Former AFL footballer Tarryn Thomas is in more hot water.
Police are investigating fresh allegations about Thomas, who was let go by the North Melbourne Football Club in February.
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The Herald Sun has reported that police are looking into new allegations of harassment made by Thomas’s former partner.
No charges have been laid but police told News Corp they are investigating following “reports of harassing phone contact”.
“A report was made to police on April 11 and investigations into the incident remain ongoing,” a police spokesperson said.
It has been alleged that Thomas has once again been calling his ex-partner “day and night”.
Thomas, 24, has been out of the AFL system since the Kangaroos sacked him after he was suspended for 18 games by the league for threatening a woman and other misconduct.
He won’t be able to join another club until at least the end of the season and needs to pass another behavioural-change program before doing so.
Essendon coach Brad Scott recently indicated he would be prepared to throw a career lifeline to Thomas, whom he coached as a youngster at North Melbourne.
“As an industry, do we just wash our hands and say we’re done with him? Or do we help him? I’d prefer to sit in the help camp,” Scott said.
But — ahead of the AFL’s round where the clubs took a stand against gender-based violence — the comment was greeted with a mixed reaction.
Clubs, however, have been reportedly warned about handing Thomas a lifeline.
A leaked email — sent from North Melbourne chief executive Jennifer Watt to her other AFL counterparts — expressed concern about Thomas’s ability to rehabilitate.
“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,” the email said.
Geelong champion Jimmy Bartel said he would be “incredibly uncomfortable” with Thomas being given another chance to revive his AFL career.
Bartel, who is also on the GWS board, wasn’t convinced Thomas’s redemption needed to come via yet another opportunity at AFL level and indicated he leaned more towards a “zero tolerance” approach.
Bartel opened up in 2016 about the domestic violence his mother, he and his siblings suffered at the hands of his father.
He also grew a beard for that entire 2016 season to raise awareness of domestic violence.
“Personally, I feel very uncomfortable with it,” Bartel said.
“I get the whole premise of forgiveness and chances – he’s had a number of chances with his alleged behaviour, just tabling that.
“But at some stage there’s got to be a fork in the road because the forgiveness angle hasn’t worked, because the numbers are actually getting worse.
“I was part of a campaign, that was seven years ago, trying to very visually put the AFL as a leader saying no to domestic violence, starting conversations, parents with children. And we’re getting worse.”
He added of Thomas specifically: “At some stage the privilege has got to run out.
“… It’s a privilege to play AFL. It was a privilege to get multiple opportunities. And now you’re getting the privilege of being spoken about getting another lifeline?
“Throw your arms around him, support him, but you don’t have to do that at AFL level.”
– With AAP
