The father of a coward-punch victim has called on the AFL to “set a benchmark” by not allowing Richmond defender Noah Balta back on the field.
Balta has pleaded guilty to assault and will be sentenced on April 22 for his attack on a 27-year-old man outside the Mulwala Water Ski Club.
The Tigers backman was suspended for four premiership season matches, after also sitting out two practice games, by his club in a sanction ratified by the AFL after the incident on December 30 last year.
Balta’s suspension expires this weekend, with the 25-year-old eligible to return in Richmond’s round-five game against Fremantle on Sunday.
Matt Cronin, whose son Pat was killed after being punched at a pub in 2016,
“They’ve ticked it off, there’s no doubt about it,” Cronin said on 3AW of the AFL’s stance. “I think they’ve made their decision, sadly.
“The AFL has a terrific opportunity to set a benchmark.
“He’s brought Richmond into disrepute.”
Tigers coach Adam Yze, last week, came out in support of his player, suggesting that he would play him as soon as he was available and fit – and neither Richmond nor the AFL has considered extending his ban.
But former Geelong star Jimmy Bartel was not happy at the coach’s comments that he said do not reflect the seriousness of what has occured.
“Adam Yze’s comments don’t sit comfortably with me,” Jimmy Bartel said on Footy Classified.
“It came across as Noah is being hard done by – the fact that he has had to sit so much time out and had to deal with it.
“That sort of behaviour we are trying to eradicate from society.
Noah Balta. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
“Let’s not even talk about football. That’s not even being able to act properly in society.”
Balta pleaded guilty in the Corowa Local Court to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which in NSW carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.
Prosecutors said Balta’s actions, which hospitalised the victim Thomas Washbrook with head injuries, met the threshold of a high-level offence.
The court was shown CCTV footage of Balta running out of the club and shoulder-charging Washbrook, knocking him to the ground.
Court documents state Balta punched Washbrook’s head two to three times and assisted his brother by holding the man down.
Balta punched Washbrook twice more in the head before he was pulled away from the victim, who was bleeding from a three-centimetre head wound.
Balta’s defence team admitted to the court the incident was serious, but argued the assault was at the higher end of a mid-level offence.
His lawyer Belinda Franjic told the court the offence was “completely and utterly out of character” for the AFL star.
Outgoing AFL Players Association chief Paul Marsh said the AFL had the chance to help rehabilitate Balta.
“There’s been a disciplinary process there. Noah has served that out. And so he has a right to play this week. I don’t know whether he will,” Marsh said.
“At the moment, our thoughts are with Noah in a sort of broader sense, I think he’s got some problems, sorts of challenges ahead of him and that is the bigger issue.
“But if playing fully, and I think playing footy can be a nice distraction, being in a club where they’re actually working with him day-to-day is also really positive … I think that the club will make the right decision.
“He’s gone through a process where he’s been suspended, so I think it’s appropriate that that’s the suspension.
“He’s got a criminal process that he’s going through, and there’ll be a determination made at the end of that. But there has been a football process, and that’s the result of it.”
Matthew Nicks is torn between wanting Izak Rankine to play in the AFL Gather Round opener against Geelong and longer-term concerns.
The Crows star has a calf muscle injury and remains in doubt for Thursday night’s massive Adelaide Oval match.
They will train at suburban Prospect on Wednesday afternoon and the Adelaide coach admits “I would love to see him out there” against the Cats.
But Rankine’s high-speed running and his hamstring injury last year mean the Crows will take no chances.
“It’s one we have to be mindful of, the speeds he gets up to and the pressure he puts on that calf. The last thing (we want to do) is lose him for a month or so,” Nicks said on Tuesday.
“Izak enjoys a big stage, so he’s pushing and he really wants to play. It will be a joint decision.
“We put some faith in him to make the right decision, but we may have to step in if needs be.
“It will almost be a game-day decision, but we’ll get some more info (on Wednesday).”
Fellow onballer Matt Crouch is likely to return against the Cats after he was rested for their controversial loss to Gold Coast.
Izak Rankine. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Late in Saturday’s match, Rankine was denied a mark or free kick near goal and the AFL later admitted to the umpiring error.
It is the latest of several admission by the league of incorrect decisions against the Crows.
While Nicks admitted the latest umpiring blunder could be used as motivation in the future, for now the Crows are focused on Geelong.
“We move on pretty quickly as a playing group and a coaching group when it comes to that sort of stuff,” the Crows coach said.
“It’s one we may use longer term, down the track as motivation in some way or another. But it’s definitely not front of mind.
“It’s not something that we need to waste energy on. I know there’s a lot of commentary externally, but there’s none (in the club).
“We’ve probably learned some good lessons in that over the last three or four years – just our ability to stay in the moment.”
with AAP
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