Police launch investigation into sacked footy star Tarryn Thomas for allegedly threatening his ex
- The 23-year-old was released by Kangaroos on February 22
- AFL discovered he had threatened a woman via direct messages
- Thomas received an 18-match suspension as a result
Tarryn Thomas is facing a police investigation after allegedly threatening his ex-partner, with the news following his dismissal by North Melbourne last week.
Police officers from the Prahran Family Violence Investigation Unit have spoken to a 23-year-old man from Ormond in Melbourne’s south-east.
Thomas’ suspension by the Kangaroos came after he was handed an 18-match ban for threatening a woman several times via direct messages.
“There is no excuse for the behavior or pain he caused a young woman,” AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said in a statement when the ban was made public.
Thomas (pictured) was on a contract estimated to be worth as much as $700,000 a year when he was fired by North Melbourne on February 22.
The AFL found Thomas had threatened a woman more than once via direct messages and handed him an 18-match ban.
“The fact that Tarryn chose to engage in conduct via direct messages that was and is clearly inappropriate, even while undergoing training and counseling regarding prior violations, contributed to the length of the suspension imposed.”
Thomas’ suspension runs until July 22 and he will not be allowed to play footy at any level until then.
North released the following statement after news of the ban broke: “North Melbourne has received a notification from the AFL that Tarryn Thomas has been found guilty of inappropriate conduct towards a female.
“As a result, and in light of previous indiscretions, the club has informed Thomas that he will no longer be a North Melbourne player.”
The club’s decision is not surprising in light of the series of off-field issues he has faced and the extremely poor return they have made on his contract, which is estimated to be worth between $600,000 and $700,000 per year .
Thomas has been under investigation since January, when new allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a woman were made against him via the AFL’s respect and responsibility portal.
The ex-Kangaroo avoided a criminal conviction for using a carriage service to harass someone when he appeared in court in July 2023
The 23-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the 2024 season, was terminated by the club twice last year, first in February and then in March, over concerns about his behavior towards women.
He completed a respect and responsibility education program and spent three weeks in the VFL before later earning a senior recall and eventually playing 12 AFL games last year.
In July 2023, Thomas left court without a criminal conviction 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.
Thomas was given a diversion, which meant he escaped a criminal conviction, and was ordered to pay $1,000 to charity.