THE AFL will not stop Richmond's Noah Balta from returning to play before he is sentenced for assaulting a man outside a NSW Riverina club.

Balta has pleaded guilty to assault and will be sentenced on April 22 for an attack on a 27-year-old man outside the Mulwala Water Ski Club.

Balta has been suspended for four premiership season matches by his club in a sanction ratified by the AFL after the incident on December 30 last year.

The suspension expires this weekend, with Balta eligible to return as soon as Richmond's round five game on April 13, against Fremantle in Gather Round.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said the League was "comfortable" in allowing Balta to play again before being sentenced in court.

"By the time Noah is eligible to play again he would have served a four-week AFL suspension as well as missing a couple of weeks of practice matches," Dillon said in Adelaide on Tuesday,

"Ultimately it will be a decision from Richmond, whether they select him straight into the AFL or into the VFL side."

Dillon said the AFL wouldn't step in again before Balta's sentencing.

"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," Dillon said.

Richmond coach Adem Yze signalled after last Saturday's loss to St Kilda that Balta would be an automatic selection when available.

"Oh, no doubt. We've handed down that suspension, we feel like that's the right amount of time, six games is a fair whack," Yze said.

Balta, 25, pleaded guilty in the Corowa Local Court to assault occasioning actual bodily harm which in NSW carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.

Prosecutors said the actions of the 2020 premiership player, which hospitalised the victim Thomas Washbrook with head injuries, met the threshold of a high-level offence.

Prosecutor Jason Tozer told the court on March 27 that Washbrook could have been killed.

"Your Honour can see he (the victim) becomes fully airborne and travels a metre or a metre-and-a-half," Sergeant Tozer told the court.

"It is only sheer luck that his head did not make contact with that concrete."

Balta's defence admitted the incident was serious but argued the assault was at the higher end of a mid-level offence. 

Character references for the Tigers star described Balta as "a kind, caring gentle giant," defence lawyer Belinda Franjic said.

"It’s quite clear this offence is completely and utterly out of character for Mr Balta," she told the court.

Balta had admitted drinking a significant amount of alcohol on the day of the offending and had reacted to seeing his younger brother in a confrontation, the court was told.

The player had shown genuine remorse for his actions and had sought professional help, including courses, to address the behaviour that led to the incident, Ms Franjic said.

Balta had quickly admitted the assault and pleaded guilty, although he initially told police he had only punched the victim three or four times.

"That might not have been completely accurate," his barrister said.

Balta has reached a confidential settlement with Washbrook, who was forced to take time off work at the Wangaratta Council because of his injuries.

The settlement was reached after Balta was sued for pain and suffering as well as medical expenses.