Richmond defender Balta was sentenced at Albury Local Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to repeatedly punching Thomas Washbrook, 27, outside the Mulwala Water Ski Club, in the NSW Riverina, on 30 December.
The 25-year-old was fined $3000, given an 18-month community corrections order and assigned a curfew, restricting him to his home address between 10pm and 6am until July.
Read moreHe was expressionless as he walked through the media pack and into a nearby SUV more than two hours after his sentencing
Balta’s legal team has sought an exemption from the curfew to allow him to play football
Balta said his actions were unacceptable and that he was deeply sorry
and everyone associated with the Richmond Football Club,” Balta said
“I have let a lot of people down and the lesson has been learned that violence is never the answer
“I will continue to work to improve myself to ensure this never happens again.”
Washbrook had been waiting for a courtesy bus outside the club when he tried to defuse an altercation between another man and Balta’s younger brother Oskar
he saw Washbrook touch his brother in an attempt to calm him
but misinterpreted the gesture and rushed in to defend him
Court documents released last month detailed how the 2020 premiership player had been on a pub crawl from 1.30pm on the day of the assault
CCTV footage shown to the court showed Balta shoulder charge the victim before punching him several times in the head
Balta punched Washbrook several more times as his brother held the victim down
The victim suffered a three-centimetre cut to his forehead
which bled during the attack and was later treated in hospital for a suspected rib fracture
Balta turned himself in to police two days later on New Year’s Day
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment in NSW
Balta must abstain from alcohol for the duration of his community corrections order
The premiership defender has also paid Washbrook $45,000 in compensation
Magistrate Melissa Humphreys said the attack was at the higher end of the medium threshold but disagreed with the prosecution about the victim’s risk of death
“While more serious harm was a possibility
I cannot be satisfied to a high standard beyond a reasonable doubt that death was highly probable,” she told the court
Humphreys said Balta had admitted his actions were “misguided and disproportionate” and his judgment had been “severely marred by his level of intoxication”
including a six-match ban including two pre-season games
had not adequately punished Balta for his actions
“Alcohol-fuelled violence must be denounced,” Humphreys said
lack of prior convictions and his expression of genuine remorse was taken into account in the sentence
The footballer had also completed an anger management program and had a range of shining character references which described the incident as “out of character” for the “gentle giant”
Balta will be banned from the Mulwala Water Ski Club for the duration of the community corrections order
Richmond coach Adem Yze has described Noah Balta as "flat" and "emotional" following the Tigers star receiving a night-time curfew by a court
A day after Balta was sentenced for assaulting a man in regional NSW on December 30 last year
Yze addressed the media at Richmond's Punt Rd headquarters on Wednesday
After taking eight questions related to Balta to begin the press conference
Richmond's head of communications Nicki Malady then interjected and told reporters to "move on"
we've got a game tomorrow night," she said
Richmond decided against negotiating the punishment
so Balta will miss this Thursday night's clash with Melbourne at the MCG
Balta will also have to sit out the Dreamtime match against Essendon on May 23
and a twilight clash with GWS at Engie Stadium on May 31 because he wouldn't be able to get back from Sydney in time to make the 10pm curfew
The 25-year-old could also miss numerous other matches before his curfew is lifted on July 22 due to the floating fixture still yet to be confirmed from round 16 onwards
Balta won't play for Richmond's VFL team on Thursday
even though it is a day game against the Casey Demons
Noah Balta has been handed a night-time curfew as part of his punishment for an assault late last year Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesHe also didn't attend training on Wednesday
"We're coming off a five day break (after beating Gold Coast)
and he'll look forward to playing against Hawthorn next week."
Balta declined to speak to the media following the resolution of his court case on Tuesday
with Richmond instead releasing a statement with quotes attributed to him and Tigers chief executive Shane Dunne
"Obviously a little bit worried about what he could say," Yze said of Balta
so we've just got to protect him with that
"He'll speak when it's his right time to speak and you will sense how remorseful he is."
Richmond's decision to select Balta against Gold Coast last Saturday night
Richmond great Jack Riewoldt has been among the critics of his former club's handling of the situation
The Tigers have repeatedly backed their call to bring Balta back in before his court case resolved
He was initially given a four-game suspension by Richmond
before making a crucial impact on his AFL return when he kept Suns spearhead Ben King to one goal in an upset win
The 25-year-old was eventually fined $3000
given an 18-month community corrections order and assigned the 10pm to 6am curfew
But Balta won't face any additional sanctions from the AFL
"(Balta) knew that he did wrong and he was going to be punished," Yze said
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"So to go through that (appealing the curfew) for another six weeks
but on our footy club and our playing group."
Balta has found significant support from his former coach
who slammed comments made by Victorian premier Jacinta Allan about the premiership player being able to play before his case finished
Hardwick doubled down on the opinions he voiced following Gold Coast's defeat to Richmond
really hard on crime," the Suns coach said on Wednesday in a response to a question from an ABC journalist
Young defender Campbell Gray will make his AFL debut as a replacement for Balta in the Anzac Eve match
Prison time – his charge in NSW carries a maximum five-year stretch – appears unlikely, but Balta’s return to football has become a political football.
right now it’s around performance,” coach Adem Yze said before picking Balta for his AFL comeback
The brilliant backman was banned by his club for four games and additionally missed two trial games
with those sanctions imposed prior to Balta’s guilty plea and the emergence of CCTV of the incident
The 25-year-old 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 the actions of the 2020 premiership player
which put victim Thomas Washbrook in hospital with head injuries
Balta was available for AFL selection last week
prompting outrage from Victorian premier Jacinta Allan
“How does the AFL and the Richmond Football Club answer that question about what’s going on here?” Allan asked
“What sort of message does this send to kids about what’s right and what’s wrong?”
Andrew Dillon was repeatedly asked about the prospect of Balta playing last week
with the AFL boss noting the league completed its process in February and “it’s up to Richmond whether they select him”
Balta ultimately played for Richmond’s reserves in what Yze said was purely a football decision to gain match touch for this Saturday night
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“We went really hard in doing so and he’s been dealing with that for three months
we suspended him for four and now he’s had five weeks out – we’ve got to make sure we’re looking after the player as well
that’s been a discussion we had with the AFL at the start of this process
He’s been working on himself and he can’t wait to try and earn the respect back of not only us as a club and his teammates but our supporters and the AFL community.”
Balta returns for a Richmond outfit who enter Saturday night’s fixture at Marvel Stadium as rank outsiders to topple the unbeaten Suns
Gold Coast have banked four consecutive wins to start a season for the first time with ex-Tiger coach Damien Hardwick’s imprint on the Suns ever-clearer
Balta joins No 1 draft pick Sam Lalor and Samson Ryan in returning for the Tigers
Tyler Sonsie and Jacob Blight while the Suns have recalled Connor Budarick for Sam Clohesy
whilst it also subjects him to a three month 10pm-6pm curfew during which he cannot leave his house for any circumstances other than exceptional medical ones
It means that Balta will be unable to play any evening matches for the remainder of the year
nor any that require him to be interstate overnight
The utility defender will therefore be unavailable for their ANZAC Day eve clash against Melbourne, their Round 11 Dreamtime fixture against Essendon, and a Round 12 trip to GWS Giants
First bounce times for games beyond Round 15 have not been finalised due to the AFL's floating fixture for the third trimester of the season
which includes seven games in either Melbourne or Geelong
though his three-month curfew will expire between Rounds 19 and 20
It's understood that Balta's guilty plea and his cooperation with the legal process
including a civil settlement with the victim and the undertaking of some remedial courses
has contributed to him not being incarcerated for one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm
which can attract a maximum penalty of five years in prison
His lawyers' requests for an exemption to the curfew to play football was denied on the grounds that the curfew is a punitive measure
Balta was also fined $3,000 and prohibited from consuming any alcohol during the period of the curfew
Richmond Football Club has issued the following statement:
issued with an 18-month community corrections order and assigned a three-month curfew after a court hearing in Albury today
Richmond CEO Shane Dunne reiterated that Balta’s actions were unacceptable
“Noah has been held accountable for his actions and has paid a significant price as he should,” Dunne said
“This Club does not condone violence in any form
and it is why we took such a strong and immediate stand when this incident came to light
“Noah has worked hard to improve himself in the months following the incident
it remains our collective expectation that Noah learns from this
and we see the best version of him going forward.”
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We extend our deepest respect to First Peoples and Traditional Owners of the land
despite his impending sentencing in New South Wales on Tuesday
Several prominent AFL journalists broke the news on Thursday afternoon ahead of the official publication of the team lists at 6:20pm AEST
at which point Balta was named at full back
Head coach Adem Yze had for weeks expressed his desire for Balta to return to the senior side upon the end of his six-week ban
but opted last week to return him to action via the VFL team in a practice match against an AFL academy team
Yze then told reporters that his on-field performance in that match would be the club's only concern ahead of what could be an indefinite halt to Balta's 2025 campaign
"We needed him to get a game under his belt and then it's depending on how he plays and how he pulls up," Yze said
how he pulls up and whether he warrants selection on the way that he played
"We'll have those discussions later in the week."
Richmond's intention to name Balta ahead of his sentencing had already attracted the criticism of some high profile names
who last week questioned "what sort of message this sends to kids about what’s right and what’s wrong"
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said earlier this year that he was "comfortable with the suspension" served by Balta despite the timing of it ended between the Corowa court handing down its guilty verdict and Balta's sentencing on Tuesday
Balta's victim, Thomas Washbrook, believes the Richmond forward is deserving of a second chance according to his legal representative John Suta because of his behaviour since the incident including educational courses and a confidential payout that exceeded Washbrook's medical costs
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If not for a brutal moment of drunken thuggery
Noah Balta would have emerged from the Easter break well-rested and preparing for an eagerly anticipated Anzac Eve clash with Melbourne
the Richmond premiership player sat solemnly in the middle of a room in the Albury Local Court on Tuesday morning to be told he would not be allowed to leave his house for the next three months between the hours of 10pm and 6am
Richmond’s Noah Balta will have to abide by a curfew for the next three months
which will restrict the number of games he can play for the Tigers.Credit: Nine
The curfew is a component of an 18-month correctional service order imposed on the 25-year-old Balta by magistrate Melissa Humphreys for an unprovoked assault outside Mulwala Water Ski Club in the early hours of December 30 last year
Two sources with knowledge of Balta’s situation
and the club was aligned with the Balta camp on that decision
The punishment means he will not be able to line up for the Tigers to play in Thursday night’s game at the MCG because of the late finish under lights
He will also miss the Dreamtime at the ’G clash against Essendon in round 11 and is all but certain be ruled out of the 4.15pm clash against the Giants in Sydney the following week for fear of not making it home in time
The fixture is not set from round 16 onwards
but the Tigers are due to play West Coast in Perth before Balta’s curfew expires on July 22
Humphreys told Balta he would only be allowed to leave his residence during the curfew hours for urgent medical treatment
As she outlined the restrictive conditions
as well imposing a $3000 fine and banning him from entering the Mulwala Water Ski Club
Balta sat straight-backed with his hands in his lap
Balta apologised to the victim Thomas Washbrook
“I have let a lot of people down and the lesson has been learned that violence is never the answer,” he said
Balta’s curfew will be in place for three months.Credit: Getty Images
His reserved demeanour in court was a far cry from the drunken footballer who barrelled into Washbrook
or even the powerful defender hugged by his teammates after his match-winning heroics against Gold Coast on Saturday night
He was told by the court he could not drink alcohol for the period of the curfew
and would have to undergo an educational program for self-control
It all adds to the price that Balta has had to pay since his senseless act of violence left a bloodied Washbrook on the ground
bleeding profusely from a three-centimetre cut to his head and in pain with a broken rib
Balta has been banned from four games of home-and-away football
undergone rehabilitation courses and paid his victim $45,000 in compensation as part of a civil case
Disturbing CCTV footage of the assault was made public at a court sitting last month when Balta pleaded guilty to the attack
but Humphreys revisited the fateful night for the purpose of her sentencing
She said the footballer had been on a pub crawl with his brother and friends in the NSW border towns of Yarrawonga and Mulwala before ending up at the ski club in an intoxicated state
had been standing outside waiting for a courtesy bus
A verbal altercation broke out nearby between Balta’s group and another man
Washbrook stepped between Balta’s brother Oskar and another man to try and “defuse” the situation
The victim then “gently touched Oskar on the chest in an attempt to calm him down”
Balta was walking out of the club at the time and misread the signs
He told police he felt the need to protect his brother
“He ran towards the victim and used excessive force to charge him [Washbrook] and push him to the ground,” Humphreys said
“While the victim was lying on the concrete
the offender punched the victim two to three times to the head.”
