Past #26: Tarryn Thomas [Part III] - 18 week suspension confirmed; ineligible to play in '24 season; NMFC has officially sacked Tarryn.

[QueenslandRoo]

Not just players of course. The tipping point, more or less, for Clarko last year was when the female journalist pestered him about TT and he snapped back with a regrettable response. But no distraction.

Er, Clarko was kinda distracted by a few other things last year.

 

[Devington]

I wonder how much information about what he actually has done will be available to the general public. I am not defending him, as he clearly does have issues, especially given how little is known about the incident, but I will say that 18 weeks is a very heavy suspension for a mysterious act that's apparently not worthy of police attention.

It may well be worthy of police attention, but the woman chose not to go down that path.

 

[blackshadow]

The "Thomas is becoming a distraction" line is a common assertion, but I don't believe it for a moment.

I can believe it.

It won't be front and centre in other players' minds but I'd be surprised if each of them don't give some thought along the lines of I'm working hard to meet standards but they see TT being extremely well-paid and is repeatedly not meeting standards - the type of behaviour where an individual repeatedly doesn't meet standards and is being extremely well-paid fosters resentment. It's natural human nature.

 

[gokangas]

I can believe it.

It won't be front and centre in other players' minds but I'd be surprised if each of them don't give some thought along the lines of I'm working hard to meet standards but they see TT being extremely well-paid andd lot and is repeatedly not meeting standards - the type of behaviour where an individual repeatedly doesn't meet standards and is being extremely well-paid fosters resentment. It's natural human nature.

Agree. It's just a drain for the club to have this negativity constantly popping up. Has to be affecting the players and club generally. Look how the media yesterday was doorstopping our players asking them to comment on TT.
I hear TT isn't in a good headspace so I hope he is getting plenty of support.

 

[Event Horizon]

It may well be worthy of police attention, but the woman chose not to go down that path.

I am sorry but I don't buy this. So AFL will now act as some shadow justice system? What's next? People report drink driving directly to the AFL? Drug use?

AFL shouldn't be in this position. If the matter is worthy of police attention, the AFL should pass the information to police, or better still don't even try to fill this space in the first place.

 

[DesertRoo]

I was just thinking earlier this morning about how much his success must mean to his mob, how proud they must be.

Even if he never steps out on a footy field again, ya just hope his life doesn't turn out like his brother's.

I know we're just a footy club, but the decision to cut him loose is bigger than Tarryn and footy.

Its a bloody conundrum mate.

When you know, you know…

 

[Tiberius]

There is a monster white rabbit that roams freely in the yard of someone down the road from us. This thing would easily take on a small dog or cat.

That's no ordinary rabbit! Death awaits you all with nasty big pointy teeth.

 

[Roosurgence]

It may well be worthy of police attention, but the woman chose not to go down that path.

Which brings up the question…… what is the motivation?

Is the motivation to make herself feel safe or is the motivation to ruin someone’s career?

You do the math.

I don’t know about other people, but if I felt in anyway intimidated or threatened then the police are involved.

Im not saying Thomas isn’t a dick and a pretty average human being, but I do also question what is the motive here?

It’s a slippery slope when an employer starts getting involved in something that is very much a personal matter. Are they now going to interject every time an AFL player goes through a bad breakup?

Again not defending Thomas here, but questioning the involvement of the AFL and how they have become judge, jury and executioner in a private matter between two individuals.

 

[SonofSamsquanch]

That's no ordinary rabbit! Death awaits you all with nasty big pointy teeth.

Run away!

 

[Shermanator]

I am sorry but I don't buy this. So AFL will now act as some shadow justice system? What's next? People report drink driving directly to the AFL? Drug use?

AFL shouldn't be in this position. If the matter is worthy of police attention, the AFL should pass the information to police, or better still don't even try to fill this space in the first place.

As Bono once said.. the AFL does move in mysterious ways, gee, they even gave the *scum the number 1 draft pick after committing the biggest drug cheating campaign in the history of sport..

 

[Devington]

Which brings up the question…… what is the motivation?

Is the motivation to make herself feel safe or is the motivation to ruin someone’s career?

You do the math.

I don’t know about other people, but if I felt in anyway intimidated or threatened then the police are involved.

