Victoria Police is now reportedly investigating recently-sacked North Melbourne star Tarryn Thomas over the AFL probe that ultimately ended his time at Arden St.
It comes as Thomas’ former co-captain, Jy Simpkin, vowed to stay in touch with Thomas, with hopes the former top-10 draftee can reignite his AFL career “as long as he gets all his stuff off-field sorted”.
7 News Melbourne on Monday night reported police had spoken to a 23-year-old Ormond man about abuse allegations, with members of the Prahran Family Violence Investigation Unit involved.
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Thomas last week was handed an 18-game by the AFL after being found guilty of “several breaches of Conduct Unbecoming”, including threatening a woman via direct messages multiple times.
Consequently, Thomas was ruled ineligible to play in the 2024 AFL season and the Kangaroos terminated his contract.
Thomas can return to state-league or local level from July 22 this year. But before returning to football at any level, Thomas must’ve undertaken and/or be satisfactorily progressing with a behavioural change program.
Thomas played 69 games after being drafted with Pick 8 in the 2018 draft by the Kangaroos.
Asked if he’d keep in touch with Thomas, Simpkin told reporters at the AFL Captains’ Day: “Yeah, definitely. We’re definitely not just throwing him to the wolves. We want to support him as much as we can.
“I’ve had a good relationship with Tarryn over the last five, six years he’s been at the football club.
“I hope to see him play AFL football again as long as he gets all his stuff off-field sorted.
“He’s obviously a great talent and he could be a very special player.
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“Unfortunately it won’t be for our football club, but maybe one day in the future it might be for another team.”
Simpkin said North’s hierarchy took on feedback from the club’s player leadership group before deciding to sack Thomas.
The co-captain said it was a “really sad situation for everyone involved”, adding there was not much else the Thomas’ teammates could’ve done to help.
“Like (North Melbourne football boss) Todd Viney touched on last week, there seems to be two different Tarryn’s, which really rings true for me as well,” Simpkin said.
“You see Tarryn at the club and he’s such a great kid and then obviously he’s got a few issues that go on outside the four walls of the footy club.
“We wish him all the best. The club supported him as well as they could and now it’s up to him to make change.”