Balta’s brother grabbed Washbrook by the shirt and held his shoulder while Balta punched him two more times
He punched the victim again as he walked off
The court found the attack was “unprovoked”
Balta handed himself in to police the following day
He immediately gave up alcohol and has since undergone an anger management course as well as undertaking “mandated additional work at the [footy] club before and after training”
He was suspended by Richmond for four AFL games and two practice matches and fronted the players to explain his actions and outline the steps he had taken to address them
The court was handed character references from a number of people including former Tigers coach Damien Hardwick
player manager Robbie D’Orazio and Richmond president John O’Rourke
They described Balta as a “gentle giant” for whom the drunken assault was out of character
The magistrate opted against a prison term – the maximum penalty for assault occasioning actual bodily harm is five years’ jail – because Balta was young
he had engaged in rehabilitation and he had shown genuine remorse
She said the attack was in the mid-range of seriousness
but she could not be satisfied to a high standard that there was a “probability of death occurring”
Noah Balta returned to the Richmond side against Gold Coast.Credit: Justin McManus
asked the court if exemptions could be made for night football and interstate games
Humphreys said Balta would have to make changes to his employment to fit the penalty
His brother had already been sentenced to a two-year conditional release order
Balta stayed inside the Albury Court House for 2½ hours
speaking to his legal team and representatives from Richmond before emerging
walking to a waiting black Ford SUV before being driven away for the three-hour trip back to Melbourne for the 10pm curfew
the AFL said it will not impose any further sanctions on Balta after his sentencing
and having already served a football suspension
“His actions on that night are something we never wish to see in any setting
“Balta’s conduct could have resulted in a much more serious outcome
his actions do not represent behaviours acceptable to anyone in our game or our community and he must continue to take responsibility for them.”
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Two sources with knowledge of Balta\\u2019s situation
The punishment means he will not be able to line up for the Tigers to play in Thursday night\\u2019s game at the MCG because of the late finish under lights
He will also miss the Dreamtime at the \\u2019G clash against Essendon in round 11 and is all but certain be ruled out of the 4.15pm clash against the Giants in Sydney the following week for fear of not making it home in time
but the Tigers are due to play West Coast in Perth before Balta\\u2019s curfew expires on July 22
\\u201CI have let a lot of people down and the lesson has been learned that violence is never the answer,\\u201D he said
\\u201CI will continue to work to improve myself to ensure this never happens again.\\u201D
A verbal altercation broke out nearby between Balta\\u2019s group and another man
Washbrook stepped between Balta\\u2019s brother Oskar and another man to try and \\u201Cdefuse\\u201D the situation
The victim then \\u201Cgently touched Oskar on the chest in an attempt to calm him down\\u201D
\\u201CHe ran towards the victim and used excessive force to charge him [Washbrook] and push him to the ground,\\u201D Humphreys said
\\u201CWhile the victim was lying on the concrete
the offender punched the victim two to three times to the head.\\u201D
Balta\\u2019s brother grabbed Washbrook by the shirt and held his shoulder while Balta punched him two more times
The court found the attack was \\u201Cunprovoked\\u201D
He immediately gave up alcohol and has since undergone an anger management course as well as undertaking \\u201Cmandated additional work at the [footy] club before and after training\\u201D
player manager Robbie D\\u2019Orazio and Richmond president John O\\u2019Rourke
They described Balta as a \\u201Cgentle giant\\u201D for whom the drunken assault was out of character
The magistrate opted against a prison term \\u2013 the maximum penalty for assault occasioning actual bodily harm is five years\\u2019 jail \\u2013 because Balta was young
but she could not be satisfied to a high standard that there was a \\u201Cprobability of death occurring\\u201D
Balta stayed inside the Albury Court House for 2\\u00BD hours
\\u201CHis actions on that night are something we never wish to see in any setting
\\u201CBalta\\u2019s conduct could have resulted in a much more serious outcome
his actions do not represent behaviours acceptable to anyone in our game or our community and he must continue to take responsibility for them.\\u201D
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country
RICHMOND coach Adem Yze has described Noah Balta as "flat" and "emotional" following his night-time curfew by a court
A day after Balta was sentenced for assaulting a man in regional NSW on December 30 last year
Richmond's head of communications Nicki Malady interjected and told reporters to "move on"
Footy Feed: Sarah Olle with all the latest news
Balta will also have to sit out the Dreamtime at the 'G match against Essendon on May 23
and a twilight match against Greater Western Sydney at Engie Stadium on May 31 because he wouldn't be able to get back from Sydney in time for his curfew
He also didn't attend training on Wednesday
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Richmond's decision to select Balta against the Suns last Saturday night
The Tigers have repeatedly backed their call to bring Balta back in before his date in court
but on our footy club and our playing group
"So we accept the decision and we move on."
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In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land
We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today
AFL: Richmond's unique situation surrounding Noah Balta will not effect the club this weekend
with the Tigers clash against Hawthorn early enough for him to make it home in time for his court-ordered curfew
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A REFRESHED Noah Balta will return to bolster Richmond's chances of delivering a little "payback" to Hawthorn by spoiling its milestone party
Balta was forced to sit out the round seven loss to Melbourne due to his court-imposed curfew
which requires him to be at his home between 10pm and 6am
It is part of the 25-year-old's punishment for assaulting a man in regional NSW on December 30 last year
in part because of a short break between matches
The premiership defender had made his AFL comeback in a surprise win over Gold Coast in round six
after serving a club-imposed four-match suspension relating to the assault
Balta will return for Richmond when Hawthorn celebrates 100 years in the VFL/AFL in its home game at the MCG on Sunday
The panel pick their favourite ever Hawthorn players ahead of the club's 100-year anniversary game against Richmond
"He's in a good spot," Richmond coach Adem Yze said on Thursday ahead of his team's main training session
"He had a great session over the weekend and he's had a great week on the track
the players love having him part of the group
"He's had a nice week and he's ready to go."
Hawthorn will mark its anniversary a little more than 100 years to the day since first lining up in the VFL against Richmond on May 2
And Yze has not forgotten the last time the two sides faced off in a significant milestone encounter
A record crowd of more than 92,000 was on hand in June last year when Dustin Martin played his 300th game
and the Tigers' legend kicked the first goal
Dustin Martin brings the Tigers faithful to their feet after slotting the game’s first goal in his 300th
But the Hawks were comfortable 48-point winners over the eventual wooden spooners as they marched towards a finals appearance
who was a premiership-winning assistant coach with Hawthorn under Alastair Clarkson
"In Dusty's 300th we played against the Hawks and they spoiled the party that day
so it might be a bit of payback (this week)."
But under no illusions about the size of the task against a Hawthorn side in flag contention
Yze is also on guard for a shift from umpires over the stand rule in round eight
Cal Twomey and Riley Beveridge bring all the latest trade and draft news with a new segment on debut
It comes after AFL football boss Laura Kane revealed the League had written to all 18 clubs about liberties players are taking when manning the mark
"We reviewed that last year and we tried to get some clarity around it
"There's games that we man the mark and other times we don't
"But playing on a Sunday is nice; if there is a change in adjudication then you'll get a sense for it
"It is a tough one to umpire and we'll just see how that goes over the weekend."