Im not saying Thomas isn’t a dick and a pretty average human being, but I do also question what is the motive here?

Could be petty vengeance, could be wanting some form of justice while not having to go through the pressures of a criminal case, could be she doesn't want him to go to jail but just pull his head in. IDK, heaps of reasons.

Her motive doesn't particularly matter to me (so long as the allegations stand up, which I suspect is a relatively safe assumption.) It's just a sideshow. His conduct is where the question lies.

 

[Roosurgence]

Could be petty vengeance, could be wanting some form of justice while not having to go through the pressures of a criminal case, could be she doesn't want him to go to jail but just pull his head in. IDK, heaps of reasons.

Her motive doesn't particularly matter to me (so long as the allegations stand up, which I suspect is a relatively safe assumption.) It's just a sideshow. His conduct is where the question lies.

It would want to be some pretty serious conduct to impact the career of an individual.

If this is nothing more that a bad breakup where he has acted like an utter tool then the AFL should not even be involved.

 

[Devington]

It would want to be some pretty serious conduct to impact the career of an individual.

If this is nothing more that a bad breakup where he has acted like an utter tool then the AFL should not even be involved.

Well he shouldn't have signed a contract with the AFL then if he didn't want his conduct outside of work hours to impact his employment.

He's a public facing employee for an employer that markets to every demographic, works prolifically with women and children, and gets oooooodles of government money. He's not some unknown construction worker or something.

 

[danj]

There is a monster white rabbit that roams freely in the yard of someone down the road from us. This thing would easily take on a small dog or cat.

There’s also a monster white rabbit who regularly plays electric guitar outside southern cross station, I doubt you could fit it into a pie dish though

 

[apollo_creed]

And there we have it…looking in hindsight according to Ralphy we probably should have offloaded to clubs in trade…I love how he says clubs including Essendon inquired….which makes me think it’s total bs and dons were the only one… but now because we held onto him we are stuffed …and have bugger all hope of anything if we hang on and look at a trade this year….

But if we did do the rumoured trade with * you can guarantee that we’d probably be paying a significant part of the contract ….and the media would be taking pot shots at our inability to look after said player or how well * screwed us to pay up…despite what we have done….

but low and behold this was the bit that caught my eye…. AFL CLUBS have always been seduced by talent and no doubt one will present to give him another chance in 2025…..( on a bargain basement wage too l bet…with media lauding how wise they are with spending less then the wasteful Roos and how awesome they are backing in their club culture..)

makes me want to throw a typewriter at the wall with this small snippet …..couldn’t give a rats about the many hours / resources/ necks on the line that our club has expended….just roll up and sign and back in your culture.

We‘re damed if we do or don’t……the fact he’s placed that in his article encouraging a club to pick him up if we part ways is infuriating…..and to top it off the nuff nuffs on x are already spouting garbage about other club cultures compared to ours…conveniently ignoring what we have done…….



As the saying goes when it rains it pours…..regardless of what the club has done ….sigh…..

Yeah that’s pathetic. Every club has issues with poor player behaviour outside of football. Absolutely on the individual.
Idiots like that aren’t worth worrying about.

 

[King Corey]

Regardless of Tarryn's outcome, what is the reason Marlion Pickett

50

Marlion Pickett

Age

32

Ht

184cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

7.5

3star

HB

5.5

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.3

5star

CL

1.5

4star

D

11.7

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

5.0

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.6

4star

CL

1.3

4star

D

12.8

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

5star

CL

1.6

4star

isn't being stood down pending trial, under AFL investigation or being discussed for deregistration?

Is it as simple as an outright criminal matter is out of AFL (and the suddenly ethical media it seems) hands, but questionable conduct around the edges allows the AFL and media carte Blanche should they choose?

 

[speedy]

harassing someone with a carriage service is abuse, and IS DV.

AND IT WAS DROPPED. NOT CONVICTED OF DV.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Marlion Pickett isn't being stood down pending trial, under AFL investigation or being discussed for deregistration?

Why would the AFL run a parallel investigation to the criminal court?

And what would the point of discussing deregistration be, if we don't know whether the court will find him innocent?

I think there's certainly merit in a broader discussion about introducing a no-fault stand down policy like the NRL.

