NORTH Melbourne has cooled on formerly highly-rated next generation prospect Tarryn Thomas, who has dropped out of top ten contention.

Foxfooty.com.au understands the Kangaroos are no longer wedded to selecting the Tasmanian teenager high up in November’s national draft due to a worrying mix of off-field issues and lack of on-field form.

Thomas trained at Arden Street last week and notched just seven disposals from 80 per cent game time in his VFL debut on Saturday.

Get 3 months free Sport HD + Entertainment on a 12 month plan and watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. T & Cs apply. SIGN UP NOW

Finals Week 1

This followed an underwhelming under-18s national carnival in which he averaged 16 disposals and kicked just one goal from four matches. Fitness was central a concern among recruiters.

While his form for North Launceston has been reasonably strong, it’s believed most AFL recruiters take performances at that level with a grain of salt due to the standard of play.

But the real alarms have come with Thomas’ off-field unreliability, leading to several “red flags,” as one source pointed out to foxfooty.com.au.

The 17 year-old suddenly moved out of his family home recently and has been living with an older friend, worrying people around him.

LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE FOX FOOTY PODCAST BELOW, OR TAP HERE TO SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES

The club and AFL were keen to facilitate a more permanent move to Melbourne, but Thomas declined, sighting his year 12 schooling as his priority. But when an official called St Patrick’s College in Launceston to check whether the 190cm athletic on-baller was attending, the official was told he had been.

However it’s since emerged that Thomas has missed multiple days in year 12 for yet to be explained reasons.

The Kangaroos have become aware of his apparent lack of professionalism and are no longer convinced he’s worth a first-round pick.

Just four months ago Thomas loomed as a certain top 10 selection and maybe even higher. The Roos boast Pick 10 – pending the trade period – but it is understood if the national draft was held tomorrow, they would not bother matching a bid in first dozen.

The Kangaroos get first crack at Thomas due to their Next Generation Academy. If no opposition clubs bid for him, they can select him with their last pick, but will have to use draft points to obtain him if a rival makes a play at the national draft.

North Melbourne is no certainty to hold onto Pick 10 with Port Adelaide’s Jared Polec on their radar during the trade period.