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

[Devington]

Did he ever actually finish his courses? I can't even remember.

Yes, it's never been said that he refused to finish any of the courses that we, the AFL, or the courts assigned him.

 

[shinboner magic]

But DuckYeah Told me he was a scapegoat

 

[krakouers]

Country football then

 

[Makeshift Park]

Country football then

I mean, I don't know the guy personally, but I kinda find it hard to imagine him enduring a country life for a year to rehabilitate his public image.

IMO, its more likely he'll be a part-time coke dealer while attempting a public mea culpa and some ostentatious charity work. Get A Current Affair to do a monthly segment on him by paying off the production crew with aforesaid uppers. Could work a treat.

 

[giantroo]

Swans Decision on Tarryn Thomas Recruitment - Swan Districts FC

swandistrictsfc.com.au

 

[Themanbun]

I've said from the start that I hope he learns from his mistakes and becomes the best person he can be. There is no distinct formula for rehabilitation and being accepted by communities, it just takes time, resolve and atonement. I thought the Swan Districts message was really considered, and I liked that they pointed out how important acceptance is at some stage in the process. Although that acceptance might not ever be at the level he hopes for.

The state level leagues not progressing are important stress points in his rehabilitation, and will test his resolve. I hope, for his sake, that he doesn't let this deter him from his path of self improvement.

 

[Devington]

I've said from the start that I hope he learns from his mistakes and becomes the best person he can be. There is no distinct formula for rehabilitation and being accepted by communities, it just takes time, resolve and atonement. I thought the Swan Districts message was really considered, and I liked that they pointed out how important acceptance is at some stage in the process. Although that acceptance might not ever be at the level he hopes for.

The state level leagues not progressing are important stress points in his rehabilitation, and will test his resolve. I hope, for his sake, that he doesn't let this deter him from his path of self improvement.

I think it's just too soon for him to expect to be able to get into a second's level team. Everything is fresh, and there is so little time for there to be any evidence of him changing.

 

[Themanbun]

I think it's just too soon for him to expect to be able to get into a second's level team. Everything is fresh, and there is so little time for there to be any evidence of him changing.

I think you're right.

As an aside, one of the hardest things in rehabilitation is that the person doesn't ever really know when the time is right and when they've been accepted back into society's arms. No one gives them a badge or a stamp or anything that says "no longer doing bad things and no longer perceived by most to be that way". There can big milestones for some people, which obviously for him are footy related, but for many people there's a real sense of perceived social exclusion which just gradually wanes over time (and sometimes the perception can be bigger than reality), though the person may not ever feel fully comfortable again.

If he reads this, I would just implore him to keep up his journey and not let this get him off track. There's more to life than high level footy and he needs to accept that he might not ever get to the level he wants again, but he can't let that stop him from striving to improve.

 

[Luke72]

The Marty Sheargold incident yesterday proves how difficult it will be for someone like Tarryn to make it back to the big league. The backlash from any club that picks him up will be considerable I suspect.

Even our celebrity supporters are going poorly

 

[Luke72]

I think you're right.

As an aside, one of the hardest things in rehabilitation is that the person doesn't ever really know when the time is right and when they've been accepted back into society's arms. No one gives them a badge or a stamp or anything that says "no longer doing bad things and no longer perceived by most to be that way". There can big milestones for some people, which obviously for him are footy related, but for many people there's a real sense of perceived social exclusion which just gradually wanes over time (and sometimes the perception can be bigger than reality), though the person may not ever feel fully comfortable again.

If he reads this, I would just implore him to keep up his journey and not let this get him off track. There's more to life than high level footy and he needs to accept that he might not ever get to the level he wants again, but he can't let that stop him from striving to improve.

There will be large sections of society that will never forgive him, and footy crowds go pretty feral at the best of times so in the event he finds his way back he should expect the crowd will give him hell.

 

[Only Forwards]

I think it's just too soon for him to expect to be able to get into a second's level team. Everything is fresh, and there is so little time for there to be any evidence of him changing.

