Richmond have suspended Noah Balta for the first four games of the 2025 season following his assault charge last month.
Balta was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and given conditional bail to appear before Corowa Local Court on Thursday, January 30 after an incident at a sports club in Mulwala.
He will continue to train with the club but will also miss both of the Tigers’ pre-season games.
Noah Balta will have a delayed start to his 2025 campaign.Credit: AFL Photos
Richmond said in a statement he will also complete “education programming and undertake counselling”.
“Noah deeply regrets being involved in the incident. He has assisted the NSW Police in their investigation and he is keen to have the matter concluded as soon as possible. While the outcome of the investigation and the charge will be a matter for the police and the courts both Noah and the club accept that players can’t put themselves in these situations,” Richmond CEO Shane Dunne said in a statement.
“After thorough consideration – which included discussions with the player leadership group – we arrived at a decision that reflects the seriousness of the incident.
“The club will continue to support him through this period and our collective hope, and expectation, is that we will see the best of Noah on and off the field from this point on.”
The AFL released its own brief statement on Thursday, adding: “The AFL has been kept informed by Richmond of developments and is supportive of the club’s response and sanction. The AFL will continue to monitor ongoing matters in court.”
NSW Police said officers were called to a sports club in Mulwala – a small town on the Murray River near Yarrawonga – about 12.30am on Monday December 30.
“A 27-year-old man was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for a laceration to his head and taken to Yarrawonga Hospital in a stable condition,” police said in a statement earlier this month.
Balta was arrested at Mulwala police station shortly before midday on Tuesday December 31.
“He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and given conditional bail to appear before Corowa Local Court on Thursday, January 30, 2025,” police said.
An athletic and versatile key-position player, Balta is set to be an integral part of the Tigers’ rebuild in coming years, having signed a seven-year contract extension in October.
Staff writers
