Is Neil Balme Sick? Medical Condition That Led To Weight Loss On Former AFL Star

No, Neil Balme is not sick at this moment. On the contrary, the former footballer is healthy and thriving, but he had his share of health problems two years ago. 

To illustrate, in September 2020, Neil experienced a brain episode that resulted in him collapsing outside his home and waking up in the back of an ambulance.

Back then, the most esteemed football manager in the league turned down a position at Adelaide over the summer. Still, Richmond Senior Club Advisor Balme revealed the covert health scare was a major factor in the decision.

While speaking to the Sacked Podcast, Balme said about collapsing outside his house, waking up in an ambulance, and disrupting the Adelaide game.

In 2022, Neil Balme’s weight has significantly decreased, which seems to be alarming his supporters. However, it does not seem like the former AFL player’s weight loss is related to his medical issues.

To illustrate, Neil struggled with his heavyweight and realized he needed to control it, which was the beginning of his weight loss effort. Neil established a goal to lose 50 pounds by 2018 and an extra pound each year after that until he accomplished his main goal.

Happily, the former footballer accomplished his goal with the help of diet and doctors’ recommendations. Earlier, Neil Balme looked twice as big as he is now. To illustrate, while he currently weighs 229 pounds (104 kg), his previous weight was 262 pounds (118 kg).

Neil’s before and after images showed a noticeable change in weight loss, which astonished his fans. His sudden weight loss raised concern among fans and correlated it with his medical condition. Nevertheless, it was not the case; his apparent slimming down was unrelated to his sickness, and shedding some weight helped Neil to be healthier.

Yes, Neil Balme is married. The major inspiration in his life is his wife, Carmel. The couple has four kids: William, Jarrod, Georgia, and Kate. All his children are adults occupied with their own lives and occupations. Despite all, the lovely family enjoys a close link.

The former footballer is a loving husband to his wife and a protective father to his kids. Earlier in his tribute to the team, Balme mentioned Carmel saying they both have nothing but great recollections of their time with the cats.

Balme departed Norwood in 1991 to become the club’s first head coach of the newly established Woodville-West Torrens Football Club, which was created at the end of 1990 when Woodville and West Torrens merged.

Neil’s performance demonstrated the viability of a merged organization when AFL clubs were considering mergers to remain competitive in the new, completely professional age. Finally giving in to the allure of coaching in the AFL, he accepted the position of manager of Melbourne Football Club for the 1993 AFL season.

Born on January 15, 1952, Neil Balme is 70 years old. His net worth is estimated to be somewhere between 1 million to 3 million USD. Per expectations, Balme earns over $100,000 annually as Richmond’s senior club advisor.

Neil played Australian Rules football in the past before becoming a coach and then an administrator. Additionally, Balme has years of experience and has worked in the industry. Given that, he is reported to make a sizable fortune and lives a luxurious lifestyle with his family.

Like Neil Balme, Gillon McLachlan is a former Australian Football League player. McLachlan has held the AFL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2014, with a net worth of 10 million USD.

Neil is the son of Barry and Iris. Neil Balme is a Caucasian born in Perth, Western Australia. In January 1969, the Balme family relocated to Victoria.

He has an elder brother named Ian and a beloved younger brother named Craig, as Redlegs fans, in particular, are aware. Before joining Subiaco, Neil played junior football for Mount Pleasant Amateurs and Wembley Athletic Club.

At 16, he made an impression playing senior WAFL football against the renowned Polly Farmer. As aforementioned, Neil’s father moved to Victoria due to his job. Neil points out that, if it had not been for that, he most likely would have spent his entire playing career in Subiaco.

While Ian and Neil were interested in several Victorian clubs, they decided to sign with Richmond in exchange for the chance to travel with the Tigers at the end of the season.

Although Neil Balme was much more than just a ruthless player, it is how most people remember him. He is an incredible key forward who used his body wisely and had a powerful overhead, proving himself a great ruckman.

After leaving Mount Pleasant Amateurs, Balme played junior football for Wembley Athletic Club before relocating to Subiaco of the Western Australian Football League (WAFL) in 1968.

With a good effort in the ruck against future Australian Football Hall of Famer Graham “Polly” Farmer during a match against West Perth Football Club at the age of just 16, Balme made a lasting impact.

Neil and his family relocated to Melbourne in January 1969. He was persuaded to sign for Richmond shortly after, joining his older brother Ian Balme. Balme stayed at Norwood for eleven seasons; his team never missed the championship game.

They achieved premierships in 1982 and 1984, garnering Balme praise and numerous requests to return to Victoria and serve as a coach. One among the suitors for his abilities was Richmond. But Balme believed that because of a focus on negative and violence, the game was stagnating in its native nature.

Balme promoted a quick, open, and deft passing style because he thought it would be the game’s future. His tenacity with a tactical, high-possession, low-impact game strategy drew admiration and scorn. When the fashion was successful, it was alluring and challenging to match.

In 1994, Melbourne advanced to the preliminary final before faltering. However, a portion of Melbourne’s dismal performance after 1995 can be attributed to the injuries sustained by stars like Garry Lyon, David Schwarz, and Stephen Tingay.

Balme was media-friendly because of his calm, approachable manner and insistence on player empowerment, but some questioned whether he was qualified to serve as an AFL coach.

The conflict over the club’s 1996 plan to combine with Hawthorn Football Club caught Balme and his players off guard. Balme was fired by the controversial new Demons president, Joe Gutnick, following Round 9 and eight straight losses due to the team’s decline and several embarrassing performances in 1997. For the remainder of the year, Greg Hutchinson took his place.