AFL breaks silence on Balta assault after CCTV released

The AFL will not stand in Noah Balta’s way of playing for Richmond if selected before he is sentenced for assaulting a man in NSW.

Balta is facing up to five years in jail after pleading guilty for an attack on another man outside the Mulwala Water Ski club at in December last year.

Last week he pleaded guilty to a single count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and will be sentenced on April 22.

It means Richmond could play him in their Round 5 and 6 clashes with Fremantle and Gold Coast before he is sentenced.

Finally breaking the league’s silence on the matter, Dillon said the AFL would not stand in the club’s way should they want Balta to play and that they were happy with the four-game suspension originally handed to him.

“By the time Noah is eligible to play again he would have served a four week AFL suspension as well as missing a couple of weeks of practice matches,” Dillon said.

“Ultimately it will be a decision from Richmond, whether they select him straight into the AFL or into the VFL side.

“We have worked with Richmond and we're comfortable with the suspension and the suspension that Noah has served ... we're comfortable with where Richmond landed on that one.”

Last week CCTV footage of the “sickening” assault was made public with prosecutors telling a court that the victim of the assault - Thomas Washbrook - was lucky to be alive.

After seeing the vision, David King and Kane Cornes called for harsher sanctions to be handed down to Balta.

“It’s a sickening incident and I’m wondering who is in control of the sanctions here,” King said on SEN’s Fireball. “Is the AFL integrity taking control?

“He’s put his hand up and done the wrong thing but when you see the vision, I’m wondering why the AFL hasn’t suspended him. Maybe now is the time.

“They’re talking about the potential for jail time.

“It brings the game into disrepute.”

READ: “Sickening”: AFL must suspend Balta after CCTV release.