Geelong have not ruled out giving disgraced former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas a lifeline in the 2024 off-season, despite his previous acts of misconduct towards women.
Thomas is currently serving an 18-match ban for his misdemeanours, which prevents him from playing all football until the back end of July.
Discussion on a potential play for Thomas came from Cats football general manager Andrew Mackie, who spoke earlier in the week on SEN Radio before club coach Chris Scott followed suite on Thursday.
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“The (Tyson) Stengle story is much known – we look at the positives, and what their footy skillset can be to us and then we work backwards from there,” Mackie said when quizzed on Thomas.
“We do a lot of work on a lot of players, and we look at the positives and what their footy skillset can be to us and then we work backwards from there.”
Geelong picked up Stengle from off the scrap heap nine months after he was delisted by the Adelaide Crows for miscellaneous off-field discrepancies.
Within 12 months of his delisting, he had become an integral part of the Cats’ 2022 premiership team, kicking 53 goals and turning his once-detrimental attitude around.
Scott alluded to Stengle’s importance at the Geelong – despite previous wrongdoings – as food for thought when pondering Thomas’ potential revival at AFL level.
“I didn’t hear (Mackie’s remarks), but I would imagine that he’s talking about a player in a way that all of us who are spokespeople for the club would talk about any other player,” Scott explained.
“We believe in second chances – that doesn’t mean that you can just roll in and do whatever you want. But I think, in principle, the idea of not getting to know too quickly is a good one.”
Thomas was given multiple chances by his old club North Melbourne, before he was delisted in February of this year.
At the time of his sacking, club president Dr. Sonja Hood addressed Thomas’ behaviour in a letter to club members.
“Tarryn came back to the club midway through last year pledging to be better,” Dr. Hood said.
“We are all bitterly disappointed that he has relapsed, and he is now out of chances.”
The 24-year-old played 69 matches at the Kangaroos and kicked 56 goals before his time at the club came to an end.