Dale Thomas

Dale Robert Jordan “Daisy” Thomas (born 21 June 1987) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club and Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

His favourite highlight was Ablett's one-handed mark over Collingwood's Gary Pert in Round 7, 1994.

Thomas played his first junior football at age eight, later moving on to play with the Hallora under-12s.

His mother was dedicated to her children's sporting dreams; she kicked footballs with Dale and shot netballs with sister Jessica.

According to his father, during his first stint as captain of the under-14 Drouin team, he won the toss but forgot which direction he had chosen and kicked a behind for Tooradin, the opposing team.

Regardless, Drouin won by ten goals and Dale's behind was Tooradin's only score.

In 2003 he was selected in the Under-16 Vic Country squad playing on the wing.

Thomas was a priority pick in 2005 where he then played with the Collingwood Football Club from 2006 to 2013 before transferring to the Blues in 2014.

Dale Thomas grew up in Drouin with his mother Kaye, father Darryl and his sister Jessica.

As a child, he idolised the Geelong Cats' Gary Ablett, who also grew up in Drouin.

He idolised Ablett so much that he used to repeatedly watch his grandfather's tapes of Ablett and Geelong and recreate Ablett's marks and goals.

He was later selected in the 2005 Vic Country squad playing on the half-forward flank.

He was the vice-captain of the Gippsland Power squad in 2005, scoring goals in 14 out of 18 games for the Power.

He was one of four school captains at Drouin Secondary College in 2005.

In the TAC Cup 2005 Grand Final, which Gippsland Power won, he won best on ground with four goals and 20 disposals.

He took a high flying "specky" mark in the second quarter and kicked a dribbling goal from the boundary.

He was selected in the TAC Cup Team of the Year.

He was also named as an All-Australian in the 2005 Under-18 Championships as a half-forward flank, in which he represented Vic Country.

Thomas was regarded by many media commentators as one of the most likely to be picked high in the AFL draft and certainly to have attracted the eye of AFL recruiters.

Dale Thomas was selected by Collingwood with their first pick in the 2005 AFL Draft (the second pick overall).

Thomas made his debut in the AFL in round one of the 2006 AFL Season, in Collingwood's match against the Adelaide Crows.

Thomas gathered 16 disposals, kicked two goals and took a spectacular mark on an Adelaide opponent's back.

In Collingwood's round two win against Hawthorn gathered twenty disposals and was nominated for the 2006 AFL Rising Star award.

By round two he had become a cult figure at Collingwood.

During the 2006 ANZAC Day match against Essendon Thomas was nominated for both Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year.

He took a spectacular mark over Essendon player Andrew Welsh.

He also kicked a memorable goal, baulking an opponent and kicking from 50 metres under pressure.

Thomas' season was marred by an injury to his collarbone on 5 August.

Thomas returned to play in Collingwood's defeat in the 2006 First Elimination Final to the Western Bulldogs, where he took a spectacular mark on the shoulders of an opponent.

Thomas became so popular in his first season of AFL that guernseys bearing his name sold twice as many as the then captain, Nathan Buckley, at the club's merchandise shop.

During 2007, Thomas was played in a variety of positions including a regular role in the midfield and the forward line, and also instances in defence.

He played every game in the 2007 season.

He was considered a match-winner in the Round 1 fightback against the North Melbourne Kangaroos, and was also judged one of the best afield in Round 3 against the Richmond Tigers where he collected 25 disposals.

After being injured three days earlier against the Port Adelaide Power, he battled in the traditional ANZAC Day game against the Essendon Bombers.

In Round 5 Thomas was reported after accidentally striking Essendon player Patrick Ryder.

The AFL match review panel took 10 seconds to find Thomas not guilty.

He was fined $1,500 for being involved in a melee between Collingwood and Carlton on Round 7.

Highlights of the 2007 season came during a match against the Sydney Swans where Collingwood was considered underdogs with a depleted defence.

Thomas recorded a career-high 4 goals, and was thus awarded three Brownlow Medal votes.

He was also judged best afield by commentators against St Kilda where he recorded 18 disposals and 2 goals.