AFL 2024: St Kilda will not pursue Tarryn Thomas, says club boss

St Kilda has declared its position on recruiting banned former Kangaroo Tarryn Thomas after a bizarre Ross Lyon press conference.

Tarryn Thomas’s meeting with a St Kilda official has sparked backlash. Picture: Brendan Beckett

St Kilda has definitively ruled out the prospect of the club handing a lifeline to disgraced footballer Tarryn Thomas following two days of supporter backlash.

Hours after coach Ross Lyon refused to answer questions about St Kilda recruitment boss Graeme Allen’s meeting with Thomas and the Saints’ interest in the former Kangaroo, the club issued a statement declaring that “St Kilda will not be pursuing Tarryn Thomas”.

Saints chief executive Carl Dilena confirmed the meeting had taken place with the suspended footballer, but said the club had ruled out giving the former Kangaroo a second chance after “a course of due diligence”.

“I wish to provide clarity on our club’s position regarding contact between a club employee and former North Melbourne player, Tarryn Thomas,” Dilena said.

“The football department pursues a number of players, as it is our job to find the best talent to fit our team and club.

“Following a course of due diligence, I can confirm that St Kilda will not be pursuing Tarryn Thomas.”

St Kilda is poised to release a statement responding to its recruitment boss Graeme Allan’s meeting with former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas. Picture: Steve Bell / Getty Images

St Kilda confirmed to this masthead there had been no action taken against Allan for the meeting and he would continue to carry out his duties as head of talent and acquisition.

It came after Lyon attempted to distance himself from the meeting by refusing to answer questions in his weekly press conference.

Lyon repeatedly said he had been instructed not to comment on the meeting until the Saints had released their statement.

Thomas, 24, was sacked by North Melbourne in February after an AFL integrity unit investigation found several breaches of the players’ code of conduct.

The probe uncovered that Thomas had committed “multiple acts of misconduct including threatening a woman via direct messages multiple times”.

The 18-week suspension handed to Thomas in February has now elapsed, but the AFL has confirmed he is unable to train or sign for a new club until the league has ticked off on his return.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon released a further statement on Friday to “make it crystal clear” Thomas was not currently eligible for the national draft or to be signed by a new club.

St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena (pictured) has ruled out the Saints making a play for the deregistered Thomas. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images

“There is a pending court case in late November and in conjunction with demonstrated behavioural change and continued education a determination will be made post those legal proceedings on any potential eligibility, if any at all,” Dillon said.

“Thomas is currently undertaking a comprehensive education and behavioural change program that he will need to successfully complete and then over time consistently demonstrate a change of behaviour for any application on his behalf to even be considered, regardless of the court outcome later this year.”

Dozens of St Kilda supporters responded angrily to reports of the meeting on the club’s social media channels on Thursday, threatening to terminate their memberships if the club recruited Thomas.

Asked if he understood the anger from some sections of the club’s fanbase, Lyon referred back to the statement the club is yet to release.

“Yeah, look, I’m really here to talk about this weekend’s game. The club, to be fair, is releasing a statement – I’m a servant of the club, and that’s the exact instruction I’ve been asked to execute on and that I will adhere to,” Lyon said.

“I submit to the club’s needs … sorry (interrupting another question), I’m just a servant of the club. I’ve had a fair few pressers right, so I understand where you’re coming from, but on that topic, the statement’s all I’ve got for you today.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon refused to answer questions about the Saints’ apparent interest in Thomas. Picture: Josh Chadwick / Getty Images

“Really simply, you guys have already been informed of, the club executive and the board will be releasing a statement (on Friday afternoon) – I won’t be making any comment on any aspect beyond that.

“The club is releasing a statement, which will detail the club’s position.”

Lyon has played an active role in St Kilda’s list management in his second stint at the helm and met with Fremantle wingman Liam Henry last year to convince him to rejoin him at the Saints.

He was asked if he was shirking responsibility for the meeting with Thomas by not explaining his position on the former Kangaroo.

“That’s a really good question, but I’ll refer you back to that I’m a servant of the club and there’s a statement coming,” he said.

“I’m just going to come back again – we can volley all day, right? And my demeanour is not going to change, I’m a servant of the club, and I’m really here to talk about the Richmond game because we’re coming off a bad loss after being really good for a period of time.”