Tom Mitchell has returned to full training
while Lachie Schultz is in line to play after overcoming a hamstring injury
Kevin Bartlett was among the first within the Richmond and football fraternity to notice that Noah Balta had received the same match ban of four games as GWS player Josh Fahey
who performed a nude and lewd re-enactment with a blow-up doll in the notorious wacky Wednesday party last year
and the AFL took a relatively tough stance
But the Giant’s offensive sketch was hardly in the same league as Balta’s real-life assault that could have caused serious injury
Noah Balta has been sentenced to a three-month curfew.Credit: Nine
Balta’s footage also has been in full public view for premiers and pundits to judge
The magistrate in the Albury Local Court has effectively doubled Balta’s suspension
by imposing the unforseen condition of a 10pm to 6am curfew on the Richmond player
Having wisely chosen not to appeal the verdict
Balta is facing the loss of at least a further four matches
for failing to read the play in terms of community sentiment on the Balta case
The AFL will be relieved that there’s no appeal
and it is also clearly in Richmond’s interests to avoid further drama and brand damage by fighting them on the benches
Balta? He’s wise to pay the (lawyers’) money and run, follow the magistrate’s orders to stay off the booze for three months and obey the curfew that the magistrate insisted on despite his lawyer’s protestations
The curfew was an innovative method of punishing Balta without putting him in jail
Community service wouldn’t cut it given what the footage of the incident exposed
and a stretch inside prison likely would have invited an appeal by Balta
which removes him from Thursday night’s match and from the Dreamtime game on May 23
Noah Balta will be out of key clashes for Richmond.Credit: Getty Images
He can’t play interstate – even the 4.15pm game v the Giants in Sydney appears out of bounds – and that will cost him the visit to play West Coast in late July
Should the AFL hand the Tigers night slots in the floating fixture from rounds 16-18
First is the actual court hearing in Albury (the attack took place at the Mulwala Waterski Club)
the second is the court of public opinion and the third is the AFL arena
in which the Tigers and the league have been largely aligned
The AFL had not seen the footage when it accepted Richmond’s suggested suspension of four bona fide matches
Had the league viewed the film of Balta’s attack before that judgment
If the AFL ban had been the only games lost
it would have been at least a fortnight light
Balta’s sentence by the court means he is subject to double
considering that he’s also settled out of court with the victim
paying $45,000 plus whatever he incurred in legal costs
outside those with black and yellow streaks
Many working stiffs – virtually anyone with corporate
community or public-facing employment – would face the sack if they were convicted of an unprovoked assault
The AFL holds more responsibility for the public fallout than Richmond
despite the Tigers losing skin – and unexpectedly winning against the Suns – by deciding to play Balta three days before sentencing
in this column’s regrettably vast experience of covering misdeeds by footballers
will almost always bat for their offending (good) player
it is the AFL that must enforce the standards in a Balta situation
who were always going to stand by their man and offer up the punishment they felt would be palatable to the league
much as we have been conditioned to think of the AFL as akin to a government with judicial powers
it is only a sporting organisation with a high profile
Damien Hardwick sounded as if he was still coaching Richmond when he went on the front foot in defence of Balta and castigated Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan for her suggestion that Balta’s handling by the AFL and Richmond sent the wrong message
So is Richmond fan Matt Cronin whose son Patrick died
only one opinion mattered – the magistrate’s
But the Giant\\u2019s offensive sketch was hardly in the same league as Balta\\u2019s real-life assault that could have caused serious injury
Balta\\u2019s footage also has been in full public view for premiers and pundits to judge
The magistrate in the Albury Local Court has effectively doubled Balta\\u2019s suspension
The AFL will be relieved that there\\u2019s no appeal
and it is also clearly in Richmond\\u2019s interests to avoid further drama and brand damage by fighting them on the benches
He\\u2019s wise to pay the (lawyers\\u2019) money and run
follow the magistrate\\u2019s orders to stay off the booze for three months and despite his lawyer\\u2019s protestations
Community service wouldn\\u2019t cut it given what the footage of the incident exposed
with Richmond\\u2019s full-throated support
which removes him from Thursday night\\u2019s match and from the Dreamtime game on May 23
He can\\u2019t play interstate \\u2013 even the 4.15pm game v the Giants in Sydney appears out of bounds \\u2013 and that will cost him the visit to play West Coast in late July
The AFL had not seen the footage when it accepted of four bona fide matches
Had the league viewed the film of Balta\\u2019s attack before that judgment
Balta\\u2019s sentence by the court means he is subject to double
considering that he\\u2019s also settled out of court with the victim
Many working stiffs \\u2013 virtually anyone with corporate
community or public-facing employment \\u2013 would face the sack if they were convicted of an unprovoked assault
despite the Tigers losing skin \\u2013 and unexpectedly winning against the Suns \\u2013 by deciding to play Balta three days before sentencing
in this column\\u2019s regrettably vast experience of covering misdeeds by footballers
sounded as if he was still coaching Richmond when he went on the front foot in defence of Balta and castigated Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan for her suggestion that Balta\\u2019s handling by the AFL and Richmond sent the wrong message
only one opinion mattered \\u2013 the magistrate\\u2019s
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Tigers defender Noah Balta will miss all of Richmond’s night and interstate games due to his court-imposed curfew
Richmond’s General Manager of Football Performance Tim Livingstone joined 3AW Football and detailed the club’s plan for Noah Balta when AFL games clash with his curfew
“It’s his job to be playing footy
so if there’s an opportunity for him to play VFL
we will,” Livingstone on 3AW Football
Press PLAY to listen to the full interview with Tim Livingstone on 3AW
Richmond defender Noah Balta has publicly addressed his assault charge for the first time
offering an emotional apology to the victim
just a day after receiving an 18-month community correctional order
was sentenced for an incident on 30 December in Mulwala
and will now be prohibited from drinking alcohol and subject to a strict 10 pm - 6 am curfew
a sanction that will rule him out of night fixtures and interstate travel for the foreseeable future
In a pre-recorded video released by the club
Balta apologised directly to the man he assaulted
and vowed to work on himself during this period
“I just want to take this opportunity to apologise to the victim and the family,” Balta said
“Also (for) the harm I’ve caused to my family and friends
the whole of the Richmond Football Club and the Tiger Army
Especially (given) I was under the influence and made a judgment call which was stupid of myself.”
Balta will not feature for Richmond this weekend and remains suspended from all levels of competition
He was previously banned for four home-and-away matches and two pre-season games
but the curfew could extend that to at least seven matches missed
and this is going to go on for another 18 months,” he said
I want to take the time to thank my family and friends for always being there supporting me
Coach Adem Yze acknowledged Balta’s remorse
and now it’s about getting him back amongst the group and giving him the opportunity to repay the faith that we’ve shown in him.”
“To appeal the matter would have indicated that footy was more relevant than the sanction,” he said
Balta’s future availability remains uncertain
but both he and the club have made clear their intent to support one another through what Yze called “a tough day.”
Sayantan Guha is a content producer for The Sporting News working across English-language editions.
Photo: Morgan Hancock/AAP PHOTOSRichmond coach Adem Yze will wrap his arms around Noah Balta in the face of ongoing jeers from opposition supporters
All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueBalta returned to the sound of boos from Hawthorn fans in the Tigers' 16.13 (109) to 6.8 (44) loss at the MCG on Sunday
after spending a week on the sidelines because of his court-imposed curfew
It was his first match since being sentenced last month for assaulting a man on December 30 last year
Balta was also targeted during a win over Gold Coast - his only other appearance this season after serving a four-match suspension related to the assault - three days before he was sentenced
"Every supporter group can do what they want
but what we can do is put our arms around him and support him," Yze said after Sunday's match
"We've just got to make sure that doesn't tip over the edge and create any anxiety and pressure for him
"We've got to support him as best we can throughout the week and he knows how much we love him
every supporter group can do what they want
but I would be hoping the Tiger Army don't do that to other players."
Balta had a solid game with eight marks and 14 disposals before being subbed out in the last term
who is free to play against winless West Coast next Sunday
limped off in the final minutes against Hawthorn after appearing to roll his ankle
"He was trying his best to get our ball movement going from our back half
Yze also backed Tim Taranto despite the experienced midfielder gifting Hawthorn a goal by shoving James Sicily over and giving away a 50-metre penalty
Sicily had thrown Maurice Rioli to the ground after catching the Tiger holding the ball
Most players on the ground became involved in the ensuing melee
"Sicily's a fiery character and he got into one of our younger players
so for our vice-captain to step in and fly the flag ..
when one of your players is going in to help one of your younger players and fly the flag and lead by example ..
he might have overstepped it but I'd rather him do that than not go in there at all."
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Richmond coach Adem Yze will wrap his arms around Noah Balta in the face of ongoing jeers from opposition supporters.
Balta returned to the sound of boos from Hawthorn fans in the Tigers' 16.13 (109) to 6.8 (44) loss at the MCG on Sunday, after spending a week on the sidelines because of his court-imposed curfewÂ
It was his first match since being sentenced last month for assaulting a man on December 30 last year.
Balta was also targeted during a win over Gold Coast - his only other appearance this season after serving a four-match suspension related to the assault - three days before he was sentenced.
"Every supporter group can do what they want, but what we can do is put our arms around him and support him," Yze said after Sunday's match.
"We've just got to make sure that doesn't tip over the edge and create any anxiety and pressure for him.
"We've got to support him as best we can throughout the week and he knows how much we love him.
"As I said, every supporter group can do what they want, but I would be hoping the Tiger Army don't do that to other players."
Balta, who is free to play against winless West Coast next Sunday, limped off in the final minutes against Hawthorn after appearing to roll his ankle.
"He was trying his best to get our ball movement going from our back half, but he's OK. He's a battering ram."
Yze also backed Tim Taranto despite the experienced midfielder gifting Hawthorn a goal by shoving James Sicily over and giving away a 50-metre penalty.
Sicily had thrown Maurice Rioli to the ground after catching the Tiger holding the ball, and Taranto rushed in to remonstrate.
Most players on the ground became involved in the ensuing melee.
"One hundred per cent, he's got to fly the flag," Yze said.
"Sicily's a fiery character and he got into one of our younger players, so for our vice-captain to step in and fly the flag ... there's obviously a method to it.
"But as a coach, when one of your players is going in to help one of your younger players and fly the flag and lead by example ... he might have overstepped it but I'd rather him do that than not go in there at all."
Play Duration: 13 minutes 12 seconds13m Brought to you by
Richmond Tiger Noah Balta has been sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order after pleading guilty to assault. He has also been handed a curfew that could see him miss multiple night matches including this weekend. What does the sentence mean for Balta and what can the AFL learn from this?
Featured: Charmaine Manuel, ABC News. Daniel Cherny, CODE Sports.
AFL footballer Noah Balta, wearing a black and white suit, appears at Corowa Local Court in NSW for sentencing on April 22 2025(ABC News: Annie Brown)
Published: YesterdayMon 5 May 2025 at 6:10am
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He has now paid for it criminally and by settling a civil suit along with the undoubted remorse and guilt he would have suffered
the public criticism of him has been rightly severe
I do hope now that people can try and give him a second chance just like the late Andrew Krakouer who went to prison for assault and then completely turned his life around when released
Krak made a mistake but was a beautiful person to those that knew him
I also think this Balta situation is a chance for the AFL and its clubs to be community leaders in this space
Kids need to be taught and educated early about walking away from potentially dangerous situations
I’m an ambassador for the Pat Cronin foundation which deals in this space taking their “Be wise” programs into schools
More than 300,000 kids Australia wide have now been involved in this program
They are doing great things to educate kids from a young age
Get the first look at the digital newspaper
curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox
Get the NewsletterBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Anzac Day is the biggest game on the footy calendar after the grand final
It really is spine-tingling stuff to be there for the pre-game ceremony
It’s hard to get tickets but if you ever get the chance make sure you get to the MCG
With Darcy Moore out Nick Daicos will lead the Pies
The bigger the stage the better Daicos gets
The bigger problem for the Pies is keeping this hot defensive streak alive with Moore out
I think they are that well connected in team defence
and they will be able to cover Moore pretty well
I also think over the history of this game it has really helped teach younger people about what our veterans did for our country
They built that flag through immense pressure forcing turnovers then exploding back towards goal
That pressure is back in 2025 and they are a massive chance to win again in 2025
They are only conceding 66 points per game and their team defence was huge last Thursday night at the Gabba as they ended the Lions’ unbeaten start to the season
Throw in new recruits Dan Houston and Tim Membrey and it’s happy days if you’re a Pies fan
Oh and Nick Daicos could have another gear in him
For the first time this season it really feels like the Lions are going to miss Joe Daniher as the season progresses
Eric Hipwood is going OK but he’s never been a number one tall forward target
Logan Morris is a beauty but he’s only 19 years old and will have some poor games at that age
Sam Day was recruited to compete which he does
but over his 160-game career he has only kicked 118 goals
Zac Bailey and Charlie Cameron don’t hit the scoreboard either it further exposes the hole Joe has left
His stance came a week after Willie Rioli deactivated his Instagram account after a torrent of abuse following his anti-Hawks post
It really is a problem for the current generation of AFL players
It’s something players of years gone by never had to deal with
It clearly is affecting the mental health of some players
I guarantee the trolls would not say these things to the players’ faces and wouldn’t be able to deal with the same abuse back at them
I hope we see these two teams play in a big final in September
Do yourself a favour next year if you’re a neutral fan and buy a ticket
These two teams never fail to produce a classic
Over the last five weeks he has had at least 27 plus disposals
13-plus contested possessions and seven-plus clearances
Only Anthony Koutifides and Patrick Cripps have been able to have a run of form with numbers like that at Carlton
It’s time the opposition put more time into George as he’s flying
George Hewett is having a great season for Carlton
I really expected North Melbourne to improve this year and after the Melbourne win a few weeks ago I thought that could be the turning point
at this early part of the season that’s not the case
Something is fundamentally breaking down with their defensive system
In five of six games this season they have done the same
It’s a huge issue that can’t be fixed overnight
North fans must be getting a tad impatient
Logan Morris nudged Darcy Moore into a contest last Thursday night
He was cleared of concussion and Morris was spared a suspension
Then Conor Nash gets four weeks for his hit on Gryan Miers
The outcome is always what these situations are judged on so that’s why I was not surprised at all that Nash is sidelined for a month
If concussion is involved expect three weeks or more
It’s as simple as that so it’s time the AFL publicly said these suspensions are based on the injury outcome not the action
Footy needs energetic cult figures like Sam
This news comes after the Bombers’ other ruckman Nick Bryan did his ACL
This means the Bombers will now need to wheel out veteran Todd Goldstein
Goldy is also employed as ruck coach at the Bombers and wasn’t expected to lace up the boots in 2025
Yet keeping him on the books has proved a smart list management decision
Can his old pins hold out for of the season
The loss of Sam Draper to injury hurts the AFL as much as it does the Bombers. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty ImagesWATCH THE AFL LIVE AND FREE ON 7 AND 7PLUS
Latest EditionEdition Edition 6 May 20256 May 2025Will the last person to leave the Liberals please turn out the lights
RICHMOND defender Noah Balta has apologised to his victim after he was handed a night-time curfew and an alcohol ban as part of his punishment for assaulting a man outside a regional venue
Balta was sentenced at Albury Local Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to repeatedly punching Thomas Washbrook
given an 18-month community corrections order and assigned a curfew
restricting him to his home address between 10pm and 6am until July
He was expressionless as he walked through the media pack and into a nearby SUV more than two hours after his sentencing
Balta said he has "learned that violence is never the answer"
and everyone associated with the Richmond Football Club," Balta said
"I have let a lot of people down and the lesson has been learned that violence is never the answer
"I will continue to work to improve myself to ensure this never happens again."
