Ralph: The question is how, not if, North Melbourne rids themselves of Tarryn Thomas

The writing is on the wall, according to JON RALPH: Tarryn Thomas and North Melbourne are through. The only question now is how he and the club go about parting ways.

Tarryn Thomas leaves AFL House in January after being interviewed by the integrity commission. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Arden Street seems certain to be a Tarryn Thomas-free zone next year.

As North Melbourne continues the cultural overhaul it believes will set its premiership foundations, Thomas will not be part of the club’s medium-term future.

The only real query, as the Kangaroos await an official penalty that will wipe out most of his 2024 season, is the exact manner of Thomas’ departure from the club.

Will the terms of that suspension give the Roos just cause to terminate his contract and save them a significant sum in their salary cap for 2024?

Or does he remain on the club’s list while being paid through his suspension, with the possibility the Roos might extract some meagre trade collateral in the October meat market?

All those scenarios lie ahead for North Melbourne, in an era when simply sacking a player is not so easy, given his rights under the collective bargaining agreement.

But what has become clear is that North Melbourne has drawn a line in the sand.

Too many chances, too many opportunities to make good have been ignored.

As the Herald Sun reported last week, the Roos have braced for a lengthy suspension for some time now.

Tarryn Thomas leaves AFL House in January after being interviewed by the integrity commission. Picture: Brendan Beckett

The AFL said on Monday that an 18-week penalty had not been agreed as part of the integrity department process that is ongoing – and the Roos were still awaiting league guidance.

But as part of the well-worn method of punishment meted out by the AFL, almost every suspension is through negotiation or horse-trading.

So as much as North Melbourne says it is not aware of the exact allegations or punishment ahead, it would be the first club to be totally blindsided by an impending ban.

The AFL believes the latest allegations are serious enough to come down hard on Thomas, and if the eventual penalty isn’t 18 weeks, it will be close enough to end his season in any capacity.

Sacking a player given their rights under AFL rules is an incredibly complex situation.

The current allegation against Thomas is not believed to have involved a police complaint, and he escaped conviction after charges were downgraded last year.

Thomas is also due about eight months’ salary of a contract of between $600,000-$700,000 for 2024. So the Roos will have to weigh Thomas’ rights with removing a significant distraction to an entire football club.

The question for the Roos is whether they might have traded him last year when clubs, including Essendon, were interested enough to at least inquire about his services.

AFL clubs have always been seduced by talent – and no doubt one will present to give him another chance in 2025 – but Thomas and North Melbourne breaking up is now inevitable.

Originally published as Ralph: The question is how, not if, North Melbourne rids themselves of Tarryn Thomas