Richmond’s Noah Balta free to play before assault sentencing

The AFL will allow Noah Richmond Balta to return to play before being sentenced for assaulting a man outside a Riverina Club.

Balta declared himself guilty of assault and will be sentenced on April 22 for his attack against a 27 -year -old man outside the Mulwala Water Ski Club.

Balta has been suspended by four games of the Premier League season for his club in a sanction ratified by AFL after the incident on December 30 of last year.

The suspension expires this weekend, with eligible Balta to return in the five -round Richmond game against Fremantle on April 13.

The Executive President of the AFL, Andrew Dillon, said the league was “comfortable” by allowing Balta to play before being sentenced in court.

“By when Noah is eligible to play again, it would have served a four -week AFL suspension, as well as losing a couple of weeks of practice matches,” Dillon told journalists in Adelaide on Tuesday, Tuesday,

“Ultimately, it will be a decision of Richmond, if they select it directly in the AFF or next to VFL.”

Dillon said the AFL would not enter before Balta’s judgment.

“We have worked with Richmond and we feel comfortable with the suspension and suspension that Noah has served … we feel comfortable with where Richmond landed in that,” Dillon said.

Richmond’s coach, Ade Yze, said after last Saturday’s game that Balta would be an automatic selection when available.

“Oh, without a doubt. We have transmitted that suspension, we feel that it is the correct amount of time, six games are fair,” said Yze.

Balta, 25, declared himself guilty in the local Corowa court to assault real bodily damage, which in NSW entails a maximum fine of five years in jail.

The prosecutors said that the actions of the Premier League player of 2020, who hospitalized the victim Thomas Washbrook with head injuries, met with the threshold of a high -level offensive.

AAPA