Carlton veteran Dale Thomas declares desire to play on beyond 2019 ahead of 250th game
Ahead of game 250th this weekend, Carlton veteran Dale Thomas reflects on his career since arriving at the Blues — and hopes he can stay around to finish his career on a high.
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It has been a bumpy ride over the past six years.
Once dubbed the No. 1 player in the league by Ross Lyon in 2011, Dale Thomas had bold ambitions when he arrived at Carlton under Michael Malthouse two years later.
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But the debilitating ankle injury, some wavering form, the mental pressures, his umpire sledge and most recently the boozy charity night have tested the energetic playmaker’s resilience over the journey to 250 games.
“It certainly, I guess, didn’t go to plan,” Thomas said.
“If you had a magic crystal ball and you could look at it like (it would have just kept going) onwards and upwards, and my career would have just kept flourishing (after departing Collingwood).
“But I understand that’s life. I’m proud I get to sit here and talk to you about 250 games and I’ve got up more times than I’ve been kicked down.”
Thomas took a pay cut at Carlton to help ease some of the blistering pressure on him, knowing full well he wasn’t worth whatever the club was paying him.
And it cut the 31-year-old deep, knowing he stuffed up badly with his latest indiscretion, letting the club down at its most vulnerable moment, by having a few drinks two nights before a loss to St Kilda.
But, for all of his playfulness and personality, Thomas is adamant his good influence on the young Carlton playing group has most certainly outweighed the small bits of bad, and that his form this season puts him in the conversation for a contract extension for 2020.
In its most pure form, his love of the game remains strong, Thomas said.
“One misdemeanour doesn’t outweigh the good that I have done, and the things that I have been able to do over the five years I have been here,” he said.
“Obviously (the charity night drinks was) not ideal, the timing was shocking, and if I could change it I would, but I can’t.
“All I can do is put my best foot forward and you would like to think, although in this industry common sense isn’t all that common, hopefully it would prevail at some point.”
He has 11 weeks to convince the club powerbrokers, and the incoming coach, he is worth another shot for next season. At times this year he has got his trademark bounce back, playing as well as he ever has in his time at Carlton.
“I think there is probably still a spot for me in this team,” Thomas said.
“So I still think I am in our best 22.
“Whether the club agrees with that going forward and the direction they want to go (is up to them).
“I am open to that and am certainly aware that will be the discussion at the end of the season, but either way I have got 11 weeks or whatever’s left to put my best foot forward and really play some good footy and I’m loving going out there.”
“I understand I’m closer to the end than the start, (so) every game is one I cherish.
“Hopefully we can get some more wins along the way and enjoy it.”
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