Lindsay Thomas Biography

Lindsay Thomas announces his retirement from AFL football after 212 career games and 329 goals.

"I made the decision to retire yesterday after speaking with my family and my manager. It just felt right to finish my career today where my senior career started at Port Adelaide," Thomas said.

"I started my junior career in 2004 with Port Adelaide SANFL captain Steven Summerton and to be able to share our retirements today was amazing."

Lindsay Thomas has fought his way back from a four-game suspension on his Power debut to be an important contributor in the past two weeks.

Thomas says frank a discussion with Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley gave him the motivation he needed.

"He said if I'm willing to put in the hard work and do everything right, an opportunity was going to be there for me eventually," Thomas said.

"It gives you a bit of confidence because you have a coach that backs you and you want to do well, but he put it on me pretty hard and it was good."

Lindsay Thomas is hit with a three-game suspension for his bump on Geelong midfielder Scott Selwood that left the Cat concussed.

Thomas had also earlier accepted a one-match ban for striking Selwood's elder brother, Joel Selwood, moments after the initial clash, which was assessed as intentional conduct with low impact to the head, which means the 30-year-old will be out for the next four rounds.

Joel Selwood is free to play after the AFL Tribunal overturned his one-match suspension for striking Port Adelaide forward Lindsay Thomas.

Selwood told the Tribunal he had approached Thomas immediately after the Port forward bumped his brother, Scott Selwood, with the sole intention of telling him he had committed an "effing dog act".

The Cats star conceded he had made contact with Thomas' head with his left fist, but only after the Power player pulled him down by his jumper.

Selwood also argued he had merely "brushed" Thomas, with the force insufficient to constitute a strike.

In his first game for Port Adelaide, Lindsay Thomas was at his best, and worst.

After kicking a brilliant goal, Thomas was placed on report after a head-high hit on Geelong midfielder Scott Selwood.

After being thrown a lifeline by Port Adelaide via the rookie draft, Lindsay Thomas says he can still be one of the game's best small forwards.

"There's no doubt my best footy is still ahead of me and coming to a new club, I feel re-energised and like I've been drafted again," Thomas said.

"If I can work hard on the track, I've got no doubt I can squeeze into the best 22 and play some good footy."

Jy Simpkin will wear Lindsay Thomas' No.12 jumper in 2018 for the Kangaroos.

Having been released from his contract at the Kangaroos, Thomas joked that Simpkin had forced him out of the club.

"The kid's so talented and he's knocked me off my perch and put me out of a job, but it's good. I'm super proud … to see his development over the last 12 months," Thomas said.

"I hope he can have a long career and do well. It's going to be good to see Jy wearing the No.12."

Out-of-favour North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas has mutually agreed to part with the club as he looks to continue his career elsewhere.

"Linds has played some outstanding footy in his time and was widely regarded as one of the most potent, electric small forwards in the game," Kangaroos football manager Cameron Joyce said.

"He played with his heart on his sleeve and overcame some huge challenges to carve out a fantastic career at North at the highest level."

Lindsay Thomas' accepts a one-week ban by the VFL's Match Review Panel for striking Carlton listed-player Rhys Palmer.

Corey Maynard has been ruled out of this weekend's game after sustaining a significant concussion as a result of a crude bump from North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas in the VFL.

Maynard spent the night recuperating in hospital after being taken off on a stretcher following the heavy head knock in the first minute of the second quarter of the Casey Demons' game against Werribee at Hoppers Crossing.

Lindsay Thomas has escaped with a three-match suspension at the VFL Tribunal but will not be available for AFL selection until round 13.

Thomas pleaded guilty for a high bump on Corey Maynard in the VFL that left the Melbourne rookie unconscious and battling significant concussion.

Thomas will miss five AFL rounds as a result of the suspension, with a state league match between the VFL and the WAFL, and North Melbourne's round 12 bye effectively extending his penalty by two weeks.

