By Andrew Wu
St Kilda have ruled out recruiting former North Melbourne forward Tarryn Thomas, just days after a senior Saints recruiting figure had met with the suspended player.
The Saints’ announcement on Friday afternoon came hours after coach Ross Lyon refused to answer questions about the club’s interest in Thomas, instead referring to a statement that had yet to be released.
Former North Melbourne midfielder Tarryn Thomas.Credit: AFL Photos
The club had faced backlash from members this week after it had emerged Saints head of talent and acquisition Graeme Allan had met Thomas at a restaurant in Carlton on Tuesday.
Though highly talented, Thomas, 24, faces an uncertain football future after multiple acts of inappropriate behaviour towards a woman.
He was suspended for 18 games and sacked by the Kangaroos in February after the AFL’s integrity unit found he had “engaged in multiple acts of misconduct including threatening a woman via direct messages multiple times”.
In May, he was charged by police with using a telecommunications service to harass and for breaching a court order. A court hearing was set for November. The AFL banned him from playing at any level until the completion of that hearing.
Thomas must also demonstrate behavioural change and have further education to be eligible to join an AFL list, the league said again late on Friday.
“While we have communicated this several times already, to reiterate the AFL’s position and make it crystal clear - Tarryn Thomas is not eligible to play football or sign with any club. He is not eligible for the draft and he is not eligible to be recruited to a club,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said in a statement.
“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.
“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.″
Whatever happens, he will not be pulling on the red, white and black of the Saints.
“I wish to provide clarity on our club’s position regarding contact between a club employee and former North Melbourne player, Tarryn Thomas,” Saints chief Carl 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.”
Asked on Wednesday about Allan’s meeting with Thomas, the Saints told this masthead that “‘Gubby’ [Allan] has a lot of lunches with a lot of people as part of his role”, and did not comment about whether the club had interest in reigniting Thomas’ career.
The duo of Allan and Saints list manager Stephen Silvagni were the masterminds of building Greater Western Sydney’s list when the expansion club joined the league in 2012.
Finalists last year, the Saints have tumbled to 14th with a list that has a dearth of top-end talent in its prime. The club has won just one final since Lyon took them agonisingly close to what would have been a drought-breaking flag in 2010 during his first stint at Moorabbin.
Lyon was asked repeatedly about Thomas at his weekly media conference on Friday morning but said he had been instructed by the club not to comment on the matter.
“The club executive and the board will be releasing a statement this afternoon, so I won’t be making any comment on any aspect beyond that,” Lyon said.
“The club’s releasing a statement which will detail the club’s position.”
Pressed further, Lyon said he was here to talk about this weekend’s game against Richmond.
“I’m a servant of the club and that’s the exact instruction that I’ve been asked to execute on and that I’d adhere to, and I submit to the club’s needs.”