Richmond Senior Club Advisor Neil Balme is attracting interest from “other clubs” in the AFL, according to veteran journalist Caroline Wilson.
Wilson indicated on Channel 9’s Footy Classified last night that due to COVID-19, Balme’s role at the Tigers this year has seemingly diminished.
With Tim Livingstone and Blair Hartley now taking more senior roles at the club, Balme’s position is now under question according to Wilson.
“He’s left the football department and Tim Livingstone and Blair Hartley are now co-bosses of that football department, with Livingstone in the (Queensland) hub,” she said.
“I’ve been critical of some of the off-field issues that Richmond has faced and feel that Neil Balme there might have been the steadying hand that could have helped both Tom Livingstone and Damien Hardwick.
“The club won’t be sending Neil Balme up next week on September 1. Brendon Gale, the CEO, is going to return.
“I just find it interesting that some clubs are bolstering their footy staff and asking for special permission. Richmond are not.”
Wilson suggested that the embattled Adelaide Crows are interested in Balme, who has overseen a remarkable shift at Richmond, to work closely with rookie coach Matthew Nicks and inexperienced head of footy Adam Kelly.
“Because of COVID, Neil Balme now finds himself marginalised and I know that there at talks at other clubs where they just wonder whether he might go there,” she continued.
“The Adelaide Football Club is one where Neil Balme’s name has come up in dispatches.
“That’s the club I’m hearing about.
“Neil Balme has a job and a contract at Richmond next year. It won’t be inside footy to the degree that it was.
“He’s been Mr Fix-It at several football clubs with big, big results and I wonder whether (for) Matthew Nicks, he might be the perfect person.
“Not that Adam Kelly would leave but he’d be a great sounding board for both of those.”
AFL journalist Sam McClure spoke further about the subject on SEN SA Breakfast this morning.
“I think any club would welcome Balmey with open arms given his record,” he said.
“Particularly with Matthew Nicks. He doesn’t have a lot of support around him. I know that they’ve just brought in a new head of footy who is relatively inexperienced in AFL terms, but Balmey is the opposite, he’s just got experience coming out of his eyeballs.
“For some reason, and I can’t get to the bottom of it and Caro tried to explain it. He’s just been on the outer at Richmond this year as they try to bring up the younger guys of Livingstone and Hartley through their footy ops.
“If Adelaide and Andrew Fagan are looking for more support for their young coach, I think Neil Balme would be a great fit.”
Balme has already achieved great success in key roles at Geelong and Collingwood while overseeing two premierships in three years at Richmond.