"I just want to say how remorseful I am on the incident on Sunday with Corey," Thomas said as he exited VFL headquarters at Ikon Park.

"I've reached out to Corey and given him my apologies and wished him a speedy recovery."

Lindsay Thomas hopes to be back at AFL level by next week as he prepares to play his first VFL match in almost two years this week after being demoted from the Kangaroos' senior side.

Thomas, 29, played his 200th game in the inaugural Good Friday clash with reigning premiers the Western Bulldogs, but has failed to kick a goal in four of his five games this year.

"I have (been told why I was dropped) and obviously I'm disappointed," Thomas said on the Marngrook Footy Show.

"There's no point me being a senior player and moping around.

"We have such a young group (and) those young players do feed off senior players like myself … hopefully it's just a one-week stint."

Lindsay Thomas is adamant his reputation as a 'ducker' is unfair as he prepares to play his 200th game on Good Friday against the Western Bulldogs.

"I'm extremely proud to come here and represent this footy club and to play 200 games is pretty special," Thomas said.

"I look at that (diving scrutiny) and find it pretty funny, to be honest, because I've been put as this poster boy as a diver or ducker.

"But if you look at your stats, I'm not even in the (top) 25 over the last couple of years. Does it annoy me? A little bit, but I move on from it and kind of have a bit of a laugh at it."

Brent Harvey kicks a goal in the final quarter his record-breaking 427th match against St Kilda courtesy of a handball from North Melbourne teammate Lindsay Thomas.

"I was lucky Lindsay gave me a little goal at the end," Harvey said.

"He marked one in the goalsquare and I was going over to him to give him a little pat on the backside after he marked it, and he said 'Do you want this?'.

"I sort of looked around and I thought 'Yep', and I got a little cheap one.

"That's the kind of guy Lindsay is. He said to me during the week 'I'm going to get you a goal' and he certainly did that."

Having surpassed Hawk Michael Tuck's previous record of 426 games, Harvey said his own final tally wasn't of concern to him.

"I've got no idea. I'll be on 428 next week and that's all that matters, because we've got another huge game," he said.

"I know it's a cliché to you guys (media), but for us, we've got our 12 wins now, and that was the objective at the start of the year."

Lindsay Thomas signs a new two year deal with North Melbourne that will keep him at the club until the end of 2018.

North Melbourne has been slapped with a massive $50,000 fine and coach Brad Scott fined a further $30,000 for his post-match comments about the umpires.

The AFL also considered suspending Scott but was swayed not to, given North made an unreserved apology little more than 12 hours after the Roos coach falsely claimed the umpires refused to pay Lindsay Thomas free kicks during the Kangaroos' nine-point loss to Hawthorn.

"We don't have great precedents in these areas so it was really (a matter of) considering the comments and the impact that they had and we came to that (outcome) today," AFL football operations manager Mark Evans said.

"We felt that Brad's comments had gone past more than just criticism of umpires and we felt that they actually went to the integrity of our umpiring staff, our umpires and the AFL itself.

"So we felt that there were actions there, not just the comments but actions, that maybe the club could have averted this."

Umpires coach Hayden Kennedy says Lindsay Thomas deserved a free kick for high contact against Hawthorn, but disputes North Melbourne coach Brad Scott's statement that the umpires had deliberately chosen to ignore free kicks to Thomas.

Kennedy said the umpires were surprised at Scott's claims, which were later proven to be inaccurate and a case of miscommunication, with North Melbourne withdrawing the comments a day later.

"I was at the game and we've got match (communications) into our box, so we can hear everything that's been said by the umpires," Kennedy said.

"So I was pretty sure on the night that we hadn't stepped over the line in regards to that, and I was confident that we did everything how we're instructed to do it."

Contrite North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says he is remoreseful over the comments he had made about umpires refusing to pay free kicks to Lindsay Thomas and will accept whatever sanction the AFL hands down.

"I'm here to issue a public apology and whatever the AFL feel is an appropriate sanction, then I'll accept," Scott said.

