Neil Balme Biography

Richmond assistant coach Ben Rutten will leave the Tigers at the end of the 2018 season to join the coaching department at Essendon.

"It's unfortunate that he will leave Richmond at the end of our season," Richmond general manager of football Neil Balme said.

"He has built great relationships with both coaches and players, and played an important role in our premiership success last year.

"We're thankful that Ben has let us know his intentions for the future, and he is focused and committed to his role at Richmond for the remainder of our season."

Richmond poaches Neil Balme from Collingwood, installing the former Tiger as its new football manager.

"He will now take responsibility for determining how we respond to the findings of the review," Tigers CEO Brendon Gale said of Balme.

"We have been in discussions with Neil for a number of weeks. He is excited by the challenge that lies ahead and clearly has a passion for a club where his football journey began.

"We are delighted that he has accepted this new role.”

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley expresses his disappointment at Neil Balme's decision to join Richmond.

"I am (disappointed) because I enjoy 'Balmey'. I think he's a great football person … he's played a really important role for us over the last couple of years and for me personally," Buckley told Fox Footy.

"We're in much better shape as a footy department than we were when he came in, and like you'd hope to see whenever your time comes, he'll leave us in a better place than (when) he came in.

"Selfishly, I wanted him to stay on but I can understand the reasons for him taking the next opportunity."

Collingwood football supremo Neil Balme has called on the AFL to break away from the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The Pies football manager became familiar with the WADA process first hand while dealing with authorities over the Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas case.

Now, in response to the mass suspension of 34 past and present Essendon players, Balme has gone public calling for a new process.

"We shouldn't be part of the WADA program, that's my view, of course we shouldn't," Balme told Melbourne radio station SEN.

"If we've ever had to deal with what WADA or ASADA do, it's almost a huge, political thing, that you can’t even fight against."

Balme went on to question the credibility of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"Well, who’s CAS? You reckon they are independent, who appointed those blokes?" Balme asked.

"I reckon it might have been WADA or ASADA – they’re independent?

"They’re not very trustworthy I reckon. Would this CAS mob be independent?"