Former North Melbourne and Port Adelaide forward Lindsay Thomas will line up with Portland in 2019
AN Adelaide Footy League division three club has scored a coup by signing a former Port Adelaide and North Melbourne gun for the 2019 season.
LINDSAY Thomas spent his first AFL season living in Melbourne without his partner, Hannah, who stayed in Adelaide to finish high school.
Eleven years later, the couple are now married and Thomas is settling into life as an ex-North Melbourne and Port Adelaide player after pulling the pin on his 212-game career at the top level.
Thomas, 30, is already enjoying spending more time with their three children – Hollie, 8, Indie 5, and one-year-old Cohen – and is looking forward to lining up alongside mates with division three Adelaide Footy League club Portland next year.
“Once I announced my retirement, I explored all my options, but at the end of the day it came down to a family decision,” Thomas, of Semaphore Park, says.
“I have a lot of close friends at Portland and so does my wife, so we decided it was going to be the perfect fit for us.
“To be able to relax and play with a lot of mates, now, will be great.
“I get to take my eldest daughter to school, my middle one to kindy and hang out with my little fella. I love it.”
Thomas looks back fondly at his time in the AFL.
He was homesick during his first five years at the Kangaroos but stuck it out to play 205 games for the club and kick 325 goals – the 11th-most in North Melbourne’s history.
His return to Port, where he had played SANFL for the Magpies, lasted just one season and seven games, dented by getting suspended for four matches for rough conduct and striking against Geelong in April.
“I’ve been very lucky to have a 12-year career at two great clubs,” he says.
“(North Melbourne) gave me things that I never thought I’d be able to get … and Port was so good to me.
“I really trained hard and (Power coach) Ken (Hinkley) came to me and said ‘look, if you can get yourself really fit, there’s a position there for you’.
“I took that as a challenge and I dropped about 4kg in that month and ended up playing seven AFL games for the club, and at the start of the year Ken said I probably wouldn’t play any.”
Thomas announced his retirement before Port’s SANFL clash with North Adelaide at Prospect Oval in August.
His last match was also former Magpies skipper Steve Summerton’s swan song – fitting considering they played their first league games together in 2006.
“I looked over at Summo and he looked at me and we kind of just shook our shoulders then gave each other a hug,” Thomas says.
“It was pretty emotional.”
Thomas remains at Port in an off-field role, working part-time with its WillPower program to promote healthy and active lifestyles among Aboriginal youths.
On the field, he hopes to help Portland’s youngsters develop and play a part in the club’s success.
“I want to bring leadership and that on-field knowledge, as well bringing out the best in all of all the young players,” he says.