"I assumed those comments to be matter of fact and I assumed they were right, but ultimately it's my responsibility to check those facts and I didn't and I chose to make the statements that I did.

"The apportion of blame falls squarely on my shoulders.

"There is certainly embarrassment because I've taken the attention away from where our football club would like it, and that's off our players."

Brad Scott launches an extraordinary outburst against the umpires after North Melbourne's nine-point loss to Hawthorn, with the North Melbourne coach claiming the officials have admitted they won't pay high free kicks to Lindsay Thomas.

Thomas was the subject of several controversial moments in the fiery Etihad Stadium clash and Scott made the remarkable revelation that umpires told his players the small forward wouldn't be rewarded for high contact.

"I know he is (unfairly treated), because the umpires told our players that, (saying) 'Well, he's a ducker, so we don't pay high free kicks to Lindsay'," Scott said post-match.

"They told our guys that, so that's clearly a preconceived idea.

"You just want the umpires to umpire what they see, not their preconceived ideas.

"That's for (umpires boss) Hayden Kennedy to deal with, not for me, I'm just telling you what happened because they won't tell you, that's for sure."

North Melbourne coach Chris Scott says the criticism directed towards Lindsay Thomas for deliberately ducking in a tackle to receive a free kick is unjust.

"Lindsay before the game on Friday night had been paid two high free kicks for the year … but somehow he's the poster boy for so-called shrugging or ducking in the tackle," Scott said.

"I've just told Lindsay to stay strong and to listen to the people that have his best interests at heart.

"There are always going to be people who are going to single him out for whatever reason.

"He gets unfairly criticised in my view; he is a terrific story."

Lindsay Thomas kicks two goals from dubious free kicks against the Swans but AFL football operations manager Mark Evans warns against changing the rules to deal with the issue.

"We have this balance between what do you want to incentivise for the person with the ball, and what do you want to do for the person who is about to lay the tackle," Evans said.

"We haven't found the right way to define what we want here. If you want to get rid of free kicks where you think the player has contributed to the high contact, you still can't bring in any system that allows an indiscriminate, sloppy, vigorous tackle to the head.

"It's far better to have errors of a couple of free kicks you don't like than to have broken jaws or concussion."

Following Lindsay Thomas' one-game ban for his crude tackle on Bulldog Lachie Hunter, Kangaroos coach Brad Scott says Thomas' suspension was in part due to his blemished reputation.

"There's no doubt that Lindsay Thomas is paying for sins of the past," Scott said.

"Did we consider challenging the decision? Yes, we did. We felt it was a tackle gone wrong, correctly paid as a free kick.

"The umpire clearly thought it wasn't reportable. The MRP did, but we're pretty clear of the view that if we challenged it we would have lost, because it was Lindsay Thomas.

"That's what Lindsay's got to deal with."

Lindsay Thomas is hit with a one-match ban for his 'coathanger' tackle on Lachie Hunter.

Hunter accepted a one-game suspension for the crude tackle, which saw Hunter head to hospital after the game with concussion symptoms.

Lachie Hunter is reported to have been taken to hospital on Friday night with concussion-like symptoms after the 'clothesline' tackle from North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas.

The Western Bulldogs midfielder played out the game after the final-term tackle but is understood to have been taken to hospital after the Dogs' defeat by his father, former Bulldog Mark Hunter, in consultation with club doctors, to have the symptoms checked.

"He was cleared to go home, but in consultation with the club doctors he went into hospital for further observation which he came through well, he was released a couple of hours later," Bulldogs football manager Graham Lowe said.

"He presented to the club well the next day (Saturday) and also today, and we’ll put him through the appropriate battery of tests to confirm that he is fit and available to be selected this week."

The Western Bulldogs are critical of Lindsay Thomas' high hit on Lachie Hunter, with Marcus Bontempelli labelling the Roo's action malicious.

Hunter had just taken possession of the ball in the Bulldogs' backline during the fourth quarter of North's 16-point win at Etihad Stadium on Friday night, when Thomas rushed in to tackle him and caught him around the neck with his left arm.

