Past #26: Tarryn Thomas [Part III] - [C.Twomey] AFL rules TT is eligible to play in all competitions as of 14 October

[justroyal]

Yikes. An email? Who’s direction was it to send that and do it via email?

 

[blackshadow]

TT ain’t coming back.

 

[LETSGOKANGAS]

TT ain’t coming back.

If he generates $$, clicks and views he'll be straight in.

AFL is a hypocritical joke.

 

[Bowski]

Yikes. An email? Who’s direction was it to send that and do it via email?

Not having a dig but did you read the article? It was in response to an email from Don Pyke to all CEO's in the league.

Contextually appropriate.

I have mixed feelings on this one.

While it's nice to finally have an article that isn't shitting on North it is a woman having something shared against her will, an irony undoubtedly lost on that worm McClure.

 

[justroyal]

Not having a dig but did you read the article? It was in response to an email from Don Pyke to all CEO's in the league.

Contextually appropriate.

I have mixed feelings on this one.

While it's nice to finally have an article that isn't shitting on North it is a woman having something shared against her will, an irony undoubtedly lost on that worm McClure.

I think it’s more about the specifics I’m trying to wrap my head around. More so, in response to Pyke, is laying out the work/programs you set out for tt appropriate, via email?

I’m not supporting or criticising anyone here, but to go into detail and bring him up, could that possibly seem like character assassination? (Not like there’s much there)
Almost a hit job?

 

[Bowski]

I think it’s more about the specifics I’m trying to wrap my head around. More so, in response to Pyke, is laying out the work/programs you set out for tt appropriate, via email?

I’m not supporting or criticising anyone here, but to go into detail and bring him up, could that possibly seem like character assassination? (Not like there’s much there)
Almost a hit job?

Ah I see what you mean now.

It could certainly be seen that way, but I take it in what I believe was the spirit intended. Using a recent, relevant example to highlight the depth of the issue with select colleagues.

Now that it's public, it certainly a (well-deserved) fair whack to Thomas even if that wasn't the original intent.

 

[big_e]

I think it’s more about the specifics I’m trying to wrap my head around. More so, in response to Pyke, is laying out the work/programs you set out for tt appropriate, via email?

I’m not supporting or criticising anyone here, but to go into detail and bring him up, could that possibly seem like character assassination? (Not like there’s much there)
Almost a hit job?

Not criticising anyone, but suggesting the email is inappropriate, character assassination and a hit job.

I'd hate to see you when you were being critical.

 

[travelli]

Not having a dig but did you read the article? It was in response to an email from Don Pyke to all CEO's in the league.

Contextually appropriate.

I have mixed feelings on this one.

While it's nice to finally have an article that isn't shitting on North it is a woman having something shared against her will, an irony undoubtedly lost on that worm McClure.

Does anyone have the full article?

 

[giantroo]

 

[lockheed]

Thank you GR. It gives us more information regarding how much North tried to help Tarryn and how uninterested he was in changing his behaviour.

And the leak of the email has had the advantages of restoring the club's reputation on this subject, making it more difficult for Tarryn to waltz into another club next year and for the media to spin a simple North had no idea / Tarryn redemption story.

Well done Jen.

 

[giantroo]

Does anyone have the full article?

theage.com.au

Roos unable to ‘meaningfully change’ Tarryn Thomas’ behaviour: CEO’s email to rival clubs​

Sam McClure

6–7 minutes

An email sent by North Melbourne chief executive Jennifer Watt to her 17 club counterparts about sacked player Tarryn Thomas has laid bare the club’s frustration over their repeated attempts to rehabilitate him.

In the email sent on May 1, and seen by this masthead, Watt said the Kangaroos had been unable to change Thomas’ behaviour. Thomas, who was banned for 18 matches by the AFL for inappropriate behaviour towards women, had completed four different behavioural programs before being sacked by the club once the league’s ban was announced.

Former North Melbourne midfielder Tarryn Thomas at a training session at Arden Street last year.Credit: AFL Photos

The email was addressed to West Coast CEO Don Pyke, who wrote to the AFL last week to urge the league to take a united stand against the prevalence of gender-based violence, amid growing community outrage about the killing of women in 2024; a woman has been killed violently on average every four days.

Watt wrote to Pyke and the other club chiefs to express her gratitude for Pyke’s leadership on the issue of violence against women.

“[North Melbourne president] Sonja [Hood] and I have been talking a lot about this, especially in light of the recent challenges we faced with Tarryn Thomas,” Watt wrote in the email.

“We were struck by just how hard it was to find programs to support behaviour change. And this was for someone with considerable resources and support around them.

“We eventually found a combination of programs for Tarryn. Even though Tarryn ended up completing four different programs which included an extensive combination of education, therapy and participation-style programs, we were not able to meaningfully change his behaviour.”

