SA Footy

Booney wrote:Horne-Francis wasn't under police investigation. He didn't lose his license, he didn't drive without a license, and wasn't arrested or charged with a crime. He missed an ice bath. He was homesick and he played like a frustrated teenager at a poor football club.

I expected a strong public response from president Sonja Hood and new CEO Jennifer Watt, which sends a message that this kind of behaviour and treatment of women won't be tolerated.

Lol, this is the very reason the club won’t make any further comment at the moment. He is under investigation by the police & the AFL integrity unit. Pretty simple stuff I’d have thought. He hasn’t been found guilty as of yet. If he is I’d expect the club to sanction him & then the president would denounce his actions. Cornes’ growing obsession with North & especially Hood is starting to mirror Caro’s with Brayshaw back in the day. And we all know how that ended…

Spargo wrote:

Booney wrote:Horne-Francis wasn't under police investigation. He didn't lose his license, he didn't drive without a license, and wasn't arrested or charged with a crime. He missed an ice bath. He was homesick and he played like a frustrated teenager at a poor football club.

I expected a strong public response from president Sonja Hood and new CEO Jennifer Watt, which sends a message that this kind of behaviour and treatment of women won't be tolerated.

Lol, this is the very reason the club won’t make any further comment at the moment. He is under investigation by the police & the AFL integrity unit. Pretty simple stuff I’d have thought. He hasn’t been found guilty as of yet. If he is I’d expect the club to sanction him & then the president would denounce his actions. Cornes’ growing obsession with North & especially Hood is starting to mirror Caro’s with Brayshaw back in the day. And we all know how that ended…

It's a tried and true playbook under the CrocMedia banner...block. Ignore.

Or perhaps instead of it being hypocricy, instead NM have learned from their mistakes when it came to JHF and are now trying to support their players rather than hang them out to dry and losing them.

The hang JFH out to dry, everyone hates on them.
So then they support their player who hasn't been found guilty yet, and people hate on them again.

Some people just want to complain it seems.

Spargo wrote:

Booney wrote:Horne-Francis wasn't under police investigation. He didn't lose his license, he didn't drive without a license, and wasn't arrested or charged with a crime. He missed an ice bath. He was homesick and he played like a frustrated teenager at a poor football club.

I expected a strong public response from president Sonja Hood and new CEO Jennifer Watt, which sends a message that this kind of behaviour and treatment of women won't be tolerated.

Lol, this is the very reason the club won’t make any further comment at the moment. He is under investigation by the police & the AFL integrity unit. Pretty simple stuff I’d have thought. He hasn’t been found guilty as of yet. If he is I’d expect the club to sanction him & then the president would denounce his actions. Cornes’ growing obsession with North & especially Hood is starting to mirror Caro’s with Brayshaw back in the day. And we all know how that ended…

Stop making sense!

Dutchy wrote:

Spargo wrote:

Booney wrote:Horne-Francis wasn't under police investigation. He didn't lose his license, he didn't drive without a license, and wasn't arrested or charged with a crime. He missed an ice bath. He was homesick and he played like a frustrated teenager at a poor football club.

I expected a strong public response from president Sonja Hood and new CEO Jennifer Watt, which sends a message that this kind of behaviour and treatment of women won't be tolerated.

Lol, this is the very reason the club won’t make any further comment at the moment. He is under investigation by the police & the AFL integrity unit. Pretty simple stuff I’d have thought. He hasn’t been found guilty as of yet. If he is I’d expect the club to sanction him & then the president would denounce his actions. Cornes’ growing obsession with North & especially Hood is starting to mirror Caro’s with Brayshaw back in the day. And we all know how that ended…

Stop making sense!

all I take out of this, North are a poor football club, Port are a better football club.

Yep

North Melbourne president Dr Sonja Hood has penned a letter to the club’s members and fans just hours after disturbing allegations against Tarryn Thomas, pledging to support the rising star.

Thomas has been charged with a single count of threatening to distribute an intimate image, but the Herald Sun reports “multiple women” have stepped forward with damning allegations.

Dr Hood described the allegations against Thomas as “serious” and “confronting”, but confirmed the club was standing by the 22-year-old while his court case is heard.


“We take any allegation of threats of violence against women extremely seriously. Respect of all people is fundamental to our club values,” she wrote.

“Should any further investigation arise from new information passed on to the AFL or the police, the club and Tarryn will co-operate fully, as we did in the wake of those initial allegations.

“It’s also important to acknowledge that Tarryn is still to face a matter before the courts.

“Subject to any further investigations, the club will await the outcome of the court proceedings before confirming our next course of action.

“Finally, I know that this issue is challenging and confronting, and the club acknowledges the impact people will be feeling across the community by reading the media today. We are committed to supporting our people through this time and I want to reiterate that our whole club understands the significance of this matter.”

Last October it was revealed Thomas was the subject of a police investigation for alleged harassing and intimidating behaviour.

In January, Victoria Police confirmed the North young gun had been officially charged.

Now the Herald Sun has published an extensive article detailing more allegations from women provided to the AFL integrity unit.

A flurry of texts allegedly read: “You’re a f**king joke … keep talking sh*t … sh*t going to come around soon … your turn will come … sh*t is going to go down … I’m not a n**** to be f**ked with.”

Another woman sent a text to friends last year that read: “I’m too scared … i know he’s (Thomas) gonna kill me.”

Dr Hood said Thomas was committed to an education program undertaken by the club.

“The club was aware of formal allegations made against Tarryn during 2022 that were investigated by the AFL’s Integrity Unit. Tarryn and the club co-operated fully with those investigations,” she wrote.

“The advice provided by the AFL following these incidents was that Tarryn should undertake training and education to deal with his behavioural issues.