"We didn't really like it at all, we thought there was quite a bit of malice in it," Bontempelli said.

"He will be OK, hopefully he can relax and be OK over the next couple of days. But we thought it was quite a bit unfair."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says he has told Lindsay Thomas to ignore criticism that he ducks his head to milk free kicks and to keep challenging opposition tacklers.

"We have no issue with the way Lindsay's playing. In fact, I think Lindsay has improved over the last six years in terms of holding his feet in the contest," Scott said.

"We don't want him playing for free kicks as such but we do want him challenging the tackler and if the tackler doesn't employ the correct technique and Lindsay is able to draw a high free kick, so be it.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has leapt to the defence of Lindsay Thomas, saying the small forward plays within the rules relating to high tackles.

Thomas won at least two free kicks for being tackled high in North's 11-point win over Essendon.

Not only did Thomas' free kicks draw boos from Essendon fans at Etihad Stadium, but Channel Seven commentator Luke Darcy said the Roo's ability to draw head-high contact might not be within the spirit of the game.

"You see a lot of players in the competition who are experts at the technique and the umpires have made it crystal clear that that's the way they're going to umpire the game and the onus is on the tackler," Scott said.

"Anyone who wants to question Lindsay Thomas is kidding themselves and they should question the rule-makers and question the umpires before they question any of our players.

"He is playing to the rule. There's no spirit, there's no asterisks that says this is the rule, except we'd prefer you did this."

Lindsay Thomas accepts a $1,000 sanction for rough conduct against Adelaide's Matthew Jaensch.

The small forward was the first player charged under the new Match Review Panel system after bumping an unsuspecting Jaensch from behind during Sunday's NAB Challenge match in Port Lincoln.

Lindsay Thomas says he is working hard to lose his reputation as a stager, saying it's not something he wants to be remembered for.

"I want to cut it out of my game because I'm coming to the back end of my career and I don't want to be remembered for that, so it's something I'm continuing to work on," Thomas said.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says Lindsay Thomas' history of playing for free kicks is hurting his reputation with the umpires.

Scott said Thomas was desperately unlucky not to receive a free kick deep in the goalsquare when Cat James Kelly appeared to wrap his arms around the North forward and prevent him from accessing the ball during the Kangaroos' semi-final against Geelong.

"My concern right from that incident is that umpires are going to think he's accentuating every (bit of) contact," Scott said.

"I would think most people would think that's a free kick, (Kelly's) arms (are) around him. But umpires are thinking he's faking it.

"You make your bed, you lie in it."

Lindsay Thomas says he is working hard to completely eradicate staging for free kicks out of his game after coach Brad Scott said it was damaging the forward's reputation.

"It's something I don't really want to be remembered as when I retire," Thomas said.

"I spoke to Brad and the players and it's something I have to cut out of my game."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says he won't tolerate Lindsay Thomas staging for free kicks after the small forward was seen to dive towards the ground following a jumper tug by Cat James Kelly.

"We've worked on that and I think he's improved over the last three, four, five years in that stuff," Scott said.

"It's pretty clear, I've said to Lindsay, 'If you keep doing that the umpires will assume you're doing it all of the time even when it is a free kick'.

"So I'll speak to him about that again."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott overrules his medical team by insisting Lindsay Thomas be taken from the ground during Sunday's win over West Coast.

The skilful forward appeared to have strained his right hamstring during the third quarter of the match at Patersons Stadium, but came back on to the ground after receiving treatment.

He came from the ground a few minutes later seemingly at Scott's request and signalled to the medical staff that his night was over before being subbed out of the game.

"He just cramped in his hamstring, so I was a little [hesitant] … we have got, we think the best medical, physio team in the country, but when they put him back on, I was a bit disappointed because he's an important player to us," Scott said.

"We didn't want to risk him. But they're so confident in their ability that they thought he was fine.

