GEORGIE PARKER: AFL should adopt NRL no-fault stand down policy after how Noah Balta case handled

Richmond might have won their match over the weekend, but has lost the respect of plenty of AFL fans.

Noah Balta was integral in Richmond’s 11-point win over the Suns, with a stellar match in defence where his opponent, Ben King, only managed the one goal.

Brownlow votes could be on the cards for him, but many, including me, question if he should have even been playing in the first instance given the serious criminal case he was facing.

Today he was sentenced and won’t be able to play night games due to a curfew, but the courts should not be doing what the Tigers and the AFL should have done by taking a tougher stance against him.

There are a couple of things so disappointing with his selection at the weekend. Firstly, that Richmond selected him to begin with. I would argue the club did not need the win, yet playing Balta was more important than the poor social messaging they decided to stand behind.

Adam Yze is not a coach under pressure as opposed to someone like Simon Goodwin and no one expects Richmond to be playing finals footy this year in what should be a rebuild year at Punt Road.

Balta not playing and Richmond not winning wouldn’t have mattered long term for this club, just like these four points won’t matter over the course of the season.

Secondly, the AFL handballing responsibility to Richmond, giving them the power to do what they want to do, is pathetic.

“Ultimately it will be a decision from Richmond, whether they select him,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said as he stated he was “comfortable” with Balta being selected. The AFL is a powerhouse entity in our society and needs to be stronger.

The decision was made way too early before the full facts of the case - namely the shocking CCTV footage of the attack - were made public.

What rubs even more salt in the wound is this match was played on the eve of Pat Cronin’s death, a 19-year-old who was killed with a one-punch coward punch. Pat’s dad, Matt, has been very vocal in believing that Balta shouldn’t have been playing and the severity of the attack should not be overlooked just because he’s an AFL player.

Matt, a Richmond supporter himself, went as far as saying, “I hope he never comes back.”

The NRL has got it right by bringing in essentially a black-and-white ruling on criminal charges with its no-fault stand-down policy after a string of serious criminal claims against players.

If a player is charged with a serious criminal offence, they cannot play for their club until the matter is resolved in court.

Even though I believe their policy could be stricter, the AFL should follow suit. The NRL no-fault stand-down applies to an offence that carries a maximum prison sentence of 11 years - Balta’s was five and he ended up with an 18-month community corrections order and $3000 fine.

The three-month nighttime curfew is the harshest part of his sentence, meaning he can’t play any night games for the Tigers.

If the AFL adopted a no-fault stand-down policy, it would mean Richmond wouldn’t have had the option to select Balta until his court case had been settled.

It would mean the AFL doesn’t have to step in to make that call. There would be complete clarity for clubs and fans, and it would be a strong deterrent for players to not behave poorly.

The AFL, and Richmond particularly, got this one wrong.

A fan would be banned for life if this took place in one of our stadiums, yet a player does it and they get six weeks, but it is really only four (two being in the pre-season), and frankly, for me, none of this passes the pub test.