Several AFL clubs have expressed reservations about recruiting suspended North Melbourne midfielder Tarryn Thomas even if he clears the behavioural hurdles imposed by the AFL to resume his career.
Thomas is serving an 18-match ban after the league found he had threatened a woman on multiple occasions.
Former North Melbourne footballer Tarryn Thomas.Credit: Getty Images
While the league and its clubs will make a united stand in the fight against domestic violence during this weekend’s matches, all clubs contacted by The Age were reluctant to talk on the record about whether they would consider recruiting the 24-year-old at the end of this season if he met the AFL’s conditions for a return.
After GWS football director and former Geelong champion Jimmy Bartel said he would be deeply uncomfortable with Thomas being permitted to play AFL again, this masthead contacted all clubs to gauge their interest in securing 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 the football department. However, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon joined Essendon coach Brad Scott – Thomas’ first coach at the Kangaroos – in declaring that he should not be given a football life sentence.
Carlton have virtually no chance of pursuing Thomas given the club’s Carlton Respects program for gender equality, according to a club source.
The Blues’ vice president, Patty Kinnersly, is chief executive of Our Watch, an organisation devoted to preventing violence against women and with which the AFL has just announced a partnership.
West Coast chief executive Don Pyke said a conversation with his wife, Jodie, had prompted him to push for clubs to make a statement supporting the victims of violence against women this weekend.
However, Pyke would not discuss the Thomas issue or whether the Eagles would consider him.
Pyke said Jodie had pointed out that the violence “is a men’s problem” and suggested that the Eagles take action.
He said she had told him: “You guys should do something about this.”
The CEO of another club said while they had not discussed Thomas with the board, the club was highly unlikely to recruit him.
Other clubs almost unanimously said any decision on potentially recruiting Thomas would be made at board level and would be taken out of the hands of coaches and list bosses due to the sensitivity of Thomas’ situation, the potential reputation damage and impact on sponsors.
West Coast boss Don Pyke.Credit: Getty Images
A majority of clubs said it was premature to make a call on Thomas without having thoroughly explored his background and what he had done during the ban to demonstrate change.
Several said they were duty bound to undertake due diligence into a player of proven ability, while others said they personally doubted their clubs would explore recruiting him but as they had yet to discuss the player at either executive or board level, they could not speak publicly on behalf of the club.
The AFL confirmed that while Thomas is banned for 18 matches he still needs to satisfy the league’s general counsel Stephen Meade before being cleared to return to play anywhere.
“He is presently serving an 18-game suspension,” AFL spokesman Jay Allen said.
“Any potential return to football on any level is subject to his compliance with both his sanction and satisfactory progress with his mandatory behavioural change program. Both requiring AFL approval, and both of which have not happened.”
Thomas was suspended by North Melbourne in 2023 and initially charged by police with threatening to distribute an intimate image before prosecutors agreed to drop the charge in July and replaced it with another offence of using a carriage service to harass. He did not record a conviction for a criminal offence.
Police have not charged Thomas for any of the subsequent incidents from 2024 that led to his AFL suspension. He was not accused of any physical violence against women.
Asked whether Thomas should be allowed to return to football, Our Watch CEO Kinnersly said there were some cases where a second chance could be warranted.
“While I can’t comment on individual cases, the sporting community is a reflection of the broader community where unfortunately more than one in four men under the age of 30 self-report having used physical or sexual violence against a partner,” Kinnersly said in a statement.
“The past four weeks have driven home how serious partner violence is.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has spoken on the Tarryn Thomas situation.Credit: Getty Images
“All areas of our community including our sporting leaders have to send a clear message that violence can never be accepted or excused,” she added.
“Depending on circumstance, if an individual demonstrates significant effort to understand their behaviour and a genuine commitment to stopping their behaviour, then there may be some circumstances, where a second chance may be appropriate.”
While Bartel was speaking on Nine as a commentator his position as GWS football director would suggest the Giants would be unlikely to pursue the sacked Kangaroos player.
“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 on Wednesday night.
“At some stage, there’s got to be a fork in the road because the forgiveness angle hasn’t worked – because the [domestic violence] numbers are actually getting worse.”
Thomas was banned for 18 matches in February this year and immediately sacked by North Melbourne. Even if he were re-registered at the end of his suspension, any return to the AFL would be for next season at the earliest.
Thomas’s suspension was the longest handed out to a player by the AFL for conduct unbecoming after Ben Cousins’ 12 month ban from West Coast in 2007.
On Thursday, Lyon said he hoped Thomas could change his behaviour.
“Life sentences don’t even get imposed at a custodial level,” Lyon said.
“It’s interesting that we’re talking about life for a young player that hopefully can be educated and trained to grab hold of his opportunity in life.”
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge refused to buy into the Thomas discussion on Thursday.
Pyke said he had initially thought the Eagles could make a statement or gesture alongside Essendon, their opponent this weekend, before he decided to “broaden this out a little” and wrote to the AFL hierarchy while circulating his email to all 17 clubs CEOs and received immediate backing.
“I’m not suggesting we’ve got all the answers,” Pyke said of the AFL and the clubs. “We’ve got to be part of the solution.
“The numbers are quite staggering when you look at them.”
Pyke said the moment’s silence would have a huge reach of perhaps 400,000 spectators and a broadcast audience of four to five million.
If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
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