North Melbourne’s Thomas slammed for deleted tweet after fresh allegations
There’s concerns over Kangaroo Tarryn Thomas’ AFL future amid fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There’s concerns over Kangaroo Tarryn Thomas’ AFL future amid fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women.
North Melbourne confirmed on Wednesday night Thomas had been stood down from training on Thursday “until it gathers more information” on the latest matter.
It comes just a month after the 22-year old returned to Arden Street following a period of leave due to claims from a woman that Thomas wanted to “beat” her. It was also alleged Thomas told a woman “your time is coming”.
Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified, AFL journalist Damian Barrett revealed all parties involved remain in the dark over the specifics surrounding the latest allegations.
“The landscape has changed on this. There’s an element of North Melbourne now pondering if they did the right thing by bringing him back,” he said.
“It must be said that ... Thomas and people around him and people at North Melbourne don’t exactly know the nature of these latest allegations.
“Do they relate to a period of time after he’s been allowed back at the club, or are they continuing from the time in question before he was stood down the first time?
“He himself does not know the answers to those questions at this stage.”
Barrett feared for Thomas’ AFL career amid investigations into the latest alleged indiscretion.
“I think it’s line ball tonight, I really do,” Barrett said.
“The preparation for playing again wasn’t quite up to the standards the club would’ve hoped.
“The rehab and the education he’s getting, even elements of that ... there was just some issues there that have got the leadership group questioning their own decisions and the support of him to this point.”
The news was followed by Thomas posting a now-deleted picture to his Instagram account, suggesting he was on the Gold Coast with the caption: “Are you still thinking of me?” — however Barrett clarified Thomas in fact wasn’t in Queensland.
Geelong great Jimmy Bartel slammed the optics of the social media post and believes Thomas needs to be better advised.
“I get that the whole that it’s a different generation of social media and we don’t understand it the way that generation does,” Bartel said on Footy Classified.
“(But) Whoever is advising him needs to be on the phone because it’s (the Instagram post) incredibly tone-deaf — the caption in particular.
“I know a lot of athletes like to look to the US and it’s a big thing at the moment being cryptic in your Instagram posts or your Twitter posts ... but you open yourself up for all these questions.
“Whoever’s giving him the advice (should say): ‘Just tone it down mate, read the room.’ It’s absolutely not reading the temperature.”
Bartel, who’s the football director at GWS and was a part of Geelong’s leadership group during his playing days, thinks North need to first address the latest allegations and then Thomas’ support network.
“If the alleged behaviour is to be anywhere near true, it is completely disrespectful to women and it‘s abhorrent behaviour, and that needs to be dealt with first,” he said.
“Whoever the person is involved, they need the care first and foremost, then Tarryn Thomas — if the alleged behaviour is true. We need to get the order right.
“We‘ve got to understand who’s actually around him. Who is his camp? Every player has a camp, we’ve all had people in our life that we lean on. Who is advising him at this point? Football is so far away at the moment.”
The view was shared by former Essendon skipper Matthew Lloyd, who also questioned Thomas’ AFL future.
“To see them stand him down so quickly just makes me wonder — is this the final straw for Tarryn Thomas?” Lloyd told Footy Classified.
“They’re a new, young leadership group (led by co captains) Jy Simpkin and Luke McDonald and what I find — and I’ve been through this before at AFL clubs — is just the drain that one player can have on a team.
“Often you‘ll find that all your resources and all your energies are going towards a player who is probably the least professional at your football club.
“The other thing is, this isn‘t a $300-400,000 player, this is one of their most highly-paid players who hasn’t performed in a long time. He was well off his game last year and you could see something wasn’t right with the way he was — obviously he had some family concerns too.
“But I think the drain that he is becoming, he is becoming a major distraction.”
Lloyd called for the Roos to send Thomas back to the VFL permanently and to set him up more structure in his life.
“I’m talking not even train with the AFL,” the three-time Coleman medallist said.
“I‘d say go and train with Tom Lynch, who is the coach. Get a job, get a full-time job, work from 8am to 5.30 and then you start your training from 5.30 to 7.30.”
Thomas has played 57 AFL games since joining North Melbourne with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 National Draft.
Originally published as North Melbourne’s Thomas slammed for deleted tweet after fresh allegations
How Dees almost discarded backline ‘rock’
One of the AFLW’s rising stars thought she’d blown her chance at the top level but now holds the key to Melbourne’s finals hopes.
Geelong connection, mega trade: Inside Cats’ quest to secure Smith
Geelong’s attempts to lure Bailey Smith began well before this season. The Cats’ liss boss Andrew Mackie sheds light on how it unfolded and the drama of deadline day.