Disgraced former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas is in the football wilderness again.

WAFL club Swan Districts announced late on Thursday they would not be signing Thomas, just two days after they brought him to Perth to trial.

The move comes in the face of fierce public backlash over Thomas’ potential return to the sport, after he was exiled for the AFL over a series of incidents involving women.

The West Australian understands a large majority of the club’s women’s playing group were disapproving of the move and in a statement Swan Districts said their talks with Thomas had “uncovered many deep concerns and personal experiences”.

“It’s highlighted domestic violence has affected many people in our Swans family and shown us that we’re just not ready for this,” chief executive Jeff Dennis said in a bombshell statement.

“We must first address our internal challenges before we can effectively support others.”

The club said it had “deeply considered whether it was right place for Thomas to return to football.

Swan Districts powerbrokers had met with the 24-year-old since he arrived in Perth on Tuesday and the Tasmanian product had trained with the club.

The Bassendean-based club were the only team in the WAFL to seriously consider Thomas. Victorian Football League club Northern Bullants had weighed up recruiting him earlier this week, but they also distanced themselves from Thomas.

He is allowed to play State league football for any club that is not affiliated to an AFL side.

The West Australian revealed earlier this week Swans had been given the blessing of the national league, but Thomas had not been approved for registration by WA Football.

Dennis said they wished Thomas “every success in the future” and revealed he genuinely believed the former Kangaroo was ready and willing to turn his life around.

“He has owned his mistakes and we believe he is working towards being an active part of community and once again playing football at the highest level he can,” he said,

“It’s important at some stage soon he’s accepted by community which will play an important role in his recovery. It’s logical that this first step should be a football community.

“Tarryn has been nothing but appreciative and professional in his dealings with our club.”

The call was confirmed just hours before the club’s annual general meeting, held at its Steel Blue Oval base on Thursday evening.

Thomas arrived in Perth on Tuesday morning, flanked by a friend and met by Swan Districts football boss Phil Smart. The West revealed later that day the club had not yet reached out to WA Football around its play for Thomas, but Dennis said they did not anticipate having any issues registering him to play if they offered him a contract.

He was then all smiles as he trained with prospective teammates later that day.

The 69-game Kangaroo looked slim and fit a he slotted into the session and looked set for a role up forward with the club after they lost high-flyer Tom Edwards to Essendon and reigning Sandover medallist Nik Rokahr to South Australia.

Dennis said the club had taken on-board feedback from “key club stakeholders including members, players, volunteers, sponsors and staff, together with the WAFC and AFL”.

Several Swan Districts supporters commented on The West’s story revealing Thomas would trial with the club and said they would not support the move.

The club had regularly referred to redemption of former Collingwood player Andrew Krakour, who had served time behind bars for a violent incident before returning to Swans and winning a Sandover Medal and a premiership with the club.

Swans have pledged to create a strategy for handling “domestic and community violence issues” before it considers entering any similar situation.

“We need to keep focusing on educating our own community about domestic violence and creating a safe and caring environment for our people,” Dennis said.

“This is a crucial step before we can consider taking on additional responsibilities like assisting Tarryn.

“We’ll work on creating a strategy to continue this conversation in our Swans family as we navigate through this journey together.”

Dennis said the call was made in alignment with the club’s “purpose, vision and values”.

Thomas will return to Victoria and is in a race against time to be picked up by another club with just weeks to go before State leagues resume and with the significant public backlash surrounding his ties with the Bullants and Swan Districts.

The Bullants also said they “wish Tarryn all the best with his future” in a statement released on Monday after reports linking them to Thomas across the weekend.

“The Northern Bullants Football Club have met over the weekend and decided not to proceed with the signing of Tarryn Thomas,” they wrote in a statement.

“We wish Tarryn all the best with his future.”