AFL star’s ‘breathing’ calls to ex: court
Sacked North Melbourne footballer Tarryn Thomas has revealed he hopes to return to the AFL after receiving professional help following a run in with the law.
The 24-year-old, also known as Tarryn Trindall, pleaded guilty to breaching a court order as he made his first appearance in the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court on Thursday.
The young gun, who was first drafted by the Roos in 2018, was initially charged by police on May 21 with using a telecommunications device to harass a former partner.
This charge was dropped after Thomas agreed to plead guilty to the one offence.
The court was told Thomas’s ex-girlfriend ended their year-long relationship in January, but a chance sighting at a music festival in March “triggered” a feeling of loneliness.
He made 34 calls to the woman between April 5 and 29, who answered six of them.
At the end of the line she heard “heavy breathing”, with the longest call lasting 32 seconds.
Some of the calls occurred while Thomas was required to attend a men’s behavioural change program by the AFL following brushes with the law last year.
Defence lawyer Sally Vardy told the court the offending occurred in the context of a dip in Thomas’s mental health that “played out in the media”.
“From a period of February through to April he felt isolated and lacked the support he was used to receiving,” she said.
Thomas was dismissed by North Melbourne in February this year after the league handed him an 18-match suspension for breaching the code of conduct.
Ms Vardy said in the six months since he was charged, Thomas had been working with a psychologist and psychiatrist to address his “difficulties”.
She said he’d continued in the behavioural change program well beyond the 12 weeks mandated by the AFL.
“He has thrown himself head first into the treatment that was required,” she said.
“This is a man that has accepted and acknowledged he has an issue … he’s done everything possible and continues to do everything possible to ensure his mental health remains on track.”
The court was told Thomas had a difficult upbringing, including being taken away from much of his family by his alcoholic father to live in Tasmania when he was aged 10 or 11.
Thomas was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond without conviction under the conditions he remain offence free for the next year and continue to engage with the medical practitioners.
“Are you willing to agree to this?” magistrate James Henderson asked.
“Yes, Your Honour,” Thomas replied.
Ms Vardy said her client was hopeful of resurrecting his promising AFL career.
“It’s Mr Trindall’s desire to return to professional football in the future … it’s ultimately a matter for the powers that be,” she said.
Mr Henderson told the court the evidence before him showed Thomas had taken the “all the right steps” to deal with his issues.
“You’re free to go,” he said.
In May, the AFL said Thomas would not be approved to play at any level of Australian football “pending the hearing and determination of the charges” that were brought against him.
Thomas declined to comment as he left court.
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