"I never overrule a medical decision if it's to say he can't come back on, but I can overrule [a decision] to put him back on, so I did. But we think he will be all right next week."

Kangaroo recruit Robin Nahas hopes to be able to form a partnership with Lindsay Thomas in North Melbourne's forward line.

"I've found it pretty good early on, we've trained pretty well together," Nahas said.

"I'm just trying to complement Lindsay to be honest, to do whatever I can to get him as many goals as he wants."

Ben Cunnington and Lindsay Thomas sign new deals with North Melbourne that will keep them at the club until the end of 2017 and 2016 respectively.

North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas will miss the next two matches after the club decides not to contest his headbutting charge against Giant Jacob Townsend.

"It was a silly thing to do and I've got to pay the consequences now and miss two games. That's the most disappointing thing," Thomas said.

"I just let the boys know how disappointed I was in myself, and I'll do everything I can to get their respect back."

Lindsay Thomas is offered a two-match ban for head-butting Greater Western Sydney midfielder Jacob Townsend.

Lindsay Thomas looks set to be scrutinized by the Match Review Panel for a headbutt on Giant Jacob Townsend.

After kicking 23 goals so far in 2013, more than any other player, Lindsay Thomas reveals a change in his mental attitude rather than technique helped him overcome his problems in front of goal.

"I don't think I changed any part of my routine ... it was just about finding that inner belief," Thomas said.

"The first thing I had to do was actually acknowledge that I needed to do something about my kicking for goal. So I spoke to Tara (Kavanagh), who's the club psychologist and went through the challenges that I was facing.

"The way I saw it was that my football couldn't get any lower than it was, so the only way forward was to progress upwards."

North Melbourne players Majak Daw, Lindsay Thomas and Daniel Wells are reported to have been racially abused by a Hawthorn supporter during a match at the MCG.

"We would encourage any stadium patron to phone or text in to the advertised number and immediately report any anti-social or nuisance behaviour so the matter can be managed by the ground security, and the club if required," Hawthorn chief executive Stuart Fox said.

"Racial vilification at the football in any form is offensive and totally unacceptable – not just to the target of the vilification but also to all players and supporters."

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley apologises to Brad Scott and Lindsay Thomas for his controversial remarks following Thomas' bump on Ben Reid.

"When you cast aspersions over opposition players it's never a good thing, but when that criticism is wrong it makes it even worse," Scott said.

"To Nathan's eternal credit he's called me (and) he's apologised to me, which I didn't think he had to do.

"He apologised to me and to our football club, but more importantly he rang Lindsay Thomas and apologised to him. So I think that speaks volumes for the type of person he is."

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says Lindsay Thomas is lucky to have escaped sanction for his bump on Ben Reid.

"Lindsay has got away with one,'' Buckley told radio station Triple M.

"But that happens - sometimes you get good decisions, you get bad decisions, you get lucky ones, you get unlucky ones.

"That's footy. I have no animosity at all towards anyone at North or anything that's happened. I think there's a grey area in the tribunal and it's up to others to discuss that.''

Lindsay Thomas says he is relieved to not have been suspended after bump which resulted in a clash of heads with Magpie Ben Reid.

"Unfortunately for him, he didn't come back on. He was knocked out, I come off with a pretty sore cheek and I'm just happy that he's alright," Thomas said.

"I didn't really think about it too much after the game. I thought there wasn't really much in it, but after looking at it yesterday I did think I was in a bit of strife.

"I'm just happy I don't have to miss any games of footy. Obviously I missed five games last year through suspension, so I'm just really happy that I get to run out with my teammates this week and put on that guernsey."

A war of words erupts between Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and North Melbourne coach Brad Scott after a bump by Lindsay Thomas leaves Ben Reid concussed from a head clash.

"It was off the ball and it was unprovoked. We'll see how it settles," Buckley said.

"Commentary like that doesn't help. I don't know what incident Nathan Buckley saw, but a head clash is a head clash," Scott replied angrily.

