” he said.
Now, Hardwick is coaching Richmond’s opening round opponent, Gold Coast.
The star coach abruptly left Tigerland in May last season, citing a “burnout” as his reason for stepping away.
Just months later, Hardwick took the top job up north with the Suns.
It came as a shock to Richmond players at the time, but, Balta says he and his teammates are finally moving on, looking to new coach Yze for a new direction and confidence boost.
Balta in particular declared that Yze has helped him to believe in his capability once more.
“He must see something in me that obviously a lot of people do, a lot of fans do, that he’s trying to get me to see in myself, that I can be a really good forward,” Balta said.
“It felt like up forward I get to control how much I run actually so, instead of chasing somebody else’s backside the whole day.”
As for actually facing Hardwick come Saturday against Gold Coast, Balta says he is more than ready.
“I’d be rapt, absolutely stoked (to beat Hardwick),” he said.