The curfew means Balta will miss this Thursday night's Anzac Day Eve game against Melbourne and also the Dreamtime at the 'G clash against Essendon on the Friday night of round 11
The Tigers also have a night match in the VFL that weekend
Balta will also miss the round 12 twilight game against Greater Western Sydney at Engie Stadium given it involves travel to and from Sydney
Richmond's other scheduled games in the next eight weeks are all day games in Melbourne
which will overlap with Balta's punishment
A trip to Perth to face West Coast in round 19
would also be off the table given the curfew
The AFL said it would take no further action
acknowledging the sentence will mean Balta - who was banned for the first for games of the premiership season - will miss some more games in the coming months
"His actions on that night are something we never wish to see in any setting
at any time," the League said in a statement
"Balta's conduct could have resulted in a much more serious outcome
his actions do not represent behaviours acceptable to anyone in our game or our community and he must continue to take responsibility for them
suspended Balta and he was not eligible to play in the club's two pre-season matches as well as the first four weeks of the AFL season
The sentence imposed by the Court today will also impact his participation in some of Richmond’s upcoming matches due to his court enforced curfew
READ MORE AFL statement on Noah Balta
"Balta will also continue to undertake a behavioural change program.
"The AFL will take no further action in addition to the already served suspension and impact on his participation in future matches."
Richmond, who welcomed Balta back to its AFL side on Saturday night, said its player had paid "a significant price".
"Noah has been held accountable for his actions and has paid a significant price as he should," Tigers CEO Shane Dunne said.
"This club does not condone violence in any form, and it is why we took such a strong and immediate stand when this incident came to light.
"Noah has worked hard to improve himself in the months following the incident, undertaking education and counselling. That work will continue.
"With the judicial process now concluded, it remains our collective expectation that Noah learns from this, and we see the best version of him going forward."
On the night of the assault, Mr Washbrook had been waiting for a courtesy bus outside the club when he tried to defuse an altercation between another man and Balta's younger brother, Oskar.
As Balta exited the venue, he saw Mr Washbrook touch his brother in an attempt to calm him, but misinterpreted the gesture and rushed in to defend him, the court was told.
The 2020 premiership player had been on a pub crawl from 1.30pm on the day of the assault.
CCTV footage shown to the court showed Balta shoulder charge the victim before punching him several times in the head.
Balta punched Mr Washbrook several more times as his brother held the victim down.
Enjoy the standout highlights from a massive round of AFL
The victim suffered a three-centimetre cut to his forehead, which bled profusely during the attack and was later treated in hospital for a suspected rib fracture.
Balta turned himself in to police two days later on New Year's Day.
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment in NSW.
Balta must abstain from alcohol for the duration of his community corrections order.
The premiership defender has also paid Mr Washbrook $45,000 in compensation, the court was told.
Damian Barrett and Matthew Lloyd with the latest news and opinions from Round 6.
In sentencing Balta, Magistrate Melissa Humphreys said the attack was at the higher end of the medium threshold but disagreed with the prosecution about the victim's risk of death.
"While more serious harm was a possibility, I cannot be satisfied to a high standard beyond a reasonable doubt that death was highly probable," she told the court.
Ms Humphreys said Balta had admitted his actions were "misguided and disproportionate" and his judgment had been "severely marred by his level of intoxication".
Sanctions, including a six-match ban including two pre-season games, had not adequately punished Balta for his actions, she said.
"Alcohol-fuelled violence must be denounced," Ms Humphreys said.
Sarah Olle and Kane Cornes unpack the big issues from the round of footy
Balta's age, lack of prior convictions and his expression of genuine remorse was taken into account in the sentence.
The footballer had also completed an anger management program and had a range of shining character references which described the incident as "out of character" for the "gentle giant".
Balta will be banned from the Mulwala Water Ski Club for the duration of the community corrections order.
R7 v Melbourne at the MCG, 7.30pmR8 v Hawthorn at the MCG, 3.20pmR9 v West Coast at the MCG, 1.10pmR10 v North Melbourne at the MCG, 1.10pmR11 v Essendon at the MCG, 7.40pmR12 v Greater Western Sydney at Engie Stadium, 4.15pmR13 v Sydney at the MCG, 1.20pmR15 v Western Bulldogs at the MCG, 3.20pmR16 v Adelaide at the MCG, date and time TBCR17 v Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, date and time TBCR18 v Essendon at the MCG, date and time TBCR19 v West Coast at Optus Stadium, date and time TBC
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Watch 2m 1sRichmond footballer Noah Balta sentenced to curfew and community corrections order over assault.
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If not for a brutal moment of drunken thuggery, Noah Balta would have emerged from the Easter break well-rested and preparing for an eagerly anticipated Anzac Eve clash with Melbourne.
Instead, the Richmond premiership player sat solemnly in the middle of a room in the Albury Local Court on Tuesday morning to be told he would not be allowed to leave his house for the next three months between the hours of 10pm and 6am.
The curfew is a component of an 18-month correctional service order imposed on the 25-year-old Balta by magistrate Melissa Humphreys for an unprovoked assault outside Mulwala Water Ski Club in the early hours of December 30 last year. Two sources with knowledge of Balta\\u2019s situation, who would not be quoted publicly, said he would not appeal, and the club was aligned with the Balta camp on that decision.
The punishment means he will not be able to line up for the Tigers to play in Thursday night\\u2019s game at the MCG because of the late finish under lights.
He will also miss the Dreamtime at the \\u2019G clash against Essendon in round 11 and is all but certain be ruled out of the 4.15pm clash against the Giants in Sydney the following week for fear of not making it home in time.
The fixture is not set from round 16 onwards, but the Tigers are due to play West Coast in Perth before Balta\\u2019s curfew expires on July 22.
Humphreys told Balta he would only be allowed to leave his residence during the curfew hours for urgent medical treatment.
As she outlined the restrictive conditions, as well imposing a $3000 fine and banning him from entering the Mulwala Water Ski Club, Balta sat straight-backed with his hands in his lap, wearing a black suit, white shirt and thin black tie.
He did not speak. But later, in a statement from Richmond, Balta apologised to the victim Thomas Washbrook, his friends and family and the club.
\\u201CI have let a lot of people down and the lesson has been learned that violence is never the answer,\\u201D he said.
His reserved demeanour in court was a far cry from the drunken footballer who barrelled into Washbrook, on the night of the attack, or even the powerful defender hugged by his teammates after his match-winning heroics against Gold Coast on Saturday night.
He was told by the court he could not drink alcohol for the period of the curfew, until July 22, and would have to undergo an educational program for self-control.
It all adds to the price that Balta has had to pay since his senseless act of violence left a bloodied Washbrook on the ground, bleeding profusely from a three-centimetre cut to his head and in pain with a broken rib.
Since then, the court heard, Balta has been banned from four games of home-and-away football, undergone rehabilitation courses and paid his victim $45,000 in compensation as part of a civil case.
Disturbing CCTV footage of the assault was made public at a court sitting last month when Balta pleaded guilty to the attack, but Humphreys revisited the fateful night for the purpose of her sentencing.
She said the footballer had been on a pub crawl with his brother and friends in the NSW border towns of Yarrawonga and Mulwala before ending up at the ski club in an intoxicated state.
When the ski club closed, Washbrook, 27, had been standing outside waiting for a courtesy bus. A verbal altercation broke out nearby between Balta\\u2019s group and another man.
Washbrook stepped between Balta\\u2019s brother Oskar and another man to try and \\u201Cdefuse\\u201D the situation.
The victim then \\u201Cgently touched Oskar on the chest in an attempt to calm him down\\u201D.
Balta was walking out of the club at the time and misread the signs. He told police he felt the need to protect his brother. He could not have been more wrong.
\\u201CHe ran towards the victim and used excessive force to charge him [Washbrook] and push him to the ground,\\u201D Humphreys said.
\\u201CWhile the victim was lying on the concrete, the offender punched the victim two to three times to the head.\\u201D
Next, Balta\\u2019s brother grabbed Washbrook by the shirt and held his shoulder while Balta punched him two more times. He punched the victim again as he walked off.
The court found the attack was \\u201Cunprovoked\\u201D.
Balta handed himself in to police the following day.
He immediately gave up alcohol and has since undergone an anger management course as well as undertaking \\u201Cmandated additional work at the [footy] club before and after training\\u201D.
He was suspended by Richmond for four AFL games and two practice matches and fronted the players to explain his actions and outline the steps he had taken to address them.
The court was handed character references from a number of people including former Tigers coach Damien Hardwick, player manager Robbie D\\u2019Orazio and Richmond president John O\\u2019Rourke.
They described Balta as a \\u201Cgentle giant\\u201D for whom the drunken assault was out of character.
The magistrate opted against a prison term \\u2013 the maximum penalty for assault occasioning actual bodily harm is five years\\u2019 jail \\u2013 because Balta was young, he had no prior offences, he had engaged in rehabilitation and he had shown genuine remorse. She said Balta was unlikely to reoffend.
She said the attack was in the mid-range of seriousness, but she could not be satisfied to a high standard that there was a \\u201Cprobability of death occurring\\u201D.
Balta\\u2019s lawyer, Belinda Franjic, asked the court if exemptions could be made for night football and interstate games, but the request was denied. Humphreys said Balta would have to make changes to his employment to fit the penalty.
His brother had already been sentenced to a two-year conditional release order, starting on March 27, for his part in the assault.
Following the sentencing, Balta stayed inside the Albury Court House for 2\\u00BD hours, speaking to his legal team and representatives from Richmond before emerging, walking to a waiting black Ford SUV before being driven away for the three-hour trip back to Melbourne for the 10pm curfew.
In a statement, the AFL said it will not impose any further sanctions on Balta after his sentencing, and having already served a football suspension.
\\u201CHis actions on that night are something we never wish to see in any setting, by anyone, at any time,\\u201D the statement said.
