The father of a man who was the victim of a coward-punch attack in 2016 has hit out at the AFL and Richmond’s stance on permitting Noah Balta to play this weekend against Fremantle.
Matt Cronin’s son, Patrick, tragically died after the 19-year-old was punched in the head during a brawl in a pub nine years ago. Andrew William Lee was subsequently jailed for manslaughter.
His comments come as pressure is mounting on Richmond and the AFL to extend the suspension of footballer, Balta.
The football star pleaded guilty to a charge of assualt occasioning actual bodily harm of Thomas Washbrook, 27, outside the Mulwala Water Ski Club on December 30, 2024.
A court heard at the end of March that Balta had allegedly shoulder-charged and repeatedly punched Washbrook outside the water sports club. CCTV footage shows Balta run towards the individual before shoulder-charging him and knocking him to the floor.
Prosecutor Jason Tozer had told the Corowa Local Court: ‘It is only sheer luck that his [Washbrook’s] head did not make contact with the concrete.’
Noah Balta pleaded guilty to the assault of Thomas Westbrook on December 30, 2024
Richmond coach Adem Yze has stated that Balta, who has served a four game suspension, could make a return to play in Gather Round this weekend
Balta, 25, is now due to learn his fate on April 22. In New South Wales, the offence carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.
The footy star has since reached a confidential settlement with Washbrook after a claim was issued against the footy player for pain, suffering and medical expenses.
He has now also served out a four-match suspension handed to him by Richmond and could play this weekend, but some have expressed concerns over him returning to play so soon.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said that the league was ‘comfortabale’ with Balta being made available for selection prior to his sentencing in court.
And ahead of this weekend’s Gather Round fixture against Fremantle, Richmond senior coach Adem Yze said that the club had planned for Balta to play in the fixture. The AFL Players Association (AFLPA) also said that the key defender has a ‘right to play’.
Cronin, a Richmond member, told 3AW that he was disappointed by the AFL’s stance.
‘They’ve ticked it off, there’s no doubt about it,’ he said.
‘I think they’ve made their decision, sadly.
Matt Cronin’s son, Patrick (left), tragically died after the 19-year-old was punched in the head during a brawl in a pub nine years ago. Andrew William Lee was subsequently jailed for manslaughter over the incident
‘The AFL has a terrific opportunity to set a benchmark.’
Cronin is a founder of the Patrick Cronin Foundation, an organisation that is educating and raising awareness to end violence and bring about change ‘end the coward punch’.
Cronin added that he hoped Balta never played for the Tigers again.
‘I’m really disappointed as a Richmond supporter,’ Cronin said.
‘I hope he never comes back. That’s my opinion of him.
‘He has brought Richmond into disrepute.’
It comes as footy great Jimmy Bartel lashed out at Richmond boss Yze for his comments on Balta on Monday night’s episode of Footy Classified.
Earlier in the week, Yze had said: ‘Balta’s been dealing with this for three months. He’s hating not being out there.
Channel 9 pundit Jimmy Bartell has expressed his reservations over the club’s decision to bring Balta back for this weekend’s Gather Round match against Fremantle
‘The fact that it’s out in the media now — it happened in January. So, he’s been dealing with that for a long time, so we’re not going to change our verdict. We’ve worked with the AFL with that and they’re really clear on that.’
But Bartel claimed his comments ‘did not sit well with me’.
‘They came across like Noah is being hard done by the fact he’s had to sit so much time out and he’s been having to deal with [the situation],’ he told Channel 9.
‘That sort of behaviour, we’re trying to eradicate from society. Let’s not even talk about football.’
Bartel added that the footy star should not play until he has been sentenced having already pleaded guilty to the charge.
‘Once you forgo your right — and yes, he pleaded guilty — that’s when Richmond should have stepped in and said: “OK, you plead guilty. We’ll still give you all the support but you’re not playing football until we work out what your actual sentence is, or what the court hands out”,’ he said.
‘If he was contesting the charge — [he’s] innocent until proven guilty — but he declared he was guilty.
‘I don’t buy into the tone of “poor Noah”.’
But AFL Players Association boss Paul Marsh believes the footy star had ‘served his disciplinary process’ with the AFL. Balta had been suspended for the opening four games of the 2025 season by the Tigers – a move that was ratified by the AFL.
‘There’s been a disciplinary process there. Noah has served that out. And so he has a right to play this week. I don’t know whether he will,’ Marsh said.
Balta is set to be sentenced on April 22, but AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has said the league is comfortable with his return to the footy pitch
‘At the moment, our thoughts are with Noah in a sort of broader sense, I think he’s got some problems, sorts of challenges ahead of him and that is the bigger issue.
‘But if playing fully, and I think playing footy can be a nice distraction, being in a club where they’re actually working with him day-to-day is also really positive… I think that the club will make the right decision.
‘He’s gone through a process where he’s been suspended, so I think it’s appropriate that that’s the suspension.
‘He’s got a criminal process that he’s going through, and there’ll be a determination made at the end of that. But there has been a football process, and that’s the result of it.’
