BEN MCCLELLAN: Noah Balta’s four-match Richmond Tigers ban is a win for the club as AFL fail to act on attack

Noah Balta should not be playing AFL footy until after he has been sentenced for his vicious assault on a man outside a country NSW pub.

The AFL has backed itself into a corner by letting Richmond take the lead on the issue instead of launching its own investigation into the attack and judging what penalty would best suit community expectations.

His four-match ban seemed adequate back in January but now we have all seen the shocking footage of the brutal attack it seems pretty pissweak.

It’s hard to write this with a straight face, but off-field player behaviour is an area where the NRL has shown real leadership while the AFL continue to let it be a grey area.

Liam Ryan brawling after a music festival is another stark example of the lack of proper policy with the West Coast star facing no sanction from the AFL or even the police.

Following a raft of serious criminal claims against players from serious assault to rape, the NRL instituted a no-fault stand down policy in 2019.

This policy means if a player is charged with an offence that carries a maximum jail term of 11 years or more they cannot play for their club until the matter is resolved in court.

No ifs, no buts, a very simple rule that is easy to follow. Former Penrith player Taylan May was stood down, and later left the Panthers, last year after he was charged with serious domestic violence charges.

Last month his case was dismissed after his wife chose not to testify against him, leading to May being cleared by the NRL to play again.

No club has offered him a deal as yet.

When news broke three months ago Balta had been charged over the attack outside a Riverina ski club on December 30, it was reported as an “incident”, an altercation that got out of hand.

Richmond was fast to act, announcing Balta would be suspended for two practice and four regular season matches a week after he was charged.

Balta himself accepted responsibility later in the month by pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm – a much more serious charge than common assault which carries a five-year prison term.

Last week the shocking vision of Balta shoulder charging Thomas Washbrook with such ferocity he launched his large victim into the air, before unleashing several punches to Washbrook’s head, came to light.

It became clear the attack was more an UFC-style ambush than two guys in a pub arguing over a sporting result or a spilt drink.

The situation has become a major taking point for Richmond who have been forced to defend their sanction against Balta.

While Balta apparently was honest with the club about the attack, it’s hard to believe the AFL would have signed off on the ban if they had seen the footage aired in court.

Balta’s manager and lawyers realised how bad it was with the star settling a civil suit with Washbrook by the weekend.

Without knowing if Balta has a criminal history in NSW and, despite a police prosecutor saying his victim was lucky to survive the attack, Balta will most likely cop a hefty fine and a good behaviour bond.

It’s hard to see him not being convicted over the attack even though he has shown remorse, undergone behavioural programs and abstained from drinking.

He will be sentenced in Corowa Local Court on April 22 but is due back for the Tigers when they play Fremantle in the Barossa Valley for Gather Round on April 13.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon said today he was OK with Balta playing before he was sentenced, but also put the ball back in the Tigers’ court by saying “ultimately it will be a decision from Richmond, whether they select him straight into the AFL or into the VFL side”.

The inference to Richmond appeared to suggest that if Balta’s ban would not be extended by the club, he should spend a bit of time in VFL purgatory.

Seven analyst Caroline Wilson used her “Caro’s call” on Agenda Setters to say out how badly the issue had been handled by the AFL and believed the Tigers would find a way not to have Balta play his return match.

If Richmond did decide to keep Balta out of the side until after he is sentenced then his return game would be the Tigers’ Anzac Day eve match against Melbourne.

Wilson said that match, like Gather Round, would be the wrong times to have Balta back given their strong family focus.

Tigers coach Adem Yze used an interesting phrase when he said, “six games is a fair whack” and the club ban was the “right amount of time”.

It should not be up to Yze or even the Tigers when Balta plays again, it should be the AFL.

The code markets itself as family-friendly product that abhors violence of all kinds (except for some push and shove on the field ofcourse) so it should take a much stronger stand when a player unleashes such wanton violence no matter their remorse.

The next player charged with a serious act of violence is likely to find the AFL a lot more involved in what playing sanction they face.