\\u201CBalta\\u2019s conduct could have resulted in a much more serious outcome, his actions do not represent behaviours acceptable to anyone in our game or our community and he must continue to take responsibility for them.\\u201D
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. .
cops curfew for assaultA star AFL player has been spared jail time after pleading guilty to assault in an alcohol-fuelled incident outside a water ski club
AFL star Noah Balta has avoided jail time and instead been handed a night-time curfew as part of his punishment for assaulting a man outside a regional venue
was sentenced at Albury Local Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to repeatedly punching Thomas Washbrook
The premiership defender has also paid the victim $45,000 in compensation
Mr Washbrook was waiting for a courtesy bus at the club when he tried to intervene in an altercation between another man and Balta’s younger brother Oskar
The court was told Balta saw Mr Washbrook touch his brother on the shoulder and felt a need to defend him
dailyBalta punched Mr Washbrook several more times
The AFL star turned himself in to police two days later on New Year’s Day
Magistrate Melissa Humphreys said the attack was at the higher end of the medium threshold and disagreed that there was a risk of death beyond a reasonable doubt
dailyThe Richmond player had been on a pub crawl from 1.30pm on the day of the assault
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InDaily South Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout South Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Noah Balta has been given an 18-month community correction order and will have to live under curfew after learning his fate in an Albury court on Tuesday
The sentence places Balta under a curfew between 10pm and 6am until July 22
ruling him out of the ANZAC Eve clash against Melbourne and Dreamtime at the ‘G against Essendon
Press PLAY to hear more about the news on 3AW
The Richmond defender pleaded guilty to an assault outside a NSW sports club on December 30 last year
he returned to the field against Gold Coast last weekend
Noah Balta has received an 18 month community corrections order
A curfew has been set for between 10pm-6am until 21/7/2025
Balta’s lawyer wanted clarity on night games or playing interstate
— Eddie Summerfield (@eddiesummers) April 22, 2025
Father of one-punch victim reacts to Noah Balta sentencing
Photo: James Ross/AAP PHOTOSRichmond premiership defender Noah Balta will be restricted to playing day games after having a night-time curfew imposed by a court
All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueDeclaring that a "lesson has been learned" and vowing to "improve myself"
Balta was sentenced on Tuesday for assaulting a man in regional NSW on December 30 last year
His punishment came just days after his first AFL appearance of the season on Saturday night in the Tigers' upset win over Gold Coast
Balta was facing a maximum five-year jail term
Richmond won't try to negotiate the punishment
and a twilight match against GWS at Engie Stadium on May 31 because he wouldn't be able to get back from Sydney in time for his curfew
"I have let a lot of people down and the lesson has been learned that violence is never the answer," he said
Richmond chief executive Shane Dunne insisted Balta had paid a a "significant price"
"This club does not condone violence in any form
and it is why we took such a strong and immediate stand when this incident came to light," Dunne said
"Noah has worked hard to improve himself in the months following the incident
Noah Balta did well in his AFL return but will miss more matches through the court imposed curfew
(James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)"With the judicial process now concluded
and we see the best version of him going forward."
The AFL confirmed Balta would continue to participate in a behavioural change program
"The AFL acknowledges the court sentencing today of Richmond player Noah Balta," the AFL said in a statement
Richmond's decision to select Balta against the Suns
a corrections order and a curfew after admitting to an assault
(Adrian Black/AAP PHOTOS)Richmond great Jack Riewoldt has been among the critics of his former club's handling of the situation
Riewoldt said on Fox Footy the Tigers' decision to select his ex-teammate while court proceedings were ongoing didn't sit well with him or pass the public "sniff test"
Riewoldt said there was "no way" Balta should be playing
before playing a key role in shutting down Gold Coast spearhead Ben King
wouldn't be drawn on Balta's unique curfew situation
that sort of situation," he said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon
"So (I'm) not really fully across it as well ..
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ABC NewsCopy link19 Apr
12:52pmSat 19 Apr 2025 at 12:52pmThat's us doneMBy Marnie Vinall
Thanks for joining us on this super Saturday of footy over the long Easter weekend
ReactReactCopy linkKey Event19 Apr
12:51pmSat 19 Apr 2025 at 12:51pmTigers shock SunsMBy Marnie Vinall
Richmond ended Gold Coast's unbeaten start to the AFL season in a tense 11-point upset
with Tim Taranto outstanding in the middle
never trailed in their 12.8 (80) to 9.15 (69) victory at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night
But there were nervous moments in their second win of the year
as a 43-point margin was almost wiped out when the Suns kicked five unanswered goals in the final term
The surprise result followed a week of intense scrutiny over Richmond's handling of Noah Balta's recall
Balta made his first appearance of the season just three days before being sentenced for assault
Jeers for Balta by some in the relatively small crowd were regularly drowned out by cheers from Richmond supporters
And the Tigers' faithful had plenty to celebrate as their rebuilding side sprung one of the biggest shocks of the season so far
There was plenty of feeling in the contest from the outset and spotfires broke out after each of Richmond's first three goals
It was Richmond's first win at Marvel Stadium in a dozen games
ending a barren stretch that started in 2021 after then-Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said he hated going to the "soulless" league-owned venue
12:21pmSat 19 Apr 2025 at 12:21pm'The kids are exciting': VlastuinMBy Marnie Vinall
"We've been going well in patches," Richmond defender Nick Vlastuin told Fox
who had his nose broken in the last game and has struggled to breath here and there during play as he recovers
said he was absolutely cooked by the end of tonight's match
He had 27 disposals and 15 intercept possessions
"But it just builds belief (to get the win)..
12:12pmSat 19 Apr 2025 at 12:12pmFT: Richmond 12.8 (80) defeat Gold Coast 9.15 (69)MBy Marnie Vinall
The Tigers hang on for a shock upset against the Suns
That's a loud "yellow and black" you can hear out of Marvel Stadium
Richmond 12.8 (80) defeat Gold Coast 9.15 (69)
12:08pmSat 19 Apr 2025 at 12:08pmWill Graham gets another for the SunsMBy Marnie Vinall
just two in it now with under two minutes to go
12:06pmSat 19 Apr 2025 at 12:06pmTigers (should be) away nowMBy Marnie Vinall
Suns would need three goals in under three minutes..
12:03pmSat 19 Apr 2025 at 12:03pmLong keeps Suns in itMBy Marnie Vinall
Ben Long got to the drop of the ball as it came into the Suns' forward 50
He kicked his third to keep Gold Coast still in this - just
This is some tense stuff under the roof at Marvel
Tigers by 19 with just over five minutes to go
11:56amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:56amTigers quell the Suns' comebackMBy Marnie Vinall
after their three goals in four minutes to start the term
Tigers hold a strong lead - 23 points - with just under 10 minutes to go
11:47amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:47amSuns make it three goals in four minutesMBy Marnie Vinall
Jed Walter with just his second touch of the evening gets his first goal (the first disposal was a behind)
That's Gold Coast's third goal in the opening four minutes of this final term
11:44amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:44amFlanders gets a quick one back for the SunsMBy Marnie Vinall
Sam Flanders and Ben Long get back-to-back goals for Gold Coast
That will give the Suns some confidence for a comeback
11:38amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:38am3QT: Richmond 12.6 (78) lead Gold Coast 4.11 (35)MBy Marnie Vinall
and Gold Coast could still come back from here (it would take a huge effort but possible)
the Tigers are taking full advantage and playing with confidence and composure
while Gold Coast just put 1.2 on the board
11:34amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:34amCampbell and Lalore get two more for the TigersMBy Marnie Vinall
This is looking like quite a percentage boost for the cubs
The young Tiger Campbell leapt in a marking contested and tapped it out to himself to then stretch and get the grab
Sam Lalore backed it up with another goal from Richmond
Tigers fans are LOVING this at Marvel stadium
This is that amazing Rioli goal from earlier:
11:29amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:29amTouk Miller ends Tigers' runMBy Marnie Vinall
Gold Coast have finally managed to get another goal on the board with Touk Miller ending Richmond's streak of six goals on the trot
The Suns have kicked 4.11 so far this game
11:22amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:22amRichmond keep coming
There's still a lot left to play but Richmond keep coming while Gold Coast can't seem to buy a goal
with back-to-back goals in close succession through Jayden Short and Tim Taranto
This is quite a surprise from the 17th-placed rebuilding Richmond
who haven't lost a game yet this year
11:15amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:15amLynch gets his second
Tom Lynch and Sam Collins have quite a bit of history between them
He has just kicked his second goal of the evening after beating Collins in a contest
This is shaping up to be a fascinating game (that could be unfortunate for a lot of people's tips)
11:10amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 11:10amMaurice Rioli kicks first of the second halfMBy Marnie Vinall
The ball flew into Richmond's forward 50 towards Tom Lynch
He couldn't get control of it before it went out of bounds so he tapped it back into play as he ran over the boundary
Rioli scoped it out and snapped it through the big sticks
10:47amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 10:47amThat Dow goalMBy Marnie Vinall
Let's take a look at that Dow goal while we wait for the second half
10:46amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 10:46amHT: Richmond 6.5 (41) leads Gold Coast 3.9 (27)MBy Marnie Vinall
Young Tiger Hugo Ralphsmith kicked another goal right as the siren sounded for the main break to put the Tigers up by 14 points
Gold Coast got plenty of the ball and dominated around the field that opening half but are struggled to convert the possession into goals
They went inside 50 31 times to Richmond's 18
Nick Vlastuin is having another great game and leads the disposal count with 21
with John Noble is starring for the Suns in defence with 17 touches and plenty of important moments
10:40amSat 19 Apr 2025 at 10:40amRichmond keep noses in front with another goalMBy Marnie Vinall
as he exited a tight bunch in a contest to extend the Tigers lead
It's been a while since he kicked a goal and didn't he love it
It also sets Richmond up to have an unexpected lead at the main break
Noah Balta has been selected to play in Richmond's clash against the Gold Coast this Saturday, days before he faces sentencing for assault.