"'Bucks' should just keep his opinions to himself when it comes to things that will be taken care of by the powers that be."

Thomas is subsequently cleared by the Match Review Panel.

Lindsay Thomas has signed a two-year extension with North in what he called an 'easy decision'.

"My manager Michael Quinlan and the club have been in close contact all year but we didn't really rush anything and just let it take its course," Thomas said.

"I've always said I wanted to be a part of North's next premiership and the way things are going, it won't be too long."

Luke Shuey's controversial tribunal defence where he accused Lindsay Thomas of feigning an injury doesn't worry the North Melbourne forward, according to Kangaroos coach Brad Scott.

"It didn't faze him one bit," Scott said.

"Lindsay's been outstanding this year for us under a variety of pressures. What he's shown through this is he's an extremely resilient person. Lindsay will brush this off and get on with it."

West Coast accuse Lindsay Thomas of feigning an injury during a tribunal hearing where Eagle Luke Shuey was accused of striking the Kangaroo forward.

"He keeled over in front of the umpire in a way that suggested he was either winded or in pain," Shuey's player advocate David Grace said.

"Within 10 seconds of this incident, he's sprinting and showing absolutely no signs of a blow to the groin."

North Melbourne responds to the attack on Thomas's character by questioning West Coast's tactic.

"We just heard it late last night but, at the end of the day, clubs will put up whatever they want to put up to get their players off," North's chief of football Donald McDonald said.

"He attacks the footy really hard, plays with a lot of passion and I'm sure all the North supporters are rapt with how he's been going lately."

Injured Swan Gary Rohan has called a radio talkback show to defend North's Lindsay Thomas over the slide tackle that broke his leg.

"I was told in junior footy to put your body between the opponent and the football. Lindsay Thomas did that," Rohan said.

"I thought it was fine. He was first to the ball and I couldn't do anything about it and I was waiting for him to get the ball so I could tackle him."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says poor form and internal issues were behind Lindsay Thomas' late withdrawal from what would have been his 100th AFL game last Sunday.

"There are some things with Lindsay that we've been dealing with internally," Scott said.

"Look, the bottom line was last week he wasn't at his best. We've got a really healthy injury list. So we make the call on selection based on who we think's going to give us the best chance of winning."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says Lindsay Thomas must fix his goalkicking yips or risk being dropped from the side after the wayward forward missed two easy shots on goal in a loss to the Bulldogs.

"There will come a point where Lindsay's value doesn't warrant being in the side," Scott said.

"At the moment I still believe it does. But there is no doubt those misses on the weekend were demoralising to the rest of the team."

Lindsay Thomas has displayed a new set-shot routine during his starring role in North Melbourne's intra-club match in an effort to improve his accuracy that was wayward last year.

"We knew that hard work would get him through it, and he's worked extremely hard with all our staff," North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said.

"He's worked hard on a new routine … a new set-up and approach, so he's got confidence in that now and we've just got to keep reinforcing it."

Brad Scott has dropped small forward Lindsay Thomas, who has battled accuracy issues in front of goal this year.

"We've got to the point now where I've had to make the decision that we're actually hurting Lindsay more by sending him out there to play and he's also not helping the team out there," Scott said.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says that small forward Lindsay Thomas can't perform with the knee injury he's carrying and will have to go for surgery to fix it.

"He trained well, he looked good, but he hasn't been able to get to heights he produced earlier this year, and it is holding him back," Scott said.

"It's a fairly minor operation. It might only keep him out for three to four weeks, but he just can't perform at the moment."

North Melbourne small forward Lindsay Thomas says the challenges of his 2009 season have only made him more determined after having to cope with better defenders in the absence of injured and retired teammates.

"Two years ago, when we had Shannon Grant in the team, Matt Campbell and I were getting the third or fourth [small] defender, which made it a bit easier for us.

"[Last season] we were getting the first and second defenders and it really tested us. I could have played better but, in saying that, it has just made me more determined to have a better season in 2010."