Noah Balta won’t play this weekend as he awaits sentencing for assault charges.
The 25-year-old hasn’t featured this season for Richmond and will face court next week after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Balta could face a possible jail term for the incident.
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Noah Balta at Richmond training. Getty
While there were suggestions he could feature against Fremantle at Gather Round, the club have erred on the side of caution according to 9News Melbourne’s Tom Morris.
“Noah Balta won’t be playing AFL football this weekend as he awaits sentencing for those assault charges,” he said on Thursday afternoon.
“Richmond met this afternoon and decided that his conditioning and the fact he hasn’t played this weekend means he won’t be facing Fremantle.
“The plan was for him to play VFL this weekend … but there’s no VFL games this weekend and the Tigers have elected to leave him out.
“It remains to be seen if he plays next week or whether he will play the Anzac Day eve game, which is two days after he gets sentenced.”
Balta has played more than 100 games in the yellow and black guernsey since making his debut for the Tigers in 2018 and is one of the club’s most important players.
In other news for Richmond, teenage forward Jonty Faull will make his debut against the Dockers after being selected with the No.14 pick in last year’s draft.
