Sacked Podcast: Neil Balme reveals his secret health issue that forced him to say no to overtures from Adelaide

Neil Balme says, at 70, he is “all good”, but the Richmond father figure has told the Sacked Podcast he requires ongoing medication to control brain seizures.

Neil Balme has revealed he had a secret health scare. Picture: AAP

Richmond senior club advisor Neil Balme has revealed the secret health scare that played a key part in the game’s most-respected football boss knocking back a role at Adelaide over summer.

Balme had a brain seizure in September 2020 that saw him wake up in the back of an ambulance outside his house after collapsing.

Balme chose to remain at Richmond to honour his contract and help introduce the next wave of talent but admits he was perilously close to leaving for the Crows.

Amid an outpouring of support for Balme when he decided to remain at Richmond, Balme told the Herald Sun’s Sacked podcast brain seizures now controlled by medication played a significant role in him remaining.

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Balme with the 2017 premiership Cup with Zac and Brianna. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

“It was actually certainly quite humbling to be asked to consider it all,” he said.

“And I do love Adelaide, I have some reasons to want to be there.

“One of the main reasons this time was because I did have a commitment to Richmond, I didn’t really want to break it, but I’m sure they wouldn’t have got in the way.

“But more than anything else I’m nearly 70 and I’ve had a few health issues.

“I woke up in Gore St (Fitzroy) in the back of an ambulance. ‘What the hell am I doing here?’

“So, it’s got something to do with epilepsy. I’ve had a couple of silly brain seizures and the advice they give me is, ‘Don’t introduce too much extra anxiety into your life,’ because it won’t suit you.

“I’m all good, I can assure you. But I’ve just got to be careful of what I do.

“I’m on some medication, not a hell of a lot. I’ve got to be careful about how much alcohol I drink, which is not as easy as it sounds if you are me.

“Day to day, it’s not an issue, but I’ve had a couple of seizures.

“And I’ve probably been a bit overconservative but that was a fair bit of the reason, because the Adelaide job was quite exciting.

Richmond father figure Neil Balme with the Tigers’ AFLW players at Punt Road Oval. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“And I would have loved to have helped. But the incentive to stay at Richmond is still pretty strong. The feedback I’ve had from Richmond people that I’m staying has been unbelievably powerful. So I have done the right thing one way or another.”

Balme found his way to Richmond from Collingwood when hired by the Tigers in 2016 as the incumbent board attempted to hold off a potential spill called by the Focus On Football group.

That group which included 1980 premiership players Bruce Monteath and Bryan Wood has been widely ridiculed given Richmond’s immediate success in 2017 but Balme has revealed he might have joined forces with that group.

“They are my mates. What they were doing was saying, ‘We haven’t won for too long, what the hell do we do? ‘I was sort of helping them a bit. I wasn’t there for the political side. I wasn’t ever part of the movement, if you like, but I was just talking to them about all of their (ideas) because they were lifelong mates.

“And I don’t know whether that had any influence over my getting the job or not, I honestly don’t know.

“But at least it put my name out there. When I spoke to Peggy (O’Neal) and Brendon Gale) they could see as an old Richmond person and having had the experience I‘ve had in the game that I might be able to help them. There was no suggestion of Focus on Footy (forcing their hand).

“If (Focus on Footy) had won they may have spoken to me, but I was just talking about the day-to-day stuff.

Gary Ablett after the 2010 preliminary final, his last game for Geelong before returning in 2018.

Balme: Why Ablett had to leave Geelong

Former Geelong football boss Neil Balme says the Cats would have not been able to keep their list together to win the 2011 premiership if they had paid up to keep Gary Ablett at the club.

The destabilising dramas of 2010 saw Ablett change his mind several times over an extraordinary Gold Coast offer.

He eventually left, and dual premiership coach Mark Thompson departed soon after for Essendon.

Geelong was never able to match the $1.6 million-per-season Gold Coast deal but tried hard to get close before Ablett eventually committed to the Suns.

Balme told the Herald Sun’s Sacked podcast if Ablett had stayed on a comparable deal to the Gold Coast offer it would have damaged the list so much the 2011 premiership wouldn’t have been possible.

Balme remains miffed about the AFL’s hand in breaking up that great Geelong team.

“The AFL are forever doing something to try to make it even for everyone,” he said.

“They would be happy for Ablett to leave Geelong because they have been too good. So it’s not ideal.

“But the one thing that I’ve always felt is that you can’t sacrifice your payment structure because otherwise what happens when Jimmy Bartel walks in (and asks the same)? What do you do then? Or (Joel) Selwood or (Matthew) Scarlett?

“So you have to be pretty open and obvious with what you are trying to do and if Gary was offered all this dough, then let him take it.

“It would have had a terrible flow-on effect. I would say you would have no hope (of winning the flag the next year).

Neil Balme (right) with Cameron Ling and Brian Cook at the Geelong press conference after Gary Ablett left for Gold Coast.

“I mean it’s the AFL promoting the Gold Coast Suns. What the hell could we do about it?

“You don’t blame Gary. Gary’s offered what he is offered and what does he say? ‘I will take two thirds or half of that and stay?’

“Or do I take the opportunity and get some money. No, we had to look at it unemotionally.”

Three days after the Cats’ 2010 preliminary final loss then-CEO Brian Cook said of Thompson’s future: “Mark will be the coach of the Geelong Football Club next year. There is nothing surer.”

Thompson now admits he had made up his mind halfway through 2010 to leave, saying several years ago he did not lie to Geelong but “I never told them the full story”.

Geelong eventually found a log of calls and texts from Thompson to Essendon figures including Tim Watson and club chairman David Evans.

Balme wishes Thompson had trusted Geelong figures enough to tell them of his plans to join James Hird’s Essendon as an assistant coach.

“That was a bit of a surprise to me. You’re not going to stay in any place forever. So it doesn’t really matter (if he wants to leave),” Balme said.

“But it was reasonably challenging because funnily enough ‘Bomber’ was trying to protect himself. He said he hadn’t spoken to Essendon at all but somehow we find phone records and he’s got about 400 phone calls from someone called David Evans.

“And it’s a pity he couldn’t trust me or us to talk about it. Maybe I’m too accepting of those things, but I certainly would (have let him go). I think I’m pretty sure Cooky would have as well.”

Originally published as Sacked Podcast: Neil Balme reveals his secret health issue that forced him to say no to overtures from Adelaide