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Hardwick swipes at Victorian Premier over Balta "mockery"
SEN • April 20th, 2025 12:49 pm
Gold Coast Suns head coach Damien Hardwick has lashed out at Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan regarding her comments on Richmond’s Noah Balta.
Balta has pled guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm after setting upon a man in Mulwala in December, and is awaiting sentencing set to take place on Tuesday.
Richmond handed Balta an in-club suspension following the incident, ruling him out for the first four games of 2025, subsequently leaving the 25-year-old available for selection across both Round 5 and Round 6, prior to sentencing.
With many debating as to whether Balta should be granted permission to play following the commencement of his in-club suspension, Allan spoke at the back end of last week, holding firm that the defender should not be a thought for selection.
“How do we explain to kids, particularly, how do we answer that question? How does the AFL and the Richmond Football Club answer that question, about what’s going on here?” Allan said.
“What sort of message does this send to kids about what’s right and what’s wrong? I think that’s really a question for the AFL and Richmond need to answer.
“What a sickening, what a sickening attack that was. And again, let’s remember the victim here and who would be, no doubt, deeply traumatised by this experience.”
Adem Yze and the Richmond Football Club opted to select and play Balta in their Round 6 Easter Saturday clash with the Suns, collecting 14 disposals and five marks in Richmond’s shock victory.
Hardwick, formerly the coach of Balta at Richmond, spoke on Allan’s comments in his post-game press conference on Saturday night, outlining that it was not the Premier’s place to speak on the matter.
"We've got a premier that put her nose in someone else's business — she should just concentrate on getting the state running well," Hardwick said.
"It's an absolute mockery, her making comments with regard to that.
"At the end of the day, he's pled guilty. He understands that he's going to cop his fair whack."
SEN’s David Schwarz was on board with Hardwick's statement, expressing his agreement with the Suns' coach early this morning.
“I think what ‘Dimma’ said was right,” Ox told SEN’s Point of View.
“You can only get the penalties that come your way and you’ve got to deal with them.
“He has made a huge error, he has admitted guilt, he’s got to go through the courts that will all happen.”
Ox was so complementary on Balta’s role in the Tigers’ scalp over the previously undefeated Suns, stating that his role was crucial in the club’s second victory of the season.
“Unbelievable,” Schwarz said.
“He allowed (Nick) Vlaustin, and he allowed the other backs at Richmond to play their style
“Whether it was (Nathan) Broad or whoever, he just gives them enormous confidence.
“Balta got boos, but by the end of it they wanted to chair him off.
“The one thing about Richmond supporters, you play for the Tigers, and they love you.”
Balta's sentencing is just two days away,with the potential to face up to five years of jail time.
