Heat is on the Richmond Football Club to ban premiership swingman Noah Balta for longer after shocking CCTV vision of his assault was shown in court.

During the proceedings on Thursday at the Corowa Local Court, prosecutor Jason Tozer slammed Richmond for the four-match suspension of Balta ... which was also sanctioned by the AFL.

“The action taken by the club is so minimal as to be irrelevant,” Tozer said in court.

“The court must send a message to the community that this type of conduct is unacceptable no matter who you are.”

Expert commentator and footy great Kane Cornes agreed, saying the punishment was “soft” and made no sense.

Cornes made reference to St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster who was banned for seven matches in 2024 for an incident in a pre-season game against North Melbourne.

“If Jimmy Webster gets seven weeks for a shocking bump and Balta gets four, how is that like for like,” Cornes said on SEN.

“I don’t think it adds up where a player for an on-field incident can get seven and then, for a far worse (and) horrific incident off the field, he gets four.

“How soft has Richmond’s suspension been?

“Four weeks they gave him for that. Maybe they didn’t see the vision.”

North Melbourne legend David King was furious.

“It’s a sickening incident and I’m wondering who is in control of the sanctions here,” King said.

“Is the AFL integrity taking control?

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

“They’re talking about the potential for jail time. The AFL has to say something.

“It brings the game into disrepute.”

Balta, 25, pleaded guilty to a single count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which in NSW attracts a maximum penalty of five years in jail.

The victim, Thomas Washbrook, was waiting for a courtesy bus at Mulwala Water Ski Club when an altercation began between him and Balta’s younger brother, Oskar.

The CCTV footage shows Balta run out of the club and shoulder-charge Washbrook, knocking him to the ground.

Tozer said “it is only sheer luck” that Washbrook wasn’t killed in the incident.

Richmond said it would not comment on the matter until after Balta had been sentenced.

Balta is due to be sentenced on April 22 however his club ban ends before that date.

The sentencing date is two days before the Tigers play Melbourne in the annual Anzac Day Eve clash in Round 7.

That is a prime-time match, scheduled on a Thursday night at the MCG.

The AFL said it was not commenting on the situation at the moment but explained that the length of the ban was in fact longer than originally reported by some outlets.

The AFL said the ban included two pre-season games and four home and away games, so technically it was a six-match punishment.