Injuries to Sam Draper and Nick Bryan have thrown Essendon’s plans for 2025 into disarray
The unfortunately timed Achilles injury might cost the unrestricted free agent Draper
who was fit and playing the best football of his career
half a million bucks on his next contract as it complicates the decisions regarding his future beyond 2025
Sam Draper was in great form before suffering an unlucky Achilles injury against West Coast.Credit: Getty Images
It will also lead to calls for a mid-season trade period as the Bombers turn to 36-year-old veteran Todd Goldstein to ruck
but the AFL must not make knee-jerk decisions when changing player movement mechanisms
The number of talls available in AFL recruiting pools has decreased as more locals are attracted to playing college basketball in America following revised remuneration rules
This means the risk of unintended consequences of such a shift is high
and should be resisted until the time for careful consideration is available
Richmond’s outstanding upset win over Gold Coast would not have happened without Noah Balta’s performance in defence
Richmond coach Adem Yze congratulates Noah Balta after their side’s win.Credit: AFL Photos
He restricted Ben King to four disposals and one goal
He took four intercept marks and joined premiership teammate Nick Vlastuin in halting the Suns’ last-quarter onslaught
and his performance showed why they stuck to the penalty they imposed upon him soon after he was charged with assault for an incident in NSW on December 30
The Tigers resisted the public pressure to extend his ban until after this Tuesday
That pressure came because the sentencing date was pushed back and after Balta pleaded guilty to assault in the Corowa Local Court in late March when previously unseen footage of the incident was aired
That vision of Balta attacking the victim – who lodged a civil claim for damages which has now been settled – was horrible; exactly the sort of dangerous incident we want stamped out on our streets
He co-operated with authorities and has undergone education
It’s hoped he will become a better person for the experience
but first he will have to deal with whatever penalty the court decides to impose on him on Tuesday
Richmond have established a reputation over the past decade of sticking with their players during legal processes or AFL investigations and staring down critics
the Tigers have lost some respect as a community leader
the Tigers won a game of football but thumbed their noses at community sentiment
They put their needs as a team ahead of the opportunity they had to send a wider message to the world about violence
but the footage of the assault – and the extension of the court date beyond the original suspension – changed everything
no one at the Tigers thinks what Balta did was acceptable
the tall has worked hard to regain the respect of his football club
Nor should anyone think one mistake cannot be redeemed
But the Tigers had a chance to show where such behaviour sits in their decision-making
and they chose to take a player-first approach
from a time when football clubs were a joke in many sections of the community and before they started preaching about how important they were within the community
The decision to hold firm led to officials delivering ridiculous messages
They told us Balta had trained hard in the past three months and had done everything right to earn his chance to play
the decision also led to head-scratching cheers for Balta as booing rang out when he played on Saturday night
Those advocating to reduce violence in the community would have been entitled to shake their heads in despair
Some straight talking from the club would have been more credible
“we need Noah in our backline and we won’t cop penalties being changed because the player and his teammates would not forgive us”
diverted his post-match comments about Balta to a criticism of Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan for using the selection of the 25-year-old as a political decoy
Hardwick will have plenty supporting his view the premier should stay out of football matters
but given the amount of public money that has gone into building training and administration centres for elite AFL clubs and grandstands – including $15 million from Andrews government to Punt Road’s development – the government has some skin in the game
A community licence is a community licence
Of course criticism of the premier hasn’t come from Richmond
but nor has criticism of Richmond been confined to the premier
Even the Tigers’ esteemed premiership forward Jack Riewoldt said he didn’t think Balta should have played
the most consistent sentiment is disappointment rather than anger that the Tigers couldn’t wait for one more week for Balta to play
Balta reaching out to Tigers fans pre-game.Credit: Getty Images
Richmond are a great club with good people
They have run some of the competition’s best community programs
particularly their Korin Gamadji program that helps educate Indigenous youth
and sometimes the right answers are more obvious to those at the coalface than observing from afar
Richmond have not used Balta’s mistake to positively shape attitudes towards community violence
Unless there are other reasons they are yet to explain
They will need to do some work to win it back
That work should start on Tuesday when Balta receives the NSW court’s judgment
Leaking goals and the impact losing has on belief is North Melbourne’s issue
Alastair Clarkson has a huge challenge on his hands at North Melbourne.Credit: AFL Photos
who has as good a handle on the defensive systems required to win games as any coach in the caper
Think Clarko’s cluster for a start and defending with the ball in hand to finish
It’s not the belief in the foundations being built
as the young group has committed one after another to the plan in place
Ben McKay is North’s only departure of note since Jason Horne-Francis left before Clarkson had his feet under the desk
The job at hand is to break the cycle of failure which losing as often as 97 times in 113 games creates
That doesn’t mean smashing players into oblivion
It means teaching players and weeding out selfish ones who show they won’t
North Melbourne were in the game trailing by just one point with six minutes remaining in the first quarter
They were back to within 20 points at half-time
By three-quarter-time they were 50 points down and the defenders
one went the other as self-preservation crept in
Those teams bouncing on the bottom have done the same thing for years
meaning the ball was repeatedly sent into a weak back six
exposing a group of players who are trying to play team defence but have spent little time together as a team
Clarkson should expect better from his midfielders
Tristan Xerri needs to rediscover his form and Luke Davies-Uniacke and Jy Simpkin must lead from the front
George Wardlaw is all heart but his disposal could improve
The main decision for the coach to make this week will be how long does he persist with senior players down back such as Aidan Corr and Griffin Logue
If they show a propensity to look after themselves rather than commit to the system they are being trained to play
the coach is better off watching young players such as Riley Hardeman and Wil Dawson steel themselves in the furnace that is the AFL
but needs to clean up his ball use.Credit: Getty Images
That’s not easy for Corr and Logue as defeat is hard
but the good defenders don’t buckle until something hasn’t worked six times rather than at the first moment of concern
No one doubts North Melbourne supporters are fed up
They are entitled to switch off when grand plans and patience are being spoken about
Clarkson could give them a little more occasionally to reflect his real sense of urgency and explain
Not so much “trust us” as “join us in this battle”
But it’s also a difficult tale to tell when the players are struggling with the emotions of defeat as much as the supporters
Stability and experience is what the Roos bought with Clarkson
It will take more than hard work from him for results to come
but at least a coach is in place who loves a challenge
“I wouldn’t mind buying real estate off that umpire” was once a staple phrase of football commentary as Peter Landy and co
mocked the inability of umpires to measure 15-metre penalties
It’s a tough job for the umpires who have clearly been instructed to crack down on the length kicks need to travel before a mark is paid
but the measurements are now so inconsistent it’s become confusing
Add in the huge number of steps players are allowed to take before disposing of the ball when kicking in after a behind
and it’s clear there are different measuring sticks used depending on the rule being applied
but the AFL should explain that objective to the football watching public
who deserve to be kept in the picture as the umpires adjust to what are tough calls to make
Even someone with a real estate background would do
Injuries to Sam Draper and Nick Bryan have thrown Essendon\\u2019s plans for 2025 into disarray
Richmond\\u2019s outstanding upset win over Gold Coast would not have happened without Noah Balta\\u2019s performance in defence
He took four intercept marks and joined premiership teammate Nick Vlastuin in halting the Suns\\u2019 last-quarter onslaught
That vision of Balta attacking the victim \\u2013 who lodged a civil claim for damages which has now been settled \\u2013 was horrible; exactly the sort of dangerous incident we want stamped out on our streets
It\\u2019s hoped he will become a better person for the experience
But in refusing to budge on Balta\\u2019s ban
but the footage of the assault \\u2013 and the extension of the court date beyond the original suspension \\u2013 changed everything
\\u201Cwe need Noah in our backline and we won\\u2019t cop penalties being changed because the player and his teammates would not forgive us\\u201D
but given the amount of public money that has gone into building training and administration centres for elite AFL clubs and grandstands \\u2013 including $15 million from Andrews government to Punt Road\\u2019s development \\u2013 the government has some skin in the game
Of course criticism of the premier hasn\\u2019t come from Richmond
Even the Tigers\\u2019 esteemed premiership forward Jack Riewoldt said he didn\\u2019t think Balta should have played
the most consistent sentiment is disappointment rather than anger that the Tigers couldn\\u2019t wait for one more week for Balta to play
They have run some of the competition\\u2019s best community programs
Richmond have not used Balta\\u2019s mistake to positively shape attitudes towards community violence
That work should start on Tuesday when Balta receives the NSW court\\u2019s judgment
Leaking goals and the impact losing has on belief is North Melbourne\\u2019s issue
Think Clarko\\u2019s cluster for a start and defending with the ball in hand to finish
It\\u2019s not the belief in the foundations being built
Ben McKay is North\\u2019s only departure of note since Jason Horne-Francis left before Clarkson had his feet under the desk
That doesn\\u2019t mean smashing players into oblivion
It means teaching players and weeding out selfish ones who show they won\\u2019t
That\\u2019s not easy for Corr and Logue as defeat is hard
but the good defenders don\\u2019t buckle until something hasn\\u2019t worked six times rather than at the first moment of concern
Not so much \\u201Ctrust us\\u201D as \\u201Cjoin us in this battle\\u201D
But it\\u2019s also a difficult tale to tell when the players are struggling with the emotions of defeat as much as the supporters
\\u201CI wouldn\\u2019t mind buying real estate off that umpire\\u201D was once a staple phrase of football commentary as Peter Landy and co
It\\u2019s a tough job for the umpires who have clearly been instructed to crack down on the length kicks need to travel before a mark is paid
but the measurements are now so inconsistent it\\u2019s become confusing
and it\\u2019s clear there are different measuring sticks used depending on the rule being applied
not strong enough on Balta (1:01)On the Footyology podcast
Rohan Connolly says he wasn't impressed with how the AFL washed its hands of Tiger Noah Balta's club-enforced ban considering the vision of his assault case
Noah Balta is available to play AFL this weekend and has been "punished enough" by Richmond over his assault case
Balta has pleaded guilty to assault and will be sentenced in court on April 22
just three days after his potential AFL return against Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium on Saturday
He served a four-match ban over December's incident and returned to play via a VFL practice match on Sunday
Noah Balta at a Richmond training session in March. Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesYze was unwilling to confirm Balta's inclusion ahead of Richmond's main training session
"He's available to play this weekend," Yze said on Wednesday
"So he got through what he needed to get through
and then as a match committee we'll go through that later today
"Unless Dimma (Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick) is happy to tell us who's playing for Gold Coast this weekend
I'm not going to divulge who we're going to put in our team today before we go through selection
returning to the field while awaiting his sentence have been queried
but right now he's served his suspension," Yze said
and he's been dealing with that for three months
"He missed another game of footy so we've suspended him for four
"We've got to just make sure that we're looking after the player as well
that's been a discussion we had with the AFL at the start of this whole process
"He's been working on himself and he can't wait to get out and repay or try to earn the respect back of not only us as a club and his teammates
but it's around our supporters and the AFL community
When asked if Balta pleading guilty changed anything from Richmond's perspective
"He pleaded guilty by the fact that he told us what happened
"We've got young players at our club right now and on our list that needed to understand that it was wrong
Yze was keen to "move on" from the key defender
"We've made that decision as a footy club - we've already punished him
we don't want to keep punishing him," he said
When asked if Richmond's steadfast support of Balta had been worth it
Hawthorn’s Conor Nash has been suspended for four matches for his reckless spoil that concussed Geelong forward Gryan Miers
The incident occurred at a stoppage during the tightly contested game on Easter Monday when Nash flung his arm at Miers as the Cats forward grabbed the ball
Miers was helped off the field and will be absent for Geelong’s game against Carlton at the MCG on Sunday
Nash’s hit was assessed by the match review officer as careless conduct and severe impact with high contact
Gryan Miers was forced from the field after this incident with Conor Nash.Credit: Seven Footy
meant that it was all but inevitable he was going to make contact with Miers’ head,” Gleeson said
said the “forceful and flush” contact to the head of Miers showed a clear lack of prudence and warranted a four-week suspension
it was always going to have a significant impact on the player,” said Woods
“The reality of those things would have and should have been clear to Nash.”
Hawthorn’s lawyer Myles Tehan argued the contact was not excessively careless and therefore Nash should be given a three-match suspension
Tehan said Nash was trying to slap the ball out of Miers’ hands
but when the Geelong forward lowered the ball it exposed his face
“At all times … Nash’s eyes are only at the ball,” said Tehan
Heavy hit: Miers was helped from the field as Nash watched on.Credit: AFL Photos
“The level of the arm and the level of the ball are the same … the ball gets lowered out of that range and the consequence is ..
the inside of the bicep [of Nash] makes contact with Mr Miers
But Gleeson said it should have been obvious such a careless act would have a significant impact to Miers
Nash had an unblemished tribunal record in more than 100 AFL games
He said it was accidental and the result of a legitimate football play
“I simply tried to grab the ball and tap it free with my hand,” said Nash
“I was looking at the footy the whole time.”
who expressed his remorse during the hearing
“I wanted to check in on how you’ve pulled up today,” Nash texted Miers
“I’m also reaching out to let you know that there really was no malice to that hit
I tried to play the ball I just got it badly wrong ..
