Richmond Tigers defender Noah Balta pleads guilty to assault

“They’re not all new challenges … some of these challenges have been present for a little bit, and it’s always just trying to strike the right balance when it gets to a point where you need to step back from the football and the training element of it.

“We really want to set Jamarra up for the medium to long term to really excel on the field, but right now, the focus isn’t on training and playing and being in the full-time program with our playing group.

“At the moment, the focus is really on the short term with him and [giving him] the support.

“We are really hopeful that he still plays an important role during 2025, and we want to set him up medium to longer term. That is clearly the aim of the club; to have Jamarra back playing, whenever that is, and have him excelling on field.”

Power conceded that given the amount of pre-season training he had already missed, Ugle-Hagan was starting from a long way back in terms of his availability in the early part of the season.

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“Clearly, because he is in a more flexible arrangement and he hasn’t been at training full-time with the playing group, there is a conditioning [component] and having your body prepared for AFL football,” he said.

The Bulldogs are heading into the 2025 campaign under the microscope, having not won a final since losing the 2021 grand final to Melbourne in Perth.

Coach Luke Beveridge is contracted until the end of 2025, while Ugle-Hagan recently signed an extension until the end of 2026.

Richmond’s Noah Balta to plead guilty to assault

Danny Russell

Suspended Richmond defender Noah Balta intends to plead guilty to assaulting another man outside a NSW club the day before New Year’s Eve, a court heard on Thursday.

Balta was charged with assaulting a 27-year-old man at Mulwala Water Ski Club at 12.30am on December 30.

The victim was taken to Yarrawonga hospital to be treated for cuts to his head.

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Balta’s lawyer told Corowa Local Court on Thursday he would plead guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Balta did not appear in court.

The case has been deferred to March 27 for sentencing. Noah’s bail has been extended until the next court date.

Richmond announced on January 9 that it was suspending the 25-year-old Balta for the first four matches of the coming season.

The Tigers said he would continue to train with the team but also miss pre-season matches and undergo counselling and education programmes.

Richmond chief executive officer Shane Dunne said at the time that Balta “deeply regrets being involved in the incident”.

“He has assisted the NSW Police in their investigation, and he is keen to have the matter concluded as soon as possible,” Dunne said.

“While the outcome of the investigation and the charge will be a matter for the police and the courts, both Noah and the club accept that players can’t put themselves in these situations.

“After thorough consideration – which included discussions with the player leadership group – we arrived at a decision that reflects the seriousness of the incident and at the same time will help Noah address this behaviour.

“The club will continue to support him through this period and our collective hope, and expectation, is that we will see the best of Noah on and off the field from this point on.”

Balta, who has played 104 games with Richmond including the 2020 premiership, signed a seven-year contract extension last year that would take him through to the end of the 2032 season.

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