Just a smidgen over ten years ago, the North Melbourne Football Club drafted a shy, unassuming Indigenous small forward from Port Lincoln in South Australia.
Little did many know, this rather speculative selection at pick 53 in the national draft would become one of the club’s greatest ever goalkickers.
This player embodies everything about the famous ‘Shinboner’ spirit. Never beaten, courageous, hard at the contest and hard working, he celebrates his 200th match on an incredibly important day for his football club, the first ever Good Friday game.
So as we countdown to this historic day, let’s take a moment to honour the man who polarises not only opposition supporters, but the blue and white faithful as well.
Lindsay Thomas started his career with a bang. Well, sort of. Five behinds in your debut match is nothing to sneeze at. I mean, that’s five shots on goal.
Fast forward to 2017, and Thomas is a focal point in attack for North Melbourne, as he has been for much of his career.
After being dubbed as the ‘new generation’ of the Krakouer brothers – having debuted in the same match as fellow Indigenous small forward Matthew Campbell – Thomas has made a name for himself as a lethal weapon for the Kangaroos.
Supporters of the opposition love to hate him. Yes, us North Melbourne fans do admit that he can ‘play’ for free kicks every now and then, but as an opportunistic crumbing forward who makes it his goal to get under the skin of his opponent, wouldn’t you?
His passion for the club is infectious, as well as his love and support for his teammates. The first person to hug and hi-five a teammate for kicking a goal is usually Lindsay.
There is a side of Thomas that can make the most ardent North supporters tear their collective hair out. He flies for marks even Jeremy Howe couldn’t take, often giving away a free kick for an unrealistic marking attempt.
And how could we forget that period in 2011, when he was the most unreliable shot for goal? The yips still occasionally creep out in Lindsay’s game, but it’s a testament to his character that he not only overcame them, but turned into one of the competition’s most dangerous small forwards between 2013 and 2014.
As we near this important milestone game, I would like to pick out my personal favourite moments involving North Melbourne’s No.12.
5. Courageous act against Geelong (2012)
There was a long period of time where North Melbourne were bullied by the top teams, namely Geelong, Collingwood and St Kilda, between the years of 2007 and 2011. Quite often, many Kangaroos players went into their shells and couldn’t compete against the might and skill of the opposition. Thomas would be the first one to put his hand up and say he never routinely performed in these big games.
Coming up against the Cats in Round 3, 2012, the reigning premiers were widely tipped to swat away the Roos like they had done so many times in previous years. However, this time it was different. North ran Geelong off their legs to record a 17-point victory.
Thomas didn’t have a huge game, but one particular act was symbolic of the way he approaches his football.
In the second quarter, a sky ball by Ryan Bastinac was sent towards the broadcast wing. With his eyes fixed firmly on the ball, Thomas flew for the pill, with Geelong defender Andrew Mackie coming from the opposite direction.
Thomas bravely put his body on the line to affect the spoil, sending it towards North’s attacking half. Brent Harvey gathered the loose ball before handing off to Leigh Adams as he streamed forward and kicked a running goal, while Mackie lay on the turf in the hands of the Geelong trainers.
4. The opening five minutes against Geelong in a final (2014)
Another memory involving the Cats, this time on a much larger scale. In a do-or-die semi-final on a Friday night in front of a big crowd, the onus was on Thomas and his fellow forwards to perform from the get-go instead of allowing the opposition to get the fast start.
It took 20 seconds for North to surge forward, with Thomas gathering a loose ball and running into an open goal to the Punt Rd end.
Moments later, he brilliantly gathered a ball as it spilled from a contest, got himself clear and snapped a goal from 40 metres out.
From the resulting centre bounce, the Roos once again won the clearance, with Thomas getting free inside 50 to drill his third within five minutes.
It was just the start the Roos needed, and while he didn’t score another major for the night, it allowed his side to create some distance between the dangerous Geelong on the scoreboard, which proved invaluable come the final siren.
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3. Starring on Friday night footy (part one) (2010)
Back in the day, North Melbourne only received one or two Friday night matches a season, and they were cherished. Carlton was their usual opponent, and in 2010, the AFL celebrated 25 years of Friday night football, pitting the Roos and Blues against each other in an Etihad Stadium blockbuster.
In front of 43,732 spectators, North got off to a hot start, with Thomas kicking the opening two goals of the match. He added another two in the second quarter to go back into the rooms with four for the game, just one short of his career-high (which was set just a couple of weeks beforehand).
By three-quarter time, Thomas, as well as close friend Eddie Betts, had five goals. He added another two in the final term to finish with an incredible seven-goal haul, which still remains as his best effort in a match.
2. Starring on Friday night footy (part two) (2013)
Fast forward a few years, and once again North Melbourne and Carlton met on a Friday night. This time, the stakes were higher, with both sides contending for a top eight spot.
Thomas, who was returning to the senior side after missing a game through suspension, started like a house on fire, booting three first quarter goals, showing his incredible footy nous around the sticks.
After the Blues kicked away from the Roos, Thomas led the fightback for the Roos, finishing with six majors. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Carlton held on for a one-point win.
1. Fighting through adversity (2016)
Heading into Round 18 last year, North Melbourne had stumbled from an incredible 9-0 start to the season to lose six of their next seven matches.
Coming up against the Magpies, again on a Friday night, who were gunning for an unlikely finals berth at the expense of the Roos, North responded to the critics superbly, kicking six goals to two in the opening quarter.
Thomas was in the thick of the action, booting two majors in the opening half, before lighting the spark in the third quarter.
With Brayden Maynard opting to play on from a kick out after a behind, the young Collingwood defender fumbled the ball, allowing Thomas, who was manning the mark, to pounce. He soccered the ball from Maynard’s grasp, before capitalising on the error.
Wanting to assert himself, Thomas got in the face of Maynard, with many of his teammates rushing in to remonstrate. Thomas was bumped to the ground and received a free kick as a result.
Unfortunately, he missed the easy chance to make the Magpies pay a massive price, but he would have the last laugh of the match, kicking his fifth in the dying moments.
In a post-game interview with the Channel 7 panel, it was revealed that Thomas played the game despite the funeral of his uncle occurring in Port Lincoln earlier that day.
Fighting back tears, Thomas repeated his love for the North Melbourne Football Club and his teammates, while also shrugging off questions regarding his tendency to duck and play for free kicks.
Those are my top five memories involving Lindsay Thomas during his 199 games as a North Melbourne player.
Many were considered but didn’t make the list, such as his long goal with his sock when he lost his boot during the play back in 2010, or his remarkable 2013 season in which he led the club’s goalkicking.
Happy 200th Lindsay, its been one hell of a ride as a North Melbourne supporter, but your passion for the jumper and your teammates is noticed and recognised by all.
Lets hope you kick a few and take a hanger!
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