The 28-year-old resides in Launceston and freely admits to a close off-the-field relationship with Blues coach Sam Lonergan.

The former AFL pair both came through the Tassie Mariners and later the VFL Devils together before they reunited years later in charge of SANFL club Glenelg.

“I don’t know what I’ll do to be honest,” Thorp said on his future playing career.

“Sam and I went out to the snow yesterday, and we didn’t speak about footy.

“Our friendship is far deeper than just where I am going to play, so I am really not sure at this stage.

“I’m sure those conversations will happen; I’m sure Sam and I will speak about it.

“But it’s not hard for people to draw that conclusion.” 

The now out-of-contract forward joined Devonport in 2015 after spending three years at South Launceston.

Thorp will “explore all the options” that could include walking away from football entirely, but won’t be rushed into finalising a decision.

“I’ve fielded a couple of phone calls, but I’ve been very respectful of Devonport and the players that I coach there this year,” Thorp said.

The 28-year-old called it quits on the Magpies amid a tearful dressing room, barely moments after the team’s final TSL game of the year in Friday night’s loss to Burnie. 

He denied the decision was clouded by acrimony nor a fractious relationship with the club’s board this season.

“We’ve just come off a year where I’ve had broken ribs and a fair bit of blood, sweat and tears have gone into a footy season,” he said.

“Like just about every player at the end of a footy year, the last thing you want to think about is where you’re playing footy next year.”

The No.6 pick in the 2006 AFL draft walked away from the coastal club just 20 games into his own 60-game plan.

Thorp, who commuted to Devonport up to four times a week, made the call to move on over the past month with the thought of two children, aged four and three, in the back of his mind.

“To be brutally honest, my family comes first before any football plans to coach,” he said. “So, it was a pretty simple decision, really.”

Thorp could be enticed by a big-money offer to coach a NTFA club, swapping travelling around the state for trips restricted to the Launceston area a serious temptation.

But an assessment of the Blues TSL list and their ongoing fortunes could sell the switch to the respected 194cm key position player, a view he first held back in June after watching Launceston outplay Devonport.

“I have got not doubt they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with very soon,” Thorp said. “They have competition-leading youth in their team and some nice older players.”