In order to work his way back onto an AFL list it is going to take more than his ample talent.

the reality is that he could absolutely cut it at the Bullants or Swan Districts based on his talent alone. In all likelihood if he played at either of these sides he would poll well in their BnFs, he'd be one of their most talented and important players. I mean the bloke could turn it on at AFL level so after some even decent conditioning work he would probably light it up at that level.

but none of that is what is stopping him.

He's persistently had outside of footy issues since prior to being drafted. He copped a suspension that not long ago and to the letter of the AFL law would have seen him deregistered. He had our clubs resources at his disposal and he shat in the face of us trying to help him learn to not be a c*** towards women.

Sizeable luggage he's carrying and they are clearly more the second highest leagues are willing to take on.

So to get back he needs to go to an even lower league (I am not using that in a disparaging way either, more a league that the benefit of having that talent can offset the bags he's carrying). at that level he needs to commit fully. be their
best player, be in superb shape and off field get his shit in order, get a job and volunteer probably be in therapy too.

Then at the end of the year look to step up to the WAFL/VFL/SANFL. Where he would need to continue all the off field stuff while continuing to be super committed on the field and the training track.

The sizable problem as I see it, is the level of commitment that is required to do all of the above is not something we have seen. Money (or at least living that insta life) seems to be a big motivator for him and a lot of what I have just said simply is not pretty, it is not gonna bring him a bunch of followers and it is not going to get him big income.

A problem so large I doubt he can overcome it.

 

[Devington]

In order to work his way back onto an AFL list it is going to take more than his ample talent.

the reality is that he could absolutely cut it at the Bullants or Swan Districts based on his talent alone. In all likelihood if he played at either of these sides he would poll well in their BnFs, he'd be one of their most talented and important players. I mean the bloke could turn it on at AFL level so after some even decent conditioning work he would probably light it up at that level.

but none of that is what is stopping him.

He's persistently had outside of footy issues since prior to being drafted. He copped a suspension that not long ago and to the letter of the AFL law would have seen him deregistered. He had our clubs resources at his disposal and he shat in the face of us trying to help him learn to not be a c*** towards women.

Sizeable luggage he's carrying and they are clearly more the second highest leagues are willing to take on.

So to get back he needs to go to an even lower league (I am not using that in a disparaging way either, more a league that the benefit of having that talent can offset the bags he's carrying). at that level he needs to commit fully. be their
best player, be in superb shape and off field get his shit in order, get a job and volunteer probably be in therapy too.

Then at the end of the year look to step up to the WAFL/VFL/SANFL. Where he would need to continue all the off field stuff while continuing to be super committed on the field and the training track.

The sizable problem as I see it, is the level of commitment that is required to do all of the above is not something we have seen. Money (or at least living that insta life) seems to be a big motivator for him and a lot of what I have just said simply is not pretty, it is not gonna bring him a bunch of followers and it is not going to get him big income.

A problem so large I doubt he can overcome it.

Pretty close to my thinking as well. Unless he has a real 'coming to jesus' moment about how he lives his life, I'm not sure he is currently made of the right stuff to put in so much effort for so little reward (and I don't simply mean money). I was more optimistic for him in the past, but I keep coming back to how he was calling his ex and breathing down the line to her... despite a court order against him and being in an AFL mandated course at the time. That wasn't a one time thing either, it was 20 odd times iirc.

I dunno. I don't know him or his situation. It just seems like there is some fundamental flaw he needs to resolve within himself before tackling a return to high league football should even be a goal.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

The state level leagues not progressing are important stress points in his rehabilitation, and will test his resolve. I hope, for his sake, that he doesn't let this deter him from his path of self improvement.

The issue throughout however, has been that there has been no real evidence he is on a path of self improvement.

Lip service at best, that was flushed down the toilet weeks later with new allegations and charges.

Needs to actually show regret and improvement, and rushing back towards playing footy ASAP isn't necessarily the best look IMO.

 

[Themanbun]

The issue throughout however, has been that there has been no real evidence he is on a path of self improvement.

Lip service at best, that was flushed down the toilet weeks later with new allegations and charges.