Watt said there was a “need for broad reform” and North Melbourne would “support an industry initiative”.

​

Watt and Thomas’ manager, Ben Williams, declined to comment when contacted on Wednesday.

Thomas, 24, has to complete another education course at his own expense before the league will consider allowing him to be registered to play again, but he cannot return to the AFL in 2024 due to the timing of his suspension.

Thomas was suspended by North Melbourne in 2023 and charged by police over his Instagram message to his then-girlfriend in 2022 during an argument, asserting he had distributed intimate videos of the two of them. Thomas was initially charged with threatening to distribute an intimate image, which was later dropped and replaced with a charge of using a carriage service to harass. That charge was discontinued on the condition that Thomas make a $1000 donation to the court fund.

Related Article​

Police have not charged Thomas for any of the subsequent incidents from 2024 that led to his AFL suspension. An AFL integrity unit investigation had found that Thomas “engaged in multiple acts of misconduct including threatening a woman via direct messages multiple times”.

Pyke received immediate backing from large sections of the football industry for his suggestion that the AFL take a united stand against the prevalence of gender-based violence.

“I’m not suggesting we’ve got all the answers,” Pyke said of the AFL and the clubs. “We’ve got to be part of the solution.

“The numbers are quite staggering when you look at them.”

Three club chief executives, who declined to speak publicly due to the sensitive nature of the issues, said they were surprised that Watt had referred to Thomas in her response after Pyke had written about violence against women in broad terms.


The AFL did not mention Thomas last week when it announced a league-wide stand on violence against women, in which players, coaches and umpires formed a circle for a minute’s silence before all nine games in round eight. Senior coaches also read a statement before their respective post-match media conferences.

Watt’s email came less than a month after comments by Geelong coach Chris Scott who, when asked about Thomas, said the club was “open-minded” about the recruitment of any player.

Chris’ brother, former North Melbourne and now Essendon coach Brad Scott, was criticised last week when he spoke about Thomas, having coached him at the Kangaroos.

“The reality is that there are people from privileged backgrounds who have had every opportunity in life, and there are others who haven’t,” Scott said.

“People will make mistakes and as a leader, as a coach and as a parent, the responsibility is to have people learn from those mistakes. And they will make mistakes at different stages, and we’ve got to lead by example.

“In Tarryn’s case, my view is one of support.”

Jimmy Bartel says he feels apprehensive with the prospect of former Kangaroo Tarryn Thomas re-entering the AFL next year.

Former Geelong champion Jimmy Bartel, who has previously spoken of harrowing ordeals he witnessed as a child, spoke passionately about Thomas and violence more broadly when asked about it on Footy Classified last week.

“So I get your premise of, the AFL, we can lead the charge, we can rehabilitate, we can be a leader in this space,” Bartel said.

“But this whole, forgiveness, try again, try again, is not working. So at some stage, what happened in the past ... we’ve actually got to go a bit more of a different direction. I lean a bit towards more zero tolerance than others because that’s personal to me.

“I’m open to all discussions, but I feel incredibly uncomfortable that we’re gonna have players arm-in-arm, another woman dies ... I just find it very hard.”

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

 

[giantroo]

 

[justroyal]

Not criticising anyone, but suggesting the email is inappropriate, character assassination and a hit job.

I'd hate to see you when you were being critical.

Man stfu. The person I was responding to didn’t see it that way. I was questioning what the motive was by going into specifics. Is that ok? I don’t think any of that was unreasonable.
Was it to keep Tarryn out of the game for an extending period until he can show improvement? Maybe, and good.
Was it used as a warning to clubs that he is incapable of learning? Perhaps.
Just trying to rationale with the goal of it.

 

[Cyber_punk]

Posted on * board and asked for comments.

Deleted instantly.

I think they are starting to accept Scott is gonna make a play.

 

[Hojuman]

Posted on * board and asked for comments.

Deleted instantly.

I think they are starting to accept Scott is gonna make a play.

Of course he is. But if he does they might have 50% of their members cancelling their memberships. Hasn't read the room 'ol Bard.

 

[koshari]

Does anyone have the full article?

17 other CEOs?

 

[disco_cowboy]

 

[disco_cowboy]

surely that's it.

 

[blackshadow]

I don’t have paywall access but this indicates that TT hasn’t learned a thing. I doubt any AFL club will touch him.

 

[Ligma]

so predictable

 

[Dan]

A leopard and it’s spots.

 

[Disco Dew]

I’m shocked.



Narrator: he was not shocked

 

[giantroo]

 

[giantroo]

 

[Sphynx]

Absolute imbicile.

The idiot is still AFL listed and Williams is trying to negotiate his settlement.

Might make North and the AFL’s settlement extremely easy if it’s proven and grounds for termination.

Should also result in deregistration