“He has started work on this program and we’ll continue to support Tarryn as he completes this work.”

Thomas, who endured a tough 2022 campaign where injury and form restricted him to just 10 games, remains contracted at the Kangaroos until the end of 2024 on a big money deal.

The Tasmanian product has played 57 games for the Kangaroos ever since being taken with Pick 8 in the 2018 draft.

Kornes was right. This is a weak response.

More to this than we know I reckon

Club is doing the right thing, supporting the player - not the allegations, however if proven then the next step will be taken.

Thomas has taken time away from the club.

Booney wrote:Thomas has taken time away from the club.

Any indication of when they'll get time back?

What a troubled lad to think he would not get caught doing this and throw away his career and livelihood.

Mark Robinson - Herald Sun

Tarryn Thomas is taking time out and doing homework on how to better treat women.

That’s the belated response from the AFL and North Melbourne as it deals with a series of serious allegations made by several women against Thomas.

This is disciplinary action.

But no fines.

Still no condemnation.

Just confirmation from North Melbourne late on Wednesday night – after yet another damaging claim – that Thomas will step away from the club to be educated.

Earlier in the day, there was no stepping away.

“The advice provided by the AFL following these incidents was that Tarryn should undertake training and education to deal with his behavioural issues,’’ said North Melbourne president Sonja Hood earlier yesterday.

“The club has since built a significant and multi-layered program which includes respectful relationships education, working with psychologists, mentoring, peer support and community outreach for Tarryn to complete so he can meet North Melbourne’s values and community expectations.

“He has started work on this program and we’ll continue to support Tarryn as he completes this work.’’

Then, following further revelations and after being contacted by the AFL, came another statement: “Tarryn Thomas will take time away from the club after the AFL’s Integrity Unit informed North Melbourne of a new allegation of inappropriate behaviour on Wednesday afternoon.

“As detailed in the club’s statement earlier on Wednesday, the club and Thomas made a commitment to co-operate fully in any investigation if new information was presented.”

The new information forced the AFL and North Melbourne to back track on their previous plan to keep Thomas in the fold.

Two questions though.

One, why the back track when we already had multiple women detailing their alleged harrowing interactions with Thomas

Two, when did alleged “family violence” become “behavioural issues”?

Reading all that, Collingwood’s Jordan DeGoey would’ve spat out his cornflakes.

DeGoey was given a $25,000 suspended fine and was forced to apologise for his disrespectful conduct while partying in Bali last year.

Video showed DeGoey tugging at a women’s top. The incident was national news and DeGoey was widely condemned.

Which is the worse behaviour? DeGoey’s or that allegedly engaged in by Thomas? The answer is obvious. Yet while DeGoey was torched, Thomas was initially cuddled.

The AFL beats its chest about its community standards towards women, as outlined in its respect and responsibility policy.

‘’The AFL is committed to … ensuring that individuals who have been subjected to disrespectful conduct, sexual harassment, assault or threatening behaviour within our industry are supported by best practice services focused on their individual needs.’’

Surely if the allegations are proven, Thomas has breached the AFL’s standards of behaviour towards women. If not, why not?

Are there cultural sensitivities at play?

Is it because police are investigating these incidents?

Always, the AFL is attacked when issues arise, but the same questions should be directed at North Melbourne. They’ve chosen to educate rather than punish, which clearly is a protective mechanism for one of their bright young stars.

It is a confusing decision from the Kangaroos, who themselves admit “the issue is challenging and confronting and the club acknowledges the impact people will be feeling across the community by reading the media today”.

Certainly, Thomas needs professional help.

There is a pattern of behaviour here that needs to be addressed.

Punishment and education, however, can work in tandem.

They aren’t the only ones.

Originally published as Mark Robinson on Tarryn Thomas harassment allegations and AFL, North Melbourne response

Pretty poor article with a heap of holes in it

Dutchy wrote:Pretty poor article with a heap of holes in it

Care to elaborate on the “holes “?

Robo wants punishment, however while it seems he is in some strife, these are still allegations at this point - how can you punish someone on allegations?

The comparison to De Goey is just stupid - its simply to get more clicks.

He doesn't seem to think North were doing the right thing by supporting their player, a player that has been through a lot in his short career.

Dutchy wrote:Robo wants punishment, however while it seems he is in some strife, these are still allegations at this point - how can you punish someone on allegations?

Spot on. Kane Cornes said the same crap. He then, after having a crack at Sonia Hood for not commenting originally, whinged when she did put out a club statement that it wasn’t done on tv
Once again, she can’t answer questions on pending investigations by the police & the AFL integrity unit.

De Goey's actions might have been caught on film but I think most people agree he did nothing wrong, was fined and had to apologize....for doing nothing wrong.

Thomas has allegedly done something quite serious, allegedly, and until yesterday was getting nothing but support.

Completely different circumstances, completely acceptable to compare the two and how they've been handled.

Ok, what would you all have expected your club to do in this situation?

How many would be fired from their job here based on allegations alone? How many would have strong cases for wrongful dismissal if they were and the allegations turned out to be false?

**** me everyone just jumps on and expects knee jerk reactions to incredibly stressful and nuanced situations. I doubt North Melbourne have full time former detectives on the payroll to investigate every issue, so what do you expect them to do? Decide they know better than Victoria Police* and dole out punishment now before the actual investigation is concluded?

If he's done it then fine **** him off and give him the option to have therapy to become a better person if he chooses to try to meet your obligations as an employer.

As for De Goey, he was fined for stupidity more than anything because the world demands their pound of flesh so they can feel good about themselves that something is being done to keep those types in line.

*to be fair they would probably hesitate in pulling a trigger a bit better