Daisy cuts it big time

A week is a long time in football, particularly when your name is Dale Thomas. The 19yearold Collingwood recruit’s star rose to new heights after last week’s Anzac Day match against Essendon in front of more than 91,000 at the MCG and suddenly his name was being mentioned everywhere.
Thomas and his mother Kaye were interviewed by every media outlet at the ground after his superb performance on the biggest football stage other than the grand final, but the attention did not stop there.
Stories comparing the former Drouin junior to his childhood hero Gary Ablett, among other greats of the game, appeared in the press the next day and they were followed by promotions such as a radio outlet initiating something called Daisy Watch so fans would know the youngster’s movements, together with a mention in the Herald Sun’s HIT magazine on the What’s Hot list.
The impact Thomas has had after only four games of AFL football has as much to do with his happy and laid back demeanour coupled with his mop of blond hair as it does with his exciting football skills.
The likeable young Gippslander now resides with Collingwood chief executive Greg Swann in Melbourne, but remains close to his family and friends at Drouin.
Thomas laughed when told that sales of Collingwood jumpers with his number 13 on the back had gone through the roof at the Magpies’ merchandise shop, but admitted that the support of fans was good most of the time.
“I think they’ve all been my mates (buying the jumpers) so far but it’s a good feeling when people congratulate you after a win and say ‘well done’,” he said.
“It’s a dream come true to play AFL football and to play on a day like this is something I relished.”
Drouin is notable in Hawthorn Football Club’s heartland and, apart from the Abletts, the district boasts such surnames as Knights, Rice and Tuck, with more than one generation of stars from those families playing the game at the highest level.
Thomas’s mother Kaye had always been a diehard Hawthorn fan, but was only too happy to swap when her son was drafted by the Magpies in November.
“It was easy to give Hawthorn the flick once Dale was selected,” she said.
The transition was complete at the sevenminute mark of the final term on Anzac Day, when Thomas scooped up the ball with one hand, evaded Essendon hard man Dean Solomon and booted a 50metre goal that had Kaye cheering, along with most at the famous ground.
“I was jumping up and down screaming, it was very exciting for Dale,” she said.
“He has worked so hard at everything, it’s fantastic he now has the opportunity to do these things.”
Mother and son paid tribute to the efforts of TAC Cup side Gippsland Power, coached by Paul Hudson. The side played a crucial role in Thomas’s development throughout last season and Kaye believes the habits he learned last year are assisting him now.
“The Gippsland Power do a fabulous job. They teach the kids great discipline,” she said.
“It’s definitely a big step up from Gippsland Power to Collingwood, but Dale has taken a lot of things he learnt at the Power with him.”
The only question that remains is how far the lad known to his mates as ‘Daisy’ can go, but it would not surprise to see his name added to the list of AFL greats in years to come.