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

Well he shouldn't have signed a contract with the AFL then if he didn't want his conduct outside of work hours to impact his employment.

He's a public facing employee for an employer that markets to every demographic, works prolifically with women and children, and gets oooooodles of government money. He's not some unknown construction worker or something.

So you’re saying it’s the optics of the situation that will ultimately be TT downfall because it will cost the AFl money . Shame he just didn’t get into robbery and burglary he would have been fine to play this week.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Regardless of Tarryn's outcome, what is the reason Marlion Pickett isn't being stood down pending trial, under AFL investigation or being discussed for deregistration?

Is it as simple as an outright criminal matter is out of AFL (and the suddenly ethical media it seems) hands, but questionable conduct around the edges allows the AFL and media carte Blanche should they choose?

You have hit the nail on the cranium.

This is obviously a case of managing the ‘perception’ of what he’s supposed to have done.

 

[Merlin007]

Regardless of Tarryn's outcome, what is the reason Marlion Pickett isn't being stood down pending trial, under AFL investigation or being discussed for deregistration?

Is it as simple as an outright criminal matter is out of AFL (and the suddenly ethical media it seems) hands, but questionable conduct around the edges allows the AFL and media carte Blanche should they choose?

The reason is that the AFL does not have a 'no fault stand down' policy like that used by the NRL, hence Pickett, while facing court charges, is not being pursued by the AFL integrity unit (who would be accused of interfering with a criminal matter if they did take it up).

I've posted elsewhere this is a gap in the AFL policy framework, and should be filled to avoid situations where Pickett is at work (while a court matter is determined) and Thomas is suspended (while a disciplinary process under an employment policy is conducted).

There's certainly a problem here (but it doesn't exonerate Thomas who is being dealt with appropriately on employment grounds)

 

[King Corey]

Why would the AFL run a parallel investigation to the criminal court?

And what would the point of discussing deregistration be, if we don't know whether the court will find him innocent?

I think there's certainly merit in a broader discussion about introducing a no-fault stand down policy like the NRL.

It's an odd world where actual defined criminal charges earn you fairer public treatment than publicly unspecified allegations.

 

[Sillygit]

Which brings up the question…… what is the motivation?

Is the motivation to make herself feel safe or is the motivation to ruin someone’s career?

You do the math.

I don’t know about other people, but if I felt in anyway intimidated or threatened then the police are involved.

Im not saying Thomas isn’t a dick and a pretty average human being, but I do also question what is the motive here?

It’s a slippery slope when an employer starts getting involved in something that is very much a personal matter. Are they now going to interject every time an AFL player goes through a bad breakup?

Again not defending Thomas here, but questioning the involvement of the AFL and how they have become judge, jury and executioner in a private matter between two individuals.

i mean if you really want to go down that line of thought:

Murder victim Kelly Wilkinson repeatedly visited police in fear. They said she was ‘cop shopping’

Exclusive: Family calls for inquest, saying Wilkinson visited police ‘almost every day’ before she was murdered by her husband in 2021

www.theguardian.com

now, this isn't anywhere near the same level of physical violence, or tragic end, but it absolutely is inidicative of the police response to abuse, domestic abuse. if they aren't even responding to someone WITH a DVO and who ended up murdered, what chance does anyone at any lower level have?

" Official police notes say she was “cop shopping”.

"One day that month, Wilkinson was turned away from the Southport police station on the Gold Coast. Her family says she was told at the station counter there was no one available who could help with a domestic violence matter."

"one officer told her to basically go away and don’t come back and just come into the station once a week because you’re coming in too often to report breaches"

if anyone thinks this is just a one off and not indicative of the standard police response to DV, well i dunno what to tell ya

 

[Makeshift Park]

It's an odd world where actual defined criminal charges earn you fairer public treatment than publicly unspecified allegations.

For all we know, if TT's victim went to the police instead of the AFL, he could have been charged with using a carriage service to menace or harrass.

Obviously if you prejudice a court case, or get found guilty of contempt of court, you're in real trouble.

No such issue when it comes to an AFL investigation.

 

[blackshadow]

That's no ordinary rabbit! Death awaits you all with nasty big pointy teeth.

Break out the Holy Hand Grenade!

For some reason that reminds me of this horror classic....