The father of a man who was the victim of a cowardly attack in 2016 struck the position of the AFL and Richmond to allow Noah Balta to play this weekend against Fremantle.
Matt Cronin’s son Patrick died tragically after the 19 -year -old was hit in the head during a fight in a pub nine years ago. Andrew William Lee was then imprisoned for guilty manslaughter.
His comments come as the pressure rises on Richmond and the AFL to extend the footballer’s suspension, Balta.
The football star pleaded guilty to an accusal accusal occasionally real bodily lesions by Thomas Washbrook, 27, outside the Mulwala Water Ski Club on December 30, 2024.
A court learned at the end of March that Balta was allegedly loaded in the shoulder and has repeatedly struck Washbrook outside the Water Sports Club. Video surveillance images show that Balta flows towards the individual before loading him with shoulder and hitting him on the ground.
Prosecutor Jason Tozer had declared to the local court of Corowa: “It is only luck that his chief (of Washbrook) did not contact the concrete.”
Noah Balta pleaded guilty to the assault of Thomas Westbrook on December 30, 2024
Richmond coach Adem Yze said that Balta, who served a suspension of four games, could make a comeback to play in circles this weekend this weekend
Balta, 25, is expected to learn his fate on April 22. In New South Wales, the offense is a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The football star has since reached a confidential settlement with Washbrook after the publication of a complaint against the football player for pain, suffering and medical expenses.
He has also also served a suspension of four games which was given to him by Richmond and could play this weekend, but some have expressed concerns about his return to play so early.
The director general of the AFL, Andrew Dillon, said that the league was “Comptortabale”, Balta being made available for selection before his conviction in court.
And before the round match this weekend against Fremantle, the Senior coach of Richmond, Adem Yze, said that the club had planned that Balta plays in the match. AFL Players Association (AFLPA) also said that the key defender had the “right to play”.
Cronin, a member of Richmond, told 3AW that he was disappointed with the position of the AFL.
“They checked, there is no doubt,” he said.
“I think they made their decision, unfortunately.
Matt Cronin’s son Patrick (left) died tragically after the 19 -year -old was hit in the head during a fight in a pub nine years ago. Andrew William Lee was then imprisoned for manslaughter for the incident
“AFL has a great opportunity to define a reference.”
Cronin is a founder of the Patrick Cronin Foundation, an organization that educates and aware of violence and provokes the change “end the coward punch”.
Cronin added that he hoped that Balta has never played for tigers again.
“I am really disappointed as a supporter of Richmond,” said Cronin.
“I hope he will never come back. This is my opinion on him.
“He narrowed Richmond.”
This occurs when the Grand Jimmy Bartel destroyed the boss of Richmond Yze for his comments on Balta in the footy of Footy footy on Monday evening.
Earlier in the week, Yze said: “Balta has treated with this for three months. He hates not being there.
Channel 9 expert, Jimmy Bartell, expressed her reservations about the club’s decision to bring Balta back for the match of the Rally of this weekend against Fremantle
“The fact that he is now in the media – it happened in January. So he has been dealing with this for a long time, so we are not going to change our verdict. We worked with AFL with it and they are really clear about it.
But Bartel said that his comments “did not get me well with me”.
“They fell as Noah as the fact that he had to sit for so much time and that he had to face (the situation),” he told Channel 9.
“This kind of behavior, we try to eradicate from society. Let’s not even talk about football.
Bartel added that the soccer star should not play until he was sentenced to having already pleaded guilty to the accusation.
“Once you have given up your law – and yes, he pleaded guilty – it was then that Richmond should have intervened and said:” OK, you plead guilty. We will always give you all the support, but you do not play football before determining what your real sentence is, or what the court attaches “,” he said.
“If he disputed the accusation – (he is) innocent until he was guilty – but he said he was guilty.
“I do not buy the tone of” poor Noah “.
But the boss of AFL Players Association, Paul Marsh, believes that the football star had “served his disciplinary process” with the AFL. Balta had been suspended for the first four games of the 2025 season by the Tigers – a decision which was ratified by the AFL.
“There was a disciplinary process there. Noah served this. And so he has the right to play this week. I don’t know if he will, ”said Marsh.
Balta should be sentenced on April 22, but AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the league was comfortable with his return to Pity Pitch
“For the moment, our thoughts are with Noah in a kind of broader sense, I think he has problems, spells of challenges in front of him and that is the more important problem.
“ But if playing fully, and I think that playing football can be a great distraction, being in a club where he works with him day by day is also very positive … I think the club will make the right decision.
“He went through a process where he was suspended, so I think it is appropriate that it is the suspension.
“He has a criminal process that he is going through, and there will be a determination made at the end of this. But there was a football process, and that is the result of that.