Dale Thomas

Thomas appeared as an intruder in the sixth season of the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2020.

Speculation about Thomas possibly being drafted to the new Gold Coast Football Club team started when Andrew Hamilton reported for the Herald Sun saying "Collingwood's Dale Thomas is the latest name to be linked to the Gold Coast." Thomas vehemently denied these rumours on his blog saying "I want to be the first to say that while the weather and lifestyle would certainly appeal to me, I don’t think that will be happening! I am happy here at Collingwood and am not looking to move."

Dale Thomas became a father to his first born child Matilda Anne Thomas born in 2015 to Hayley Robertson.

He played in the annual split-round game against the Sydney Swans in Sydney, and kicked three goals – two from "screamers" in the first and second quarters, and the other from an uncontested mark. Thomas was heavily tagged in the second half, but Collingwood ran away with a 29-point win, and Thomas was named as one of the best on ground, and one of his marks nominated for Mark of the Week. Thomas was also a star against St Kilda following a horror week at Collingwood, and collected 22 disposals (thirteen contested), kicked a goal, took a "screamer" and also a courageous mark running back with the flight of the ball.

At the conclusion of the 2013 season, Thomas was classed as a restricted free agent due to the eight seasons he served at Collingwood. He decided to test the free agency waters and agreed to a four-year deal to play with the Carlton Football Club. It was confirmed on 6 October 2013 that he was joining the Blues, saying it was "obviously really tough" to leave Collingwood but he was "looking forward to this next chapter" under former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse. On 9 October 2013, Collingwood announced that they would not match the offer the Blues had made to Thomas, making his move to Carlton official.

Thomas finished his fourth season in the AFL with more experience in different position this should help him once the 2010 season starts.

In 2010, he, along with his team mates, won the AFL premiership. Collingwood defeated St Kilda by 56 points in the replay, after the first match was drawn. Thomas was described as having an "exceptional year", and played well in both Grand Finals, finishing third in the Norm Smith Medal vote count in the drawn Grand Final (the highest of any Collingwood player), and again finished third the Norm Smith vote count in the replayed Grand Final, with many commentators describing Thomas as the most consistent player over both Grand Finals. He also came up 3rd in Collingwood's best and fairest count, pulling up short of fellow stars Dane Swan (1st) and Scott Pendlebury (2nd).

2009 was a year of learning for Dale Thomas. Coach Mick Malthouse put Thomas in a variety of positions for the season. He played as a rebounding defender, midfielder, tagger and notably as a defensive forward. These different roles led to Thomas being called a utility player for Collingwood, because of his flexibility to play all around the ground.

Thomas started off the year as a rebounding defender for Collingwood in the NAB Cup. Thomas made an impact in the backline which led to suggestions of playing Thomas as a backman instead of a forward. Fans and football commentators were once again confused as Thomas started round 1 of the 2009 season as a midfielder. His round 1 performance against Adelaide was notable for two umpiring blunders that caused two crucial goals taken off him. The first was a trademark specky that Thomas took, which the umpire ruled as hands in the back. Thomas, not knowing that the umpire blew the whistle, played on and kicked what he believed to be the winning goal. The second umpiring decision came just minutes later. Thomas, under heavy pressure from the opposition, snapped a goal from the boundary. The boundary umpire ruled that the ball was out of bounds. Once a replay of the incorrect umpiring decision was shown on the screen at the MCG, Collingwood fans hurled abuse at the umpires as Collingwood lost by 4 points.

On May 10, 2009, Thomas signed a new 2-year contract for Collingwood After signing his new contract Thomas said "I think when you get drafted you want to stay at one team and sometimes that doesn’t eventuate, but hopefully I can still play the rest of my days here."

Thomas began his 2008 campaign with style in Round 1 of the 2008 NAB Cup in Dubai, where he took a "specky" on the shoulders of his Adelaide opponent . Three weeks later, he kicked a freakish goal against Port Adelaide during a practice match at Princes Park – as the ball was bounced in the goal square, Thomas dodged both ruckmen, jumped in the air and kicked the ball over his head through the goals, right on the siren.

Thomas ended the 2008 season with an average of 15.72 disposals a game and 1.04 goals a game.

Thomas was selected to represent Australia in the 2008 International Rules Series, alongside teammate Scott Pendlebury and many other AFL stars. Thomas had a successful International Rules Series, gathering 19 disposals in the first test, and 16 in the second. He also saved a possible Irish goal when he chased and tackled Irish player Paddy Bradley in the goal square late in the first test. In the second he showed the Irish how he plays the game flying high for a mark but unfortunately not holding the unfamiliar round ball.

Thomas has made appearances on Network Ten's Before the Game. He was nominated twice in 2008 for the show's "Tool of the Week", and was voted "Tool of the Year" by viewers for his video blog filmed in his shower.

