WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - HARLEY BALIC

[Skuit 9,109]

1 hour ago, monoccular said:

Mmmmmm.  Does a few good things against the Dees ..... hope he can learn the opposite ?

Bad things against our opposition?

[Return to Glory 7,681]

6 hours ago, Bay Riffin said:

Jack Fitzpatrick. it was seriously average.

Are you kidding! Do you not recall the tunnel ball?

[whatwhat say what 18,743]

i like the way in the highlights for peel he picked the ball up at pace and then used it smartly

there's no doubt that he's always had talent, but it's been his wrist injury and attitude / commitment that have been questioned

[Dwight Schrute 16,712]

Was rated a first round pick based on talent but obviously has a few off field issues to deal with. And I personally believe that’s why he slipped down the draft. He’s a strong overhead mark, a good user of the ball and has footy smarts. I think he’ll thrive being at home with his mum. The reality is we wouldn’t have used pick 66 so anything we get out of him is a bonus and I think he can and will be a regular in our side for years to come. 

[titan_uranus 22,210]

Nothing dangerous about using 66 on a player like Balic.

If it's another Riley/Michie/Newton/Kennedy trade, then so be it. At least we haven't given up trying.

But we've bought low given his personal issues so if he does turn out to display what it seems he was promising pre-draft, then this could end up being a good get for 66.

I look forward to watching him over the summer and to see how/where he fits into the 22, if at all.

[Adzman 2,085]

Pick 66 doesn't have a heap of value. I'm not buying the Balic hype but I'm happy with this trade. I hope he pans out, but if he doesn't I doubt we find a future 200 game player at 66 anyway.

[Constant Mongrel 571]

the latest highlights package looks pretty enticing! ANB could be in trouble.. just an observation, but harley's demeanour seems super passive.. i reckon he's gonna be a keeper. exciting, cos he looks ready to go! bring on summer and i hope he gets a good run at the upcoming season :-)

[Bobby McKenzie 2,167]

13 hours ago, layzie said:

Welcome Harley!

 

Really hope he can be a bit of a surprise packet for us. Just needs to get those mental issues sorted and hopefully his wrist has been mended, from what I hear it severely limited his ability for weights work and training.

I won't argue with this trade. Not like the other much discussed one. Here, we have a guy who has played 4 games in AFL and done well in them versus pick number 66 who could be a dud. Might be a rival for ANB or Dean Kent. BTW I saw Kent at a Perth Shopping centre last week. He looked very fit and muscular. He was looking for a phone box but had no luck and the crooks got away! Seriously though, he looked like he was ready for a big pre season. Let's hope so because he could be useful if fully fit.

.

[What 18,810]

Hes a smooth mover., with nice skills and some legitimate talent.

Keeping expectations in check, but confident he wont be another Michie/Riley/Kennedy.

[old dee 22,802]

9 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Nothing dangerous about using 66 on a player like Balic.

If it's another Riley/Michie/Newton/Kennedy trade, then so be it. At least we haven't given up trying.

But we've bought low given his personal issues so if he does turn out to display what it seems he was promising pre-draft, then this could end up being a good get for 66.

I look forward to watching him over the summer and to see how/where he fits into the 22, if at all.

Spot on as you say reasonable chance he could be a useful player when settled back in Melbourne.

[ignition. 1,413]

Not yet on the MFC site, here's a little highlights package.

[junk 342]

If Balic is another V.Michie we still will have got the better of Freo,rem that got spud SYLVIA.

[Gator 16,888]

I've found some more pre-draft info, including a summary from Quigley on BF, who;s one of the best in the business.

Pick 12 (Adelaide) – Harley Balic
Position: Midfielder/half-Back
Size: 187cm/80kg
Player Comparison: Scott Pendlebury
In the Mix: Francis, H McKay

Having lost Dangerfield in the trade period, Adelaide will be looking for a taller midfielder with a bit of class. Balic fits this criteria perfectly as a midfielder who can play forward or back.

Balic excels in traffic thanks to his basketball and that, along with his height, has seen him compared to Pendlebury. When forward Balic leads to the right places and has a terrific overhead mark. The Crows will be hoping that Francis gets through to this pick, while Mathieson is another option.

 

Quigley

13. Harley Balic

Ht – 187 Wt - 82


Balic seems to be slipping down a few mocks in the media and I am not really sure why. If he goes where a few of those pundits have him going he could easily end up the steal of the draft. Up until this year Balic has been splitting time between basketball and AFL and as a result there are still some rough edges to be polished. I can see there being a fair bit of difference in the ratings for Balic between teams and it is not out of the question that a team could love him and take him much higher than most expect. He has a very high ceiling and if he developed to his best he could be an elite midfielder at the next level.


Balic is at his best when he is the focus of a unit whether it is in the midfield, up forward or down back. When he is, he tends to rise to the occasion and good things happen around him. He is very good one on one and can impose himself on a game like few in this draft. He has improved quite a lot over the course of the year but there are still areas he needs to work on.


One of the areas he has been working on, and one that still needs some work, is his kicking. There is quite a lot of difference between Balic’s best and worst and at the moment there is still a bit too much of the worst in his game. There is not a lot wrong with his kicking style and I expect that with some intense work he will flatten out the flight on his kicks and be more consistent about getting it where it needs to go. Up forward his set shot technique is entirely too variable. He needs to get a routine and stick to it and work on improving his balance in his approach a bit more. With all that said though there is quite a bit of class in what he does even by foot. He has brought a heads-up approach from basketball and he has excellent peripheral vision. He tends to play to the short options but he usually takes good ones and is very good delivering into the 50.


