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Cornes slams AFL's embarrassing take on Balta CCTV
SEN • April 4th, 2025 2:00 pm
The AFL has embarrassed itself in its handling of Noah Balta’s assault case, according to Kane Cornes who has called on the Richmond player to speak on the matter.
Balta is facing up to five years in jail after pleading guilty for an attack on another man outside the Mulwala Water Ski club in December last year.
Last week he pleaded guilty to a single count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and will be sentenced on April 22.
Despite the severity of the case and the threat of jail time, the AFL and Richmond have cleared Balta to play in Round 5 and 6 and will not be adding to his four-match ban.
Earlier this week Andrew Dillon said: “We have worked with Richmond and we're comfortable with the suspension and the suspension that Noah has served ... we're comfortable with where Richmond landed on that one.”
His comments have drawn widespread criticism with both Cornes and David King demanding more action be taken.
“We were all over this when that vision came out,” Cornes said on SEN’s Fireball.
“Now the AFL is in the embarrassing situation that every time they launch something – like Gather Round – they’re going to be asked about it.
“I don’t think they’ve been hard enough.”
Adding to this, Cornes queried where Balta is.
“Has he spoken yet? Does the community need to hear from him?”
Last week CCTV footage of the “sickening” assault was made public with prosecutors telling a court that the victim of the assault - Thomas Washbrook - was lucky to be alive.
King echoed his co-host’s sentiments suggesting the story had benefited from a busy news week with Oscar Allen’s secret Hawthorn meeting consuming significant broadcast time.
“Where’s the Noah Balta story gone?” King asked.
“The Richmond fans maybe they do (need to hear from him).
“I just think it’s one of those ones that’s disappeared pretty quickly even though it’s still in the courts.
“The AFL should have extended the ban and they should have stepped in for sure.”
The 1-2 Tigers meet reigning premiers Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday before setting their sights on Gather Round against Fremantle in the Barossa Valley - a fixture which Balta will be eligible to play in.
