Essendon has attempted to clarify remarks made by senior coach Brad Scott concerning the disgraced former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas.
The Bombers have denied any claims that Thomas would be welcomed at their club, writing a letter to concerned members to clear up their stance.
Just before the 2024 season, the Kangaroos released the troubled player after he was suspended by the league for 18 matches due to alleged inappropriate behavior.
The AFL found Thomas guilty of inappropriate behavior towards a woman.
Thomas spent much of the 2023 season embroiled in various controversies.
This follows Scott’s praise of the former Roos midfielder, whom he coached at North Melbourne, despite his troubled past.
“I’ve known Tarryn since he was 14,” Scott said on May 1. “My view is, he’s a good person. He’s made some terrible mistakes, and he’s the first to admit that. So, as an industry, do we just wash our hands of him, or do we help him?”
In response, the club sent an email to some members who expressed their concerns after Scott’s remarks.
“Tarryn’s conduct does not represent behavior acceptable to anyone in our game or our community,” the email stated. “No one at Essendon condones Tarryn’s behavior, and there is no excuse for the harm he caused. The recent narrative linking Tarryn Thomas to Essendon is inaccurate.”
The email also clarified that Scott and the club’s list management team were never considering recruiting the 24-year-old.
“Importantly, you can be assured that when questioned, Brad was not discussing Tarryn from an EFC list management or recruiting perspective,” the email stated. “While in past years Essendon, like several other AFL clubs, discussed Tarryn at the list management level, this is not something Essendon is or has been considering.”
The email went on to defend Scott but also criticized his remarks about Thomas.
“Brad Scott is a man of great integrity, with a strong moral compass and longstanding admirable values, including respect, particularly towards women,” the email read.
“However, Brad’s role as a coach is to support his players, both past and present, wherever possible. This does not include accepting intolerable behavior or defending the indefensible. This was not Brad’s intention on May 1 when discussing Tarryn, and rest assured, he does not condone Tarryn’s behavior in any way.”
Scott’s comments coincided with the league’s announcement that all 18 teams would observe a moment of silence in round eight to highlight gender-based violence.
Thomas is also prohibited from training or playing at any level of Australian football without AFL approval, even after his 18-match suspension ends.
