It can be easy for a young draft prospect to get caught-up in the hype, especially when he's touted as a Top Ten pick, but young Tasmanian sensation Tarryn Thomas, is refusing to get swept up.
As a highly rated midfielder, there’s plenty of discussion about Thomas’ potential draft position, but with over five months between now and November, he’s doing his best to avoid all the noise.
“Yeah I hear people talking about me, my mates keep a close eye on the draft and they keep telling me the latest, all of that, but I try to block it out, mostly,” Thomas told The Mercury.
“I’m not thinking too much about it, I’m just keeping my mind on the job, I just want to play good footy, that’s it.”
North Melbourne will have priority over the prodigious talent because he's a member of its Next Generation Academy. Thomas has already trained at Arden Street on multiple occasions.
“Playing AFL has always been a goal, a dream,” Thomas said.
“It’s still a long way off, I’m not there yet.
“I’ve been training with North Melbourne for a while now, I’m getting used to that level of training.
“It’s heaps different from what I’m used to, it’s intense, but I like it.”
A North Tasmania resident, Thomas avoids the ‘footy bubble’ that is Melbourne, and he believes it helps him lead a relatively normal teenage life.
“I need to get my head out of it sometimes, everyone asks me about it all the time,” he said.
“I have other interests and hobbies, just stuff like any other teenager, I guess.
“Spending time with my family, watching movies, fishing in the summer, hanging with my mates.
“Rhyan Mansell [another Tasmanian hopeful playing in the Allies squad] is a cousin and I like going to a quiet place, spending some time with him, and we can both just talk about anything other than footy.
“He understands how important it is, he’s in a similar situation.”
Part of achieving a down-to-earth lifestyle is focusing on his education.
“You need to have a job outside of footy,” he stated.
“If you can’t play for some reason or get injured, you need to have something else, a career.
“I’m studying English, maths and two sports subjects at school.
“I’m looking at maybe doing personal training as a career. I like to be doing something physical and active all the time.”
Football isn’t completely absent from the midfielder’s mind however, evident by his pursuit to add to his tall, lean frame.
“They keep telling me I need to put on weight,” he laughed.
“Because I’m quite tall, I need to be heavier, but I just can’t do it. I’m trying.
“All I do is eat and try to build muscle bulk but I can’t seem to do it. I’ll keep trying.”