Balic has played a lot more as an inside mid this year and he has shown pretty decent potential in that role. His kicking out of the clearances was a bit ordinary but by hand he is really good. His vision in the contest is excellent and is creative by hand getting it to good attacking options. As mentioned above he is very good one on one and he has good strength over the ball. He works through traffic well and is one of those guys who never looks rushed even when there are opponents all around him.


Athletically Balic seems pretty good in everything but pace. He ran a 15.3 beep last year and he plays with excellent agility. He can also fly when he has to and tends to play tall. Speed wise he looks like he is cruising around at ¾ pace for most of the game. He is smooth around the park and, for those of you old enough to remember, moves a lot like Michael Long. He is quite solid but has a loose limbed, very agile style.


Balic made a name for himself last year as a half forward and he is a very good mark. He can get up and he watches the ball into his hands very nicely. He also has very good body control in the air and he can keep the defender where he can’t get to the ball. He is not a good converter though and if he is going to play as a half forward at the start of his career he is going to need to improve his finishing.


On the outside Balic looks calm and composed and can often create opportunities for his team. He has improved his spread this year a lot and upped his disposal count to 23 disposals a game in the TAC and went at 22 a game at the Champs. At times at the Champs he was in a mile of space with no-one in cooee indicating that he is working out how to use his running ability more effectively. Balic is a talent and I think could be an excellent player in a few years.

[Nasher 33,047]

On 19/10/2017 at 5:35 AM, Petraccattack said:

Hes a smooth mover., with nice skills and some legitimate talent.

Keeping expectations in check, but confident he wont be another Michie/Riley/Kennedy.

Even if he ends up another Michie etc - so what? We're just as likely, or more, to get that player with the pick we used in the draft.

There is literally only upside in this trade.

[demoniac 1,243]

Kicking wise his longs irons sem good, but work needed on short irons. Nice intensity and footy smarts.

[Gator 16,888]

He's certainly a classy/smooth mover.  He reminds a little of Josh Kelly and Stephen Hill in his lateral movement, albeit without the speed, although as mentioned in numerous bios, he's athletic.

I have a feeling there'll be little middle ground on this one.  Boom or bust.

[demoniac 1,243]

On 10/19/2017 at 6:50 AM, faultydet said:

That wasn't bad until the pointless suck up to a Soros funded group of race haters, in BLM.

Do the crime, do the time.

The central idea of the Black Lives Matter movement is that everyone should be treated the same irrespective of their skin color. People of color do not need your approval to demand equality.

[Sydee 3,612]

28 minutes ago, ProDee said:

He's certainly a classy/smooth mover.  He reminds a little of Josh Kelly and Stephen Hill in his lateral movement, albeit without the speed, although as mentioned in numerous bios, he's athletic.

I have a feeling there'll be little middle ground on this one.  Boom or bust.

One year contract - will need to go boom pretty quick !

[Gator 16,888]

1 minute ago, Sydee said:

One year contract - will need to go boom pretty quick !

He just needs to show he's worthy of a spot on the list in 2018.

He has time like all 20 year olds.

If he booms it will be at the age of 25.

[Sydee 3,612]

Just now, ProDee said:

He just needs to show he's worthy of a spot on the list in 2018.

He has time like all 20 year olds.

If he booms it will be at the age of 25.

Really ? I thought we were getting more ruthless and not carrying players that can't or won't contribute - If they were going to let him take 4 years to boom they'd have offered more than one year don't you think?

[Gator 16,888]

Just now, Sydee said:

Really ? I thought we were getting more ruthless and not carrying players that can't or won't contribute - If they were going to let him take 4 years to boom they'd have offered more than one year don't you think?

I don't care about his length of contract.

He's on the list and will be given every opportunity.

When I say boom, I mean A grade.  If he makes A grade it will take 4 years at least.

BUT that's not to say he won't become a regular in the 22 by season's end.

Up to him.

Do you normally make things more complicated than they need be ?

[Wiseblood 24,636]

5 minutes ago, Sydee said:

Really ? I thought we were getting more ruthless and not carrying players that can't or won't contribute - If they were going to let him take 4 years to boom they'd have offered more than one year don't you think?

We'll give Balic 9 years like we did with the bloke you're referring to, then.  If he isn't up to scratch after 9 years then we can move him on.

[Sydee 3,612]

Just an observation really - one year deal reads to me he has one year to show something - if he doesn't I suspect his time at the MFC may be short lived

Not sure how that can be construed as complicating anything - am I allowed to have an opinion ?

[Coq au vin 754]

On 18/10/2017 at 8:06 PM, Return to Glory said:

Are you kidding! Do you not recall the tunnel ball?

There were lots of tunnel balls this year in different games. Lots of throws too. Nobody commented much.

[What 18,810]

5 hours ago, Nasher said:

Even if he ends up another Michie etc - so what? We're just as likely, or more, to get that player with the pick we used in the draft.

There is literally only upside in this trade.

Thats exactly what I was saying.

It is very low risk for very high reward.