“He requires assistance”: Thomas dismissed following substantial AFL suspension.

Thomas will be sidelined from all levels of football during his suspension, imposed by the AFL on Thursday. Consequently, North Melbourne informed Thomas, who was under contract until the season’s end, that he would no longer be part of the team.

The AFL investigation revealed that Thomas had committed multiple acts of misconduct, including making repeated threatening messages to a woman, resulting in several violations of the AFL’s conduct unbecoming rules.

North Melbourne’s football manager, Todd Viney, expressed no regrets regarding the club’s handling of the situation.

“From my perspective, there are two sides to Tarryn. There’s the one we see day-to-day, and there’s the one who struggles with relationship issues when he’s in a relationship,” Viney said.

“I genuinely believe that as a club, we’ve supported our player. He’s been with us since he was 17, and we’re aware of his challenging background. We’ve provided him with opportunities for education and support, connecting him with top professionals in the state regarding respect, responsibility, and social media usage.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t achieve the desired outcome. However, we stand by our decision to support our people and provide them with opportunities to learn and grow.”

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Viney mentioned that North Melbourne is currently uncertain about the process of Thomas moving to another club for the next season, should a team express interest in recruiting him. This matter will be addressed while finalizing the termination of his contract.

“We’ve concluded that he won’t be part of our future playing plans, so we’ll collaborate with his manager and Tarryn to resolve this,” Viney stated. “Each AFL club will make its own decision. Despite our efforts, we couldn’t resolve it, so we’ll leave it to each club to decide. It would be regrettable if he doesn’t continue playing football.”

CEO Jennifer Watt explained that the decision was based on recent findings and Thomas’s past misconduct.

“The club has invested considerable time, resources, and support in Tarryn, but it’s evident that his needs no longer align with those of the club,” Watt said. “We recognize that Tarryn requires assistance, both for himself and for the women in his life. However, it’s apparent that our efforts over the past year haven’t yielded the desired results. Therefore, we’ve opted to end Tarryn’s tenure at North Melbourne.”

“This decision wasn’t made lightly. Tarryn joined the club as a teenager, and we acknowledge the complex and difficult circumstances he’s faced throughout his life,” Watt continued. “We hope Tarryn finds the appropriate support and takes the necessary steps to become the best version of himself.”

Dr. Sonja Hood, the president of North Melbourne, expressed a mix of emotions including frustration, anger, disappointment, and sadness regarding the outcome, emphasizing that the decision was not made lightly.

“Tarryn returned to the club last year, making a commitment to improve,” she wrote in a letter to members. “We are deeply disappointed by his regression, and he has exhausted all opportunities. Last year, he was given the opportunity to undergo intensive education and rehabilitation programs within the framework of our football club. Moving forward, he will need to seek out similar support elsewhere.

“We will continue collaborating with the AFL, the Players Association, Tarryn’s manager, and his support network to ensure he receives the necessary assistance to improve. However, he will not represent the North Melbourne Football Club again.

“Out of respect for her privacy, I will refrain from discussing the woman who brought forward these allegations to the AFL. I commend her courage and the dignity she has exhibited throughout this process. She deserved better.”

Stephen Meade, the AFL’s general counsel, highlighted that Thomas’s decision to send the offensive messages while undergoing a behavioral education program was taken into account in determining the sanction.

“Tarryn’s actions do not align with the standards expected by anyone in our sport or community, and his behavior fell below the expected standard,” Meade stated. “While we recognize and empathize with the challenges Tarryn faced in his personal life, there is no justification for his actions or the harm caused to a young woman. Such behavior is never acceptable.

“The fact that Tarryn chose to engage in inappropriate behavior via direct messages, even while receiving education and counseling for previous breaches, contributed to the length of the suspension imposed.”

Thomas’s suspension will conclude on June 22, 2024, and his dismissal means he won’t be able to participate in any matches during the 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Additionally, before he can resume playing football at any level, he must complete an AFL-approved behavioral change program at his own expense.

Since the recent allegations emerged, the 23-year-old has been training separately from the football club. He was interviewed by the League’s Integrity Unit last month following the accusation and had previously been sidelined twice by the Kangaroos in 2023 due to concerns regarding his behavior towards women.

Last July, Thomas avoided a criminal conviction for threatening to distribute intimate videos of his ex-partner. Initially charged with threatening to distribute an intimate image, the charge was reduced by prosecutors to using a carriage service to harass someone. He was granted a diversion, resulting in no criminal conviction but a requirement to donate $1000 to charity.

He underwent a respect and responsibility education program and spent three weeks in the VFL last year before being recalled to the senior team in round 12, eventually playing 12 AFL games.

Drafted at pick No.8 in the 2018 AFL Draft, the midfielder has amassed 69 games and scored 56 goals in a career marked by injuries and off-field challenges since his debut in 2019.