St Kilda have confirmed they may ‘not be pursuing’ disgraced ex-North Melbourne participant Tarryn Thomas, amid fan backlash over a gathering between the 24-year previous and Saints checklist guru Graeme Allan.
Allan and Thomas met at a Lygon St restaurant earlier within the week, with information of the assembly seeing the membership come underneath hearth from supporters and the broader soccer group.
Thomas was sacked by the Kangaroos earlier than the beginning of the season after an AFL integrity unit investigation discovered he was responsible of ‘a number of acts of misconduct’ towards ladies, following a sequence of accusations towards him over a lot of years.
The AFL handed Thomas an eighteen-match suspension as punishment; whereas that has expired, the league would want to offer specific permission for him to return to the league and for a membership to recruit him.
On Friday afternoon, Saints CEO Carl Dilena launched a press release on the membership’s social media accounts outlining their place on Thomas.
“I want to present readability on our membership’s place concerning contact between a membership worker and former North Melbourne participant, Tarryn Thomas,” Dilena’s assertion reads.
“The soccer division pursues a lot of gamers, as it’s our job to search out the perfect expertise to suit our group and membership.
“Following a course of due diligence, I can affirm that St Kilda is not going to be pursuing Tarryn Thomas.”
The assertion adopted an ungainly press convention earlier within the day during which Saints coach Ross Lyon repeatedly stonewalled questions on his and the membership’s curiosity in Thomas.
Lyon repeatedly described himself as a ‘servant of the membership’, saying he was underneath instruction to refer solely to the Saints’ upcoming assertion every time questioned.
““Yeah, look, I’m actually right here to speak about this weekend’s sport,” Lyon stated.
“The membership, to be honest, is releasing a press release – I’m a servant of the membership, and that’s the precise instruction I’ve been requested to execute on and that I’ll adhere to.
“I undergo the membership’s wants… I’m only a servant of the membership. I’ve had a good few pressers, so I perceive the place you’re coming from, however on that subject, the assertion’s all I’ve bought for you at this time.
“Actually merely, you guys have already been knowledgeable of [the upcoming statement], the membership government and the board can be releasing a press release – I gained’t be making any touch upon any side past that.
“The membership is releasing a press release, which is able to element the membership’s place.”
When requested if his dodging the query was abstaining himself of accountability for Allan’s assembly with Thomas, he answered: “That’s a very good query, however I’ll refer you again to that I’m a servant of the membership and there’s a press release coming.
“We are able to volley all day, proper? And my manner isn’t going to vary, I’m a servant of the membership, and I’m actually right here to speak in regards to the Richmond sport, as a result of we’re coming off a nasty loss after being actually good for a time period.”