Nash will miss Hawthorn’s games against West Coast
Collingwood have pulled Darcy Moore out of Friday’s Anzac Day match after the Magpies captain started experiencing vertigo from an ear injury
will become the youngest player to skipper the Pies in 57 years
The star onballer has played just 76 games and is in his fourth top-flight season
At 22 years and 112 days Daicos will become Collingwood’s fourth-youngest skipper
after Len Thompson in 1968 (20 years and 244 days)
Dick Lee in 1910 (21 years and 91 days) and Murray Weideman in 1958 (22 years and 62 days)
Darcy Moore has been ruled out of the Anzac Day clash.Credit: Getty Images
Moore copped an accidental knee to the left ear from teammate Jeremy Howe during a marking contest in Collingwood’s 52-point win over the Brisbane Lions last Thursday
The skipper was taken from the ground at the time with blood trickling from a split at the bottom of the ear
but Moore was cleared of concussion during the match and again during the week
Magpies coach Craig McRae announced during his press conference on Wednesday that Moore would not be playing against Essendon
“Darcy’s got a bit of an inner-ear issue,” McRae said
He has got a bit of vertigo symptoms at the moment
he is probably off to see a specialist now to see what is going on there.”
McRae said Moore had not been able to train because of the lingering issues
‘It just sort of comes on and goes away’,” the Collingwood coach said
and we might be able to report something this afternoon.”
The Collingwood match committee sit on Wednesday afternoon to name a replacement for the key defender
“Lucky enough we have got a few players we think we can bring in,” McRae said
“Whether we go tall or we go smaller in our backline
Richmond coach Adem Yze.Credit: Getty Images
Richmond coach Adem Yze has shut down a barrage of questions about Noah Balta’s assault case as he revealed that the Tigers had ruled out appealing his punishment because it would stretch the matter out for another six weeks
Yze fronted a press conference at the Tigers’ Punt Road headquarters on Wednesday morning, speaking for the first time since Balta was sentenced to an 18-month correctional service order in Albury Local Court on Tuesday for assault
Balta’s penalty included a three-month nighttime curfew that will rule him out of at least four AFL games
including the Anzac Eve clash on Thursday night against Melbourne as well as the traditional Dreamtime at the G nighttime blockbuster against Essendon at the MCG in round 11
The Tigers coach spoke for four minutes about how the club would help a “flat” and “remorseful” Balta deal with his unusual penalty
which requires him to give up alcohol and be in his house between 10pm and 6am for the next three months
that’s about six questions I’ve answered about Noah,” Yze said
we’re going to support him from now moving forward
and we’ve got a massive game against Melbourne
The Richmond communications department then told the media pack that they were “moving on”
Yze had said the club and Balta accepted the court’s punishment and would now set a plan for him
“understanding which games he won’t be allowed to play”
“To go through an appeal process would be almost giving him the license to get back in and [say that] footy was more relevant than the sanction,” Yze said
So to go through that for another six weeks
Yze said the club had not expected a curfew, but they knew the defender was going to be sanctioned
“Dealing with that is just part of it,” he said
and we went through that process yesterday
and now that’s one little element that we’ll have to play around with and deal with as a club
“But at the same time we have got to wrap our arms around him and help him through this.”
for four AFL games and two pre-season matches after it was revealed he had assaulted a man outside Mulwala Water Ski Club in the early hours of December 30 last year
But Yze defended Balta’s decision to not speak publicly about the court case
“He will speak in time,” the Tigers coach said
There’s a fair few players that don’t like speaking in front of the media
“And going through what he went through yesterday
you’re obviously a little bit worried about what he could say
so we’ve just got to protect him with that
He’ll speak when he when it’s his right time to speak and you will sense how remorseful he is.”
Balta played his first game of the season against the Gold Coast last Saturday
and will be expected to line up for the Tigers again against Hawthorn in a day match at the MCG in round eight
Yze said Richmond would bring in 195-centimetre youngster Campbell Gray
Gray was taken at pick 16 in the 2024 mid-season rookie draft
North Melbourne have come out swinging in defence of Alastair Clarkson with football boss Todd Viney lashing “disrespectful” criticism and “coach bashing” of the Kangaroos mentor
North have lost their past four games by an average of almost 59 points and reached a season-low with an embarrassing 82-point defeat to Carlton on Good Friday
scoffed at any suggestion the four-time premiership mentor had lost his edge
I find it probably disrespectful,” Viney said on SEN on Wednesday
Tough days: Alastair Clarkson is working to turn North Melbourne’s fortunes around.Credit: AFL Photos
“This is not only to Clarko but this is something that’s pointed at senior coaches all the time
There is a sport around putting undue pressure on senior coaches in my view.”
Viney pointed out 2025 was the first season where Clarkson hadn’t also been dealing with the fallout from the Hawthorn racism saga
“Not many clubs can really perform at their best when they’ve got such distractions going on,” Viney continued
judged unfairly – it’s taken an enormous toll on him over those two years
seeing the game as well as he’s ever seen it.”
Viney was adamant Clarkson was well supported and seeing the game “as well as he ever has” but the Kangaroos were in the early stages of building their game
“The criticism is really unwarranted,” he said
“It’s a tall poppy syndrome which is the Australian culture – we pick on the guys who have been successful and in time ultimately bring them down.”
Ahead of Saturday’s away clash with Port Adelaide
Viney was adamant the Kangaroos were strong and aligned across the board and wouldn’t deviate from their plans
“A lot of things are going well so we won’t be fractured
we won’t fall into jumping at shadows with all the noise,” he said
“We understand the game gives us nothing and we need to deserve to win games
“No one’s going to give us anything and we don’t expect it
we expect to cop our right whack with performances like the weekend
“But we won’t hear that everything we’re doing is not right because there is a lot of positive things that are going right.”
Hawthorn\\u2019s Conor Nash has been suspended for four matches for his reckless spoil that concussed Geelong forward Gryan Miers
Miers was helped off the field and will be absent for Geelong\\u2019s game against Carlton at the MCG on Sunday
Nash\\u2019s hit was assessed by the match review officer as careless conduct and severe impact with high contact
Nash\\u2019s hit was significantly careless
\\u201CThe angle for which he swung his arm
meant that it was all but inevitable he was going to make contact with Miers\\u2019 head,\\u201D Gleeson said
said the \\u201Cforceful and flush\\u201D contact to the head of Miers showed a clear lack of prudence and warranted a four-week suspension
\\u201CWhatever Nash\\u2019s intention was ..
it was always going to have a significant impact on the player,\\u201D said Woods
\\u201CThe reality of those things would have and should have been clear to Nash.\\u201D
Hawthorn\\u2019s lawyer Myles Tehan argued the contact was not excessively careless and therefore Nash should be given a three-match suspension
Tehan said Nash was trying to slap the ball out of Miers\\u2019 hands
\\u201CAt all times \\u2026 Nash\\u2019s eyes are only at the ball,\\u201D said Tehan
\\u201CThe level of the arm and the level of the ball are the same \\u2026 the ball gets lowered out of that range and the consequence is ..
\\u201CI simply tried to grab the ball and tap it free with my hand,\\u201D said Nash
\\u201CI was looking at the footy the whole time.\\u201D
\\u201CI wanted to check in on how you\\u2019ve pulled up today,\\u201D Nash texted Miers
\\u201CI\\u2019m also reaching out to let you know that there really was no malice to that hit
Nash will miss Hawthorn\\u2019s games against West Coast
Collingwood have pulled Darcy Moore out of Friday\\u2019s Anzac Day match after the Magpies captain started experiencing vertigo from an ear injury
At 22 years and 112 days Daicos will become Collingwood\\u2019s fourth-youngest skipper
Moore copped an accidental knee to the left ear from teammate Jeremy Howe during a marking contest in Collingwood\\u2019s 52-point win over the Brisbane Lions last Thursday
\\u201CDarcy\\u2019s got a bit of an inner-ear issue,\\u201D McRae said
he is probably off to see a specialist now to see what is going on there.\\u201D
\\u201CI just chatted to him prior to training
\\u2018It just sort of comes on and goes away\\u2019,\\u201D the Collingwood coach said
\\u201CI haven\\u2019t experienced vertigo
and we might be able to report something this afternoon.\\u201D
\\u201CLucky enough we have got a few players we think we can bring in,\\u201D McRae said
\\u201CWhether we go tall or we go smaller in our backline
Richmond coach Adem Yze has shut down a barrage of questions about Noah Balta\\u2019s assault case as he revealed that the Tigers had ruled out appealing his punishment because it would stretch the matter out for another six weeks
Yze fronted a press conference at the Tigers\\u2019 Punt Road headquarters on Wednesday morning
speaking for the first time since in Albury Local Court on Tuesday for assault
Balta\\u2019s penalty included a three-month nighttime curfew that will rule him out of at least four AFL games
The Tigers coach spoke for four minutes about how the club would help a \\u201Cflat\\u201D and \\u201Cremorseful\\u201D Balta deal with his unusual penalty
before declaring he had said \\u201Cenough\\u201D
that\\u2019s about six questions I\\u2019ve answered about Noah,\\u201D Yze said
we\\u2019re going to support him from now moving forward
and we\\u2019ve got a massive game against Melbourne
The Richmond communications department then told the media pack that they were \\u201Cmoving on\\u201D
Yze had said the club and Balta accepted the court\\u2019s punishment and would now set a plan for him
\\u201Cunderstanding which games he won\\u2019t be allowed to play\\u201D
\\u201CTo go through an appeal process would be almost giving him the license to get back in and [say that] footy was more relevant than the sanction,\\u201D Yze said
Yze said the club had not expected a curfew
\\u201CDealing with that is just part of it,\\u201D he said
and now that\\u2019s one little element that we\\u2019ll have to play around with and deal with as a club
\\u201CBut at the same time we have got to wrap our arms around him and help him through this.\\u201D
But Yze defended Balta\\u2019s decision to not speak publicly about the court case
\\u201CHe will speak in time,\\u201D the Tigers coach said
\\u201CIt\\u2019s pretty tough to go through
There\\u2019s a fair few players that don\\u2019t like speaking in front of the media
\\u201CAnd going through what he went through yesterday
you\\u2019re obviously a little bit worried about what he could say
\\u201CHe was he\\u2019s obviously disappointed
so we\\u2019ve just got to protect him with that
He\\u2019ll speak when he when it\\u2019s his right time to speak and you will sense how remorseful he is.\\u201D
North Melbourne have come out swinging in defence of Alastair Clarkson with football boss Todd Viney lashing \\u201Cdisrespectful\\u201D criticism and \\u201Ccoach bashing\\u201D of the Kangaroos mentor
North have lost their past four games by an average of almost 59 points and reached a season-low with an
I find it probably disrespectful,\\u201D Viney said on SEN on Wednesday
\\u201CThis is not only to Clarko but this is something that\\u2019s pointed at senior coaches all the time
There is a sport around putting undue pressure on senior coaches in my view.\\u201D
Viney pointed out 2025 was the first season where Clarkson hadn\\u2019t also been dealing with the fallout from the Hawthorn racism saga
\\u201CNot many clubs can really perform at their best when they\\u2019ve got such distractions going on,\\u201D Viney continued
\\u201CHe\\u2019s had enormous distractions
judged unfairly \\u2013 it\\u2019s taken an enormous toll on him over those two years
\\u201CEventually we\\u2019re into this third year
seeing the game as well as he\\u2019s ever seen it.\\u201D
Viney was adamant Clarkson was well supported and seeing the game \\u201Cas well as he ever has\\u201D but the Kangaroos were in the early stages of building their game
\\u201CThe criticism is really unwarranted,\\u201D he said
\\u201CI think it\\u2019s a bit of a sport
\\u201CIt\\u2019s a tall poppy syndrome which is the Australian culture \\u2013 we pick on the guys who have been successful and in time ultimately bring them down.\\u201D
Ahead of Saturday\\u2019s away clash with Port Adelaide
Viney was adamant the Kangaroos were strong and aligned across the board and wouldn\\u2019t deviate from their plans
\\u201CA lot of things are going well so we won\\u2019t be fractured
we won\\u2019t fall into jumping at shadows with all the noise,\\u201D he said
\\u201CWe understand the game gives us nothing and we need to deserve to win games
\\u201CNo one\\u2019s going to give us anything and we don\\u2019t expect it
\\u201CBut we won\\u2019t hear that everything we\\u2019re doing is not right because there is a lot of positive things that are going right.\\u201D
Injuries to Sam Draper and Nick Bryan have thrown Essendon\\u2019s plans for 2025 into disarray.
