Former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas may be thrown an AFL lifeline with Geelong looming as a potential suitor for the troubled ex-Roo.
The 23-year-old was sacked from the Kangaroos earlier this year after the AFL found him guilty of multiple breaches of the league's code of conduct.
However, former AFL premiership player and current General Manager of Football for Geelong Andrew Mackie didn't rule out the possibility of recruiting Thomas to the Cats.
"As far as looking at the available talent, at times, if you want to be in the market for players that are really talented and have that skillset, often if they become available to you, it means that something has been a little bumpy for them along the way," Mackie said on SEN Radio.
"The (Tyson) Stengle story is much known – we're individual case-by-case basis.
"We do a lot of work on a lot of players, and we look at the positives and what their footy skillset can be to us and then we work backwards from there."
Thomas was suspended for 18 matches and will not be permitted to return to the elite level competition until he has completed a behavioural change program.
At the time of his suspension, the AFL determined that he had breached multiple acts of misconduct.
"It was ultimately determined by the AFL that Thomas had engaged in multiple acts of misconduct including threatening a woman via direct messages multiple times," an AFL statement read.
"In determining the sanction, the AFL took into account the evidence over a period of time which included Thomas engaging in misconduct while he was undertaking education in 2023 to deal with similar behaviours from earlier that year."
He will not be able to participate at any level of football until he serves his ban, which will end in late July.
The midfielder-forward has shown promising form across his 69 games for North Melbourne, including a 23-disposal four-goal performance against Carlton in 2021.
Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes said on Nine's Footy Classified that Thomas' connection to Geelong was an 'obvious' one.
"I'd be surprised if that phone call (from Geelong to Thomas) hasn't been made," Cornes said.
"That's the obviously club and the only club I think could have success with him."
