Only after the AFL hit him with another soft penalty. 18 games for a serial offender who after being given multiple chance wasn't a tough penalty IMHO. But I'm sure there will be those who will defend him
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North sacks Thomas after he cops huge AFL banNorth Melbourne has sacked Tarryn Thomas after he was suspended by the AFL for 18 matches after a recent allegation of "inappropriate behaviour"
By Sophie Welsh
NORTH Melbourne has sacked Tarryn Thomas after he was suspended by the AFL for 18 matches after it found him guilty of inappropriate behaviour towards a woman.
He will be unable to participate in football matches at any level while he serves the suspension, which was handed down by the AFL on Thursday afternoon.
Subsequently, the Kangaroos informed Thomas he would no longer be a North Melbourne player.
Roos' CEO Jennifer Watt said the decision was made based on the recent finding and Thomas' prior indiscretions.
"The club has provided Tarryn with significant time, resources and support but we’ve now arrived at a point where the individual’s needs don’t match those of the club," Watt said.
"We know Tarryn needs help – for himself and for the women in his life – but it’s clear the path we’ve taken over the past 12 months hasn’t had the desired impact.
"To that end, we have made the decision to end Tarryn’s time at North Melbourne.
"This decision doesn’t come lightly or easily. We brought Tarryn to the club as a teenager and we acknowledge that he has faced complex and challenging circumstances over his life.
"We hope Tarryn will find the support that is right for him and that he does the work required to be the best version of himself.”
AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said Thomas' decision to send the offending messages while undertaking behavioural education program was a factor in the sanction.
"Tarryn’s conduct does not represent behaviours acceptable to anyone in our game or our community and his actions were not of a standard that the game or the public expect," Meade said.
"While we understand and are empathetic to the challenges Tarryn was facing in his personal life, there is no excuse for the behaviour or the hurt he caused a young woman, this is never okay.
"The fact that Tarryn chose to engage in behaviour over direct messages that was, and is, clearly inappropriate, even while he was undertaking education and being counselled for previous breaches contributed to the length of suspension imposed."
The 23-year-old had been training away from the footy club since the latest allegations came to hand.
Thomas was interviewed by the League's Integrity Unit last month following the allegation, and was previously stood down twice by the Kangaroos in 2023 amid concerns about his behaviour towards women.
Thomas escaped criminal conviction last July for threatening to distribute intimate videos of his former partner.
He was initially charged with threatening to distribute an intimate image of another person, but this was downgraded by prosecutors to using a carriage service to harass someone.
He was granted a diversion, which meant he escaped a criminal conviction, and was ordered to pay $1000 to charity.
He was put through a respect and responsibility education program and spent three weeks in the VFL last year before later earning a senior recall in round 12, ultimately playing 12 AFL games.
The midfielder, drafted at pick No.8 in the 2018 AFL Draft, played 69 games and kicked 56 goals in a career interrupted by injuries and off-field issues since his 2019 debut.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1077428/thomas-hit-with-18-match-suspension-for-inappropriate-behaviour
