‘Walk the walk’: Clubs cast doubt over Tarryn Thomas’ AFL future as ex-North star faces fresh police investigation
By Carla Jaeger, Alex Crowe and Andrew Wu
AFL clubs have cast further doubt over the future of former North Melbourne footballer Tarryn Thomas to return to the top level, with one club president calling on the league to show leadership by making a decision on his future.
One of three senior club figures contacted by this masthead said the league must “walk the walk” when taking a stand on issues such as violence against women after it emerged Thomas was facing fresh allegations he harassed a woman, just three months after he was sacked by the Kangaroos for similar behaviour.
Police are investigating former North Melbourne footballer Tarryn Thomas over harassment allegations.Credit: Getty Images
Detectives are investigating the former player after receiving reports from a woman last month that the 24-year-old had harassed her via mobile phone.
The woman reported the harassment to police on April 11, sparking the ongoing investigation.
“Police are investigating after reports of harassing phone contact ... and investigations into the incident remain ongoing,” a police spokesperson said on Friday.
AFL spokesperson Jay Allen said on Friday that the league had been made aware of the allegations, but did not specify when that was.
“As the matter is currently under investigation by police, the AFL doesn’t have any further comment at this time,” he said.
Thomas’ manager Ben Williams has been contacted for comment.
One president called on the AFL to “stand up and lead and not fudge around and handball it back to clubs”.
“If they half-heart it and say clubs can draft him but make sure he has to behave, what’s that saying?” said the club president, one of three sources speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
“How would it be if the league said he can play and the 18 clubs said, ‘We disagree, we don’t want this bloke playing?’ Where’s that leave the league? What’s the point of the AFL and commission?
“The league has to lead on these issues. If they want to be what they say they are, part of the social justice in this country and do all these causes, you’ve got to walk the walk. They have control of whether Tarryn Thomas plays.”
Another club boss raised questions as to why Marlion Pickett could be allowed to play while facing burglary charges, yet Thomas had been suspended.
“Are we going to pick and choose which crimes are OK, and which ones aren’t,” this club president said.
This club president cast doubt on Thomas returning to the AFL next year, saying the player needed more time to prove he had rehabilitated.
“I don’t think it’d be appropriate to do eight weeks [of education], come back and say I’m good,” the president said.
“You’d need a reasonable period of evidence to show he can act in an appropriate way. Three to four months of good behaviour doesn’t cut it.”
A boss at a third club ruled out their club recruiting Thomas.
The recent police investigation is the latest in a string of harassment claims against Thomas.
North Melbourne sacked him in February after the AFL found he had threatened a woman in direct messages multiple times. It was the same day the league imposed an 18-match ban.
The AFL’s integrity unit found Thomas “had engaged in multiple acts of misconduct including threatening a woman via direct messages multiple times”.
He had been contracted with the Kangaroos until the end of 2024.
On Wednesday, The Age reported North Melbourne chief executive Jennifer Watt had written to her 17 club counterparts detailing the measures taken to change Thomas’ behaviour.
Thomas had completed four different behavioural programs before being sacked by the club once the league’s ban was announced.
Watt said finding support for Thomas had not been easy, and the club supported the need for reform.
Police charged Thomas over an Instagram message to his then-girlfriend in 2022. He was initially charged with threatening to distribute an intimate image, which was later dropped and replaced with a charge of using a carriage service to harass. He did not record a conviction for a criminal offence.
That charge was discontinued in July on the condition that Thomas make a $1000 donation to the court fund.
The AFL has imposed behavioural requirements for Thomas to return to the elite level after his suspension lifts, including successfully completing a behavioural awareness program at his own expense.
The decision to allow Thomas to return will be made at AFL executive level.
Thomas failed one of the four education programs he completed during his time at the Kangaroos.
Announcing he would not return to training in March 2023, Roos general manager Todd Viney told reporters that while Thomas had made improvements, he hadn’t achieved the level “we need to get him to”.
Asked what part of the program he had not completed to satisfaction, Viney said: “The main part we want to get right is respect and responsibility to women … Tarryn still has some work to do in that situation.”
Last week, GWS football director and former Geelong champion Jimmy Bartel said he would be deeply uncomfortable with Thomas being permitted to play AFL again.
“I feel very uncomfortable with it. I get the whole premise of forgiveness and chances. He’s had a number of chances for his alleged behaviour, just tabling that,” Bartel, whose father physically abused a young Bartel, his mother and sisters, said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
Essendon coach Brad Scott was met with scrutiny after he spoke of the importance of giving players like Thomas a second chance. Following the backlash, Scott said on Seven’s Talking Footy this week: “I want to be part of the solution … people should be outraged about violence against women. Part of the solution is supporting these young men so these sort of things don’t happen again.”
The Age last week contacted all 18 clubs to ask whether they would recruit Thomas. Of the 11 that responded, three said they would be highly unlikely to consider handing Thomas a career lifeline and others said any decision would be made at board level, not by their football departments.
Get alerts on significant breaking news as happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.