The unfortunately timed Achilles injury might cost the unrestricted free agent Draper, who was fit and playing the best football of his career, half a million bucks on his next contract as it complicates the decisions regarding his future beyond 2025.
It will also lead to calls for a mid-season trade period as the Bombers turn to 36-year-old veteran Todd Goldstein to ruck, but the AFL must not make knee-jerk decisions when changing player movement mechanisms.
The number of talls available in AFL recruiting pools has decreased as more locals are attracted to playing college basketball in America following revised remuneration rules.
This means the risk of unintended consequences of such a shift is high, particularly when it comes to ruckmen, and should be resisted until the time for careful consideration is available.
Richmond\\u2019s outstanding upset win over Gold Coast would not have happened without Noah Balta\\u2019s performance in defence.
He restricted Ben King to four disposals and one goal. He took four intercept marks and joined premiership teammate Nick Vlastuin in halting the Suns\\u2019 last-quarter onslaught.
That vision of Balta attacking the victim \\u2013 who lodged a civil claim for damages which has now been settled \\u2013 was horrible; exactly the sort of dangerous incident we want stamped out on our streets.
Balta is remorseful. He co-operated with authorities and has undergone education. It\\u2019s hoped he will become a better person for the experience, but first he will have to deal with whatever penalty the court decides to impose on him on Tuesday.
Richmond have established a reputation over the past decade of sticking with their players during legal processes or AFL investigations and staring down critics. But in refusing to budge on Balta\\u2019s ban, the Tigers have lost some respect as a community leader.
By allowing him to play against the Suns, the Tigers won a game of football but thumbed their noses at community sentiment. They put their needs as a team ahead of the opportunity they had to send a wider message to the world about violence. It might not seem fair, but the footage of the assault \\u2013 and the extension of the court date beyond the original suspension \\u2013 changed everything.
Of course, no one at the Tigers thinks what Balta did was acceptable. As their coach Adem Yze said, the tall has worked hard to regain the respect of his football club. Nor should anyone think one mistake cannot be redeemed.
But the Tigers had a chance to show where such behaviour sits in their decision-making, and they chose to take a player-first approach.
It was a decision of a bygone era, from a time when football clubs were a joke in many sections of the community and before they started preaching about how important they were within the community.
The decision to hold firm led to officials delivering ridiculous messages. They told us Balta had trained hard in the past three months and had done everything right to earn his chance to play. Unfortunately, the decision also led to head-scratching cheers for Balta as booing rang out when he played on Saturday night.
Those advocating to reduce violence in the community would have been entitled to shake their heads in despair.
Some straight talking from the club would have been more credible. It would have meant saying something like, \\u201Cwe need Noah in our backline and we won\\u2019t cop penalties being changed because the player and his teammates would not forgive us\\u201D. Of course, they didn\\u2019t dare.
Even Balta\\u2019s ex-coach at the Tigers, Damien Hardwick, diverted his post-match comments about Balta to a criticism of Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan for using the selection of the 25-year-old as a political decoy.
Hardwick will have plenty supporting his view the premier should stay out of football matters, but given the amount of public money that has gone into building training and administration centres for elite AFL clubs and grandstands \\u2013 including $15 million from Andrews government to Punt Road\\u2019s development \\u2013 the government has some skin in the game. A community licence is a community licence.
Of course criticism of the premier hasn\\u2019t come from Richmond, but nor has criticism of Richmond been confined to the premier. Even the Tigers\\u2019 esteemed premiership forward Jack Riewoldt said he didn\\u2019t think Balta should have played.
The truth is, the most consistent sentiment is disappointment rather than anger that the Tigers couldn\\u2019t wait for one more week for Balta to play.
Richmond are a great club with good people. They have run some of the competition\\u2019s best community programs, particularly their Korin Gamadji program that helps educate Indigenous youth. Dealing with young people is complex, and sometimes the right answers are more obvious to those at the coalface than observing from afar.
But, to date, Richmond have not used Balta\\u2019s mistake to positively shape attitudes towards community violence. It\\u2019s been mystifying. Unless there are other reasons they are yet to explain, the Tigers, on this issue, have lost some respect. They will need to do some work to win it back.
That work should start on Tuesday when Balta receives the NSW court\\u2019s judgment.
Leaking goals and the impact losing has on belief is North Melbourne\\u2019s issue.
It\\u2019s not the coach, Alastair Clarkson, who has as good a handle on the defensive systems required to win games as any coach in the caper. Think Clarko\\u2019s cluster for a start and defending with the ball in hand to finish.
It\\u2019s not the belief in the foundations being built, as the young group has committed one after another to the plan in place. Ben McKay is North\\u2019s only departure of note since Jason Horne-Francis left before Clarkson had his feet under the desk.
The job at hand is to break the cycle of failure which losing as often as 97 times in 113 games creates.
That doesn\\u2019t mean smashing players into oblivion. It means teaching players and weeding out selfish ones who show they won\\u2019t, or can\\u2019t, adhere to the team system.
On Good Friday, North Melbourne were in the game trailing by just one point with six minutes remaining in the first quarter. By quarter-time they were 31 points down.
They were back to within 20 points at half-time. By three-quarter-time they were 50 points down and the defenders, who are being taught a co-ordinated, modern defensive system, lost their nerve.
One went one way, one went the other as self-preservation crept in. Those teams bouncing on the bottom have done the same thing for years.
Against the Blues, they lost centre clearances 20-10, meaning the ball was repeatedly sent into a weak back six, exposing a group of players who are trying to play team defence but have spent little time together as a team.
Clarkson should expect better from his midfielders. Tristan Xerri needs to rediscover his form and Luke Davies-Uniacke and Jy Simpkin must lead from the front. George Wardlaw is all heart but his disposal could improve, while Harry Sheezel, despite his accolades, was playing just his 50th game.
The main decision for the coach to make this week will be how long does he persist with senior players down back such as Aidan Corr and Griffin Logue.
If they show a propensity to look after themselves rather than commit to the system they are being trained to play, the coach is better off watching young players such as Riley Hardeman and Wil Dawson steel themselves in the furnace that is the AFL.
That\\u2019s not easy for Corr and Logue as defeat is hard, but the good defenders don\\u2019t buckle until something hasn\\u2019t worked six times rather than at the first moment of concern.
No one doubts North Melbourne supporters are fed up. They are entitled to switch off when grand plans and patience are being spoken about. They have been loyal, committed and passionate.
Clarkson could give them a little more occasionally to reflect his real sense of urgency and explain, as many young coaches try to do now, what is being developed. Not so much \\u201Ctrust us\\u201D as \\u201Cjoin us in this battle\\u201D.
But it\\u2019s also a difficult tale to tell when the players are struggling with the emotions of defeat as much as the supporters.
Stability and experience is what the Roos bought with Clarkson.
It will take more than hard work from him for results to come, but at least a coach is in place who loves a challenge.
\\u201CI wouldn\\u2019t mind buying real estate off that umpire\\u201D was once a staple phrase of football commentary as Peter Landy and co. mocked the inability of umpires to measure 15-metre penalties.
It\\u2019s a tough job for the umpires who have clearly been instructed to crack down on the length kicks need to travel before a mark is paid, but the measurements are now so inconsistent it\\u2019s become confusing.
Add in the huge number of steps players are allowed to take before disposing of the ball when kicking in after a behind, and it\\u2019s clear there are different measuring sticks used depending on the rule being applied.
Obviously, the intent is to keep the ball moving, but the AFL should explain that objective to the football watching public, who deserve to be kept in the picture as the umpires adjust to what are tough calls to make.
Even someone with a real estate background would do. Over to you, AFL.
Photo: James Ross/AAP PHOTOSA refreshed Noah Balta will return to bolster Richmond's chances of delivering a little "payback" to Hawthorn by spoiling their AFL milestone party
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Balta will return for Richmond when Hawthorn celebrate 100 years in the AFL/VFL in their home game at the MCG on Sunday
Hawthorn will mark their anniversary a little more than 100 years to the day since first lining up in the VFL against Richmond on May 2
But Hawthorn were comfortable 48-point winners over the eventual wooden spooners as they marched towards a finals appearance
Hawthorn spoiled Richmond's party last year
beating the Tigers in Dustin Martin's 300th game
(Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)But under no illusions about the size of the task against a Hawthorn side in flag contention
It comes after AFL football boss Laura Kane revealed the league had written to all 18 clubs about liberties players are taking when manning the mark
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Convicted Richmond player Noah Balta breaks his silence after being sentenced for assaulting a man.
Gerard Whateley said the Richmond Tigers have done a poor job of dealing with Noah Balta and his legal issues
DID Richmond’s refusal to keep Noah Balta unavailable for selection increase the severity of his punishment in court
who avoided a jail term after pleading guilty to a single count of assault
has instead been handed an 18-month community corrections order which includes a 10pm-6am curfew for three months
must not enter Mulwala Ski Club and will complete a Motivating Affect Self-Control Program
In the lead-up to Balta’s sentencing
Richmond insisted they would not extend the six-match ban already imposed on Balta
Their refusal to keep him in the VFL until after Tuesday’s hearing became the focus of much criticism
with Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allen slamming the club on numerous occasions in recent weeks
Now Gerard Whateley wonders if Richmond’s staunch support of their man has backfired and created “a huge societal referendum”
“I had the mildest view on this and I understand double jeopardy,” he said on SEN
this has been dreadfully mishandled in football circles
“The last thing you want before a man goes and fronts a magistrate for sentencing is the Premier of that man’s state on a couple of occasions just reaffirming how grave this is
“That’s what football opened up here; it couldn’t see the wood for the trees
“Instead of realising a small football problem that could have been easily circumvented by waiting a couple of weeks and playing VFL
they’ve made it a huge societal referendum
“When you’re going back to a magistrate
you do not want the backdrop of that being serious figures in the community saying this is grave
“Richmond played a really bad hand here – separate to the issues
Just keep your powder dry for two more weeks
“It allowed it to spin off into a big community debate and I wonder if that has now played out in court
“The premier of this state has been reasserting how serious this is as a magistrate is contemplating what the penalty is – you don’t want that
“The gravity of the scenario was built and built.”
The court was told that Balta paid his victim $45,000 in compensation
Balta’s lawyer argued the point on night games to which the magistrate said “that was the punishment”
Vision played during the court hearing showed Balta run towards his victim and knock him to the ground before delivering repeated blows to his head