During 2007, Thomas was played in a variety of positions including a regular role in the midfield and the forward line, and also instances in defence. He played every game in the 2007 season. He was considered a match-winner in the Round 1 fightback against the North Melbourne Kangaroos, and was also judged one of the best afield in Round 3 against the Richmond Tigers where he collected 25 disposals. After being injured three days earlier against the Port Adelaide Power, he battled in the traditional ANZAC Day game against the Essendon Bombers.

Highlights of the 2007 season came during a match against the Sydney Swans where Collingwood was considered underdogs with a depleted defence. Thomas recorded a career high 4 goals, and was thus awarded three Brownlow Medal votes. He was also judged best afield by commentators against St Kilda where he recorded 18 disposals and 2 goals.

In Thomas' 50th AFL match, against the reigning premiers Geelong, he amassed 18 disposals, playing on the 2007 Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel, in Collingwood's 86 point win, which was the Cats' first loss of the season and second loss in 28 matches. His opponent Bartel collected 20 disposals, but most of these were ineffective disposals and clanger kicks, and Bartel had the lowest disposal efficiency with 55%. Thomas kicked a goal labelled as "Daicos-like" by Channel Seven commentator Bruce McAvaney. He scooped the ball after a loose ball on the 50-metre-arc, ran in ten metres while being chased by Geelong opponent Cameron Ling, and kicked a checkside goal that dribbled through from the boundary. It was nominated for, and won, Goal of the Week. He starred in Collingwood's 100-point thrashing of West Coast Eagles with 20 disposals and three goals. His first goal was the result of a handpass from teammate Rhyce Shaw on the half-back line. He ran nearly 100 metres, taking four bounces, weaving between West Coast opponents, and slotted the goal 40 metres out, and celebrating on his knees in front of the Collingwood cheer squad. He also received a cut lip which required stitches.

Thomas co-owned with some friends a racehorse named Royal Riff Raff, which was sponsored by the Royal Hotel in Drouin. It also won the Drouin Cup on 26 December 2007. After selling the horse he bought another called Village Slickers.

Thomas has become a regular guest panelist on the Nine Network's The Footy Show, after two appearances in 2007 and several more in 2008, including an appearance on the Grand Final Footy Show. In 2006 he was also in the player's revue dancing with several other Collingwood players.

Thomas has appeared in several TV commercials. He was in an ad for McDonald's McHappy Day 2007. He was in an ad for Mainland Cheese Bites with teammates Shane Wakelin, Alan Didak and Brodie Holland. He appeared in a Channel 7 promotion with Nathan Buckley. He features in a Toyota Dream Team ad alongside Leigh Matthews. He features in an ad for Footy Kickers potato chips. He also had a spot in an ad for Herald Sun AFL Footy Cards alongside other AFL players.

Thomas made his debut in the AFL in round one of the 2006 AFL Season, in Collingwood's match against the Adelaide Crows. Thomas gathered 16 disposals, kicked two goals and took a spectacular mark on an Adelaide opponent's back. In Collingwood's round two win against Hawthorn gathered twenty disposals and was nominated for the 2006 AFL Rising Star award. By round two he had become a cult figure at Collingwood.

During the 2006 ANZAC Day match against Essendon Thomas was nominated for both Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year. He took a spectacular mark over Essendon player Andrew Welsh. He also kicked a memorable goal, baulking an opponent and kicking from 50 metres under pressure.

Thomas' season was marred by an injury to his collarbone on 5 August. Thomas returned to play in Collingwood's defeat in the 2006 First Elimination Final to the Western Bulldogs, where he took a spectacular mark on the shoulders of an opponent.

In the TAC Cup 2005 Grand Final, which Gippsland Power won, he won best on ground with four goals and 20 disposals. He took a high flying "specky" mark in the second quarter and kicked a dribbling goal from the boundary. He was selected in the TAC Cup Team of the Year. He was also named as an All-Australian in the 2005 Under-18 Championships as a half forward flank, in which he represented Vic Country.

Dale Thomas was selected by Collingwood with their first pick in the 2005 AFL Draft (the second pick overall).

In 2003 he was selected in the Under-16 Vic Country squad playing on the wing. He was later selected in the 2005 Vic Country squad playing on the half forward flank. He was the vice-captain of the Gippsland Power squad in 2005, scoring goals in 14 out of 18 games for the Power. He was one of four school captains at Drouin Secondary College in 2005.

Dale Thomas grew up in Drouin with his mother Kaye, father Darryl and his sister Jessica. As a child, he idolised the Geelong Cats' Gary Ablett, who also grew up in Drouin. He idolised Ablett so much that he used to repeatedly watch his grandfather's tapes of Ablett and Geelong and recreate Ablett's marks and goals. His favourite highlight was Ablett's one handed mark over Collingwood's Gary Pert in Round 7, 1994.

Dale Robert Jordan 'Daisy' Thomas (born 21 June 1987) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club and Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Thomas was a priority pick in 2005 where he then played with the Collingwood Football Club from 2006 to 2013 before transferring to the Blues in 2014.