Former North Melbourne footballer Tarryn Thomas facing fresh police investigation
By Alex Crowe
Former North Melbourne footballer Tarryn Thomas is facing fresh allegations he harassed a woman, after he was sacked earlier this year for similar behaviour.
Police are investigating after receiving reports from a woman last month that Thomas had harassed her via a mobile phone.
The woman reported the harassment to police on April 11, sparking the ongoing investigation.
“Police are investigating after reports of harassing phone contact... and investigations into the incident remain ongoing,” a police spokesperson said.
North Melbourne sacked Thomas in February after the AFL found he had threatened a woman in direct messages multiple times.
The club axed the 24-year-old the same day the league imposed an 18-match ban.
The AFL imposed the long ban after its integrity unit found Thomas “had engaged in multiple acts of misconduct including threatening a woman via direct messages multiple times”.
He had been contracted with the Kangaroos until the end of 2024.
On Wednesday The Age reported North Melbourne chief executive Jennifer Watt had written to her 17 club counterparts detailing the measures taken to change Thomas’ behaviour.
Thomas had completed four different behavioural programs before being sacked by the club once the league’s ban was announced.
Watt said finding support for Thomas had not been easy and the club supported the need for reform.
The recent allegations are the latest in a string of harassment claims against the young player, whose alleged misconduct lead to a suspension from North Melbourne in 2023.
Police charged Thomas over an Instagram message to his then-girlfriend in 2022. He 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.
With Sam McClure
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