Needs to actually show regret and improvement, and rushing back towards playing footy ASAP isn't necessarily the best look IMO.

My commentary is more general in nature. I won't comment on what he has or hasn't done to redeem himself since the latest issue he had. None of us know if he's done heaps or done nothing to show regret and improvement.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Swans Decision on Tarryn Thomas Recruitment - Swan Districts FC

swandistrictsfc.com.au

Quickly running out of options at state league level.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

He's persistently had outside of footy issues since prior to being drafted. He copped a suspension that not long ago and to the letter of the AFL law would have seen him deregistered. He had our clubs resources at his disposal and he shat in the face of us trying to help him learn to not be a c*** towards women.

Nailed it. This is what hasn't been appreciated by the "everyone deserves a second chance" crew. He had, and blew, second, third, fourth and fifth chances.

I'm not saying he shouldn't be given yet another chance when the time is right, but it needs to be demonstrated that he has earned it.

 

[Luke72]

Nailed it. This is what hasn't been appreciated by the "everyone deserves a second chance" crew. He had, and blew, second, third, fourth and fifth chances.

I'm not saying he shouldn't be given yet another chance when the time is right, but it needs to be demonstrated that he has earned it.

I agree. I would be interested in what the path of redemption would possibly look like.

 

[Outtatym]

I agree. I would be interested in what the path of redemption would possibly look like.

Admitting fault would be a good start, I don't really feel he has tbh

 

[zoomba23]

Why does he deserve acceptance/recognition from any organisation as a person just doing his best? The 'actions have consequences' messaging to date hasn't exactly sunk in for him, and allowing him back just dismisses that messaging altogether.

The only way to force it into him is to lock him out from the thing he's best at. Prevent him from earning that bag he so adores. Look at him now, crawling from club to club, hoping someone gives him a lifeline. If he has an ounce of self-introspection, he might just now be starting to think, 'shit, maybe I did **** up, acting in that way.' Constant rejection is the only thing that'll show him. 'You behaved as you did, as a result you aren't getting shit from us.' You might say that that then leads to the possibility of him spiralling, with the crowd he hangs out with and his general lack of stability, and that's true. But he dug his own grave when he decided to continue treating women like shit, shitting on the club and all the work they did to rehabilitate him in the process.

He refused to learn the easy way. He gets to learn the hard way. Luckily for Tarryn, the hard way guarantees a final outcome in terms of its impact on the person involved. Unluckily for Tarryn, he might not be a resilient/introspective/strong/modest enough person for the hard way to improve him

 

[amaz199]

Very, very surprised he hasn't gone to any organisation or any volunteering program to offer support and perhaps, you know, become an ambassador for stopping domestic violence towards women but also stopping young men from falling into the same trap if they had a rough upbringing. It would be an incredible way to turn a horrific negative situation into a positive.

Shane Crawford (different context understandably) rode a bike to Perth for BCNA and also ran from Adelaide to Melbourne before that. Not saying Thomas should do the same but the public image currently is he's trying to bypass the difficulties of life and wants an easy way out.

I haven't seen him advocate for anything or admit he made critical and harmful mistakes that severely affected people's lives. Based on that, I dont think he has matured and definitely don't think he wants to change. If North couldn't get him right with one of the strongest community driven programs in the country, then he won't let it sink in anywhere else. Especially local footy.

 

[Dinkers]

People do realise TT favors velcro footwear as laces have in the past proven problematic.

Not everyone is gifted a safe environment to grow in, not making excuses, but gees not everyone is made the same.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Conundrum]

Geeze, thats horrible to happen to anyone. Having said that though, this sort of thing can only happen if you put yourself in a situation

 

[Colby2Sheez]

"car deal gone wrong"

Lol. Sure.

 

[Devington]

Drove hours away to sell his girlfriends car. Went with a friend and not her. Met with men at a pub at 9pm. Stayed for an hour. Then carjacked by them while driving to another location, demanded he sign over the car (It's not even his...) and hand over thousands of dollars (that they had on them...?) and later he retracted his police statement.

Bruh.


BRUH.