UPDATE
Tarryn Thomas will meet with the AFL Integrity Unit early next week, rather than on Thursday.
A lack of legal representation has forced the interview with the North Melbourne player to be pushed back.
Tarryn Thomas’ interview with the AFL Integrity Unit has been moved from this morning to early next week due to the 23-year-old’s legal representatives being unavailable this morning. @9NewsMelb @FootyonNine
— Xander McGuire (@xandermcg9) January 17, 2024
EARLIER
Tarryn Thomas will face the AFL Integrity Unit over fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
North Melbourne released a short statement regarding the 23-year-old on Wednesday night.
“North Melbourne received notification from the AFL Integrity Unit on Wednesday that Tarryn Thomas is under investigation following a new allegation of inappropriate behaviour,” read the statement.
“The club is working through this information and is not in a position to make any further comment.”
Channel 9 journalist Xander McGuire provided some further information regarding the Thomas situation on Thursday morning.
“For this incident in particular I can tell you that first and foremost it’s unrelated to anything we’ve seen from Tarryn over the last couple of years,” McGuire told SEN Breakfast.
“It’s a new case with new details all over.
“Tarryn will be questioned by the AFL Integrity Unit this morning at AFL House, he’ll be summoned there in person.
“The alleged victim, I’m told, approached the AFL directly and I believe the police aren’t involved at this stage. The club, in essence, have been cut out of this process as well due to the AFL and the Integrity Unit dealing with it directly.
“The club released a statement last night which basically just said they’re working through the information and they’re not in a position to make any further comment. They’re more or less in the dark about the details.
“When I spoke to senior officials last night, they’re still trying to scramble and put the pieces together as to what actually happened in this situation and what specific allegations he’s facing.
“It’s a bit like the Joel Smith issue where Melbourne have been unable to make a definitive statement of sorts because they’ve been cut out of the process there too.
“The senior officials I spoke to say the club stands by the statement they made on (domestic) violence last year which is they take violence and any sort of threat of violence very seriously, and that hasn’t changed from the distribution of an intimate image charge was thrown around last year and threats of violence were thrown around.
“Two days ago his captain (Jy Simpkin) was saying he was resilient and going well, and now his career is much again back in question in what is a contract year.”
McGuire believes the Roos were unaware that this new situation was set to arise.
“I don’t think they knew this was coming,” he added.
“They were only notified in recent days about it. It’s something that has really come out of nowhere in the past few days.”
Thomas will face the AFL Integrity Unit mid-morning on Thursday.