Tarryn Thomas will honour final year of North Melbourne deal

Alastair Clarkson and North Melbourne will breathe a sigh of relief, with one of their best players in the back half of the 2023 season opting to stay despite whispers of a move elsewhere.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 12: Alastair Clarkson, Senior Coach of the Kangaroos speaks with Tarryn Thomas during the 2023 AFL Round 22 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Essendon Bombers at Marvel Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

North Melbourne midfielder Tarryn Thomas has pledged he will honour the final season of his contract at Arden Street despite strong interest from rival clubs.

The Herald Sun can reveal Thomas’ manager Ben Williams told the Roos over the weekend his client was determined to see out his contract at the Roos.

North Melbourne has stood by Thomas despite allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women over the past 12 months.

Thomas twice spent time away from the Roos as he worked on a respectful behaviour and education program as he dealt with the allegations.

In July he walked free from court without conviction after paying $1000 to charity when a charge of threatening to distribute an intimate image of another person was downgraded by prosecutors to using a carriage service to harass someone.

Williams confirmed to the Herald Sun he had made contact with the Roos to confirm Thomas was keen to fulfil his contract to the end of 2024.

Tarryn Thomas will remain at North Melbourne. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

It had been reported last week Essendon had met with Thomas to gauge his interest.

Sydney would have been another interested party because his mother lives in the Harbour City.

It avoids another disastrous trade period where the Roos lost a high-calibre player, 12 months on from North Melbourne trading No. 1 overall pick Jason Horne-Francis to Port Adelaide.

The Roos did well out of that trade – securing star Victorian pair Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw.

But clubs would have tried to hand the Roos later selections for Thomas despite their investment in him and rare talent as a top-10 draft pick.

It will give the Roos another year to bed down their improvement as Thomas continues his education and lifts his professionalism as an AFL player.

In an ideal world he would sign a new deal midway through next season but if not the Roos will still have the option of trading him for a greater windfall.

Thomas worked part-time in a cleaning service for an Aboriginal start-up during his time away from the Roos before returning at VFL level.

Thomas was a key player in the back half of 2023 for the Kangaroos. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Champion Data rated Thomas as one of the league’s top-10 players in the last month of the season, with Thomas amassing 25 possessions and kicking two goals in the round 23 clash against Richmond.

The Roos will have their official submission for draft assistance considered by the AFL commission in Grand Final week.

The Roos are after a range of advantages that could include more soft cap room for development, more list spots, and access to indigenous talent Ryley Sanders.

Sanders has proved his indigenous heritage after spending some time working with Roos NGA coaches but would need the AFL to bend its rules to be linked to North Melbourne.

Victorian clubs are not allowed to bid on their NGA talent within the first 40 picks of the November 20 national draft so the Roos would have to be given access to him as a pre-listed talent.

Originally published as Tarryn Thomas will honour final year of North Melbourne deal