#32 Matt Thomas

[blackdiamond]

#32 Matt Thomas, drafted by PAFCsince1870 and also allocated to Porthos for the 2008 season.

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Height: 184

Weight: 83

Date of Birth: 27th February 1987

Nickname: Thommo

Contract Details: Expires end of 2009

Position: Half Back Flanker

SANFL Club: Norwood

Recruited From: Sandringham U18 (Pick 8 of the 2005 Preseason Draft)

Career Games: 12 (4 wins, 8 losses)

Career Goals: 4

Honours:
PAFC Best First Year Player 2006

For more career stats click here (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/M/Matt_Thomas.html).


2007 BF Port Player of the Year Results (includes SANFL Stats) (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9351666#post9351666)


2007 Statistics

Games: 4

Goals: 1

Kicks: 18

Marks: 13

Handballs: 25


More info on Matt Thomas

Recruited at Pick number 8 in the 2006 Pre-season Draft from Sandringham, he has become known as a tough player. He can play as either a defender or a midfielder. Because he was drafted from outside South Australia, Matt was placed in the SANFL internal draft, which lets clubs choose which players they recruit when the said player is not playing for their South Australia AFL team. He was picked up by Norwood, and made his debut in the third round of the SANFL, against Woodville West Torrens. He ended up playing 10 games for norwood through the 2006 season, and scored 1 goal.

In 2006, after a few years of dominance, Port Adelaide struggled and realised that they would not make the finals. They started to blood some youth, and Matt was called in to make his AFL debut in round 14 against Richmond, after some impressive mid-season form with Norwood in the SANFL. His first kick in AFL football resulted in a goal, although Port Adelaide lost the match by 38 points. He was kept in the side that played Geelong the next week, and scored another goal. He then played another 6 games for the year, playing 8 in total and kicking 3 goals. In the showdown match against Adelaide in Round 21, Matt was involved in an incident with Adelaide's Trent Hentschel. Trent gathered the ball and was about to kick for goal, when Matt laid a tackle, forcing Trent's knee to be pushed in sideways, requiring a knee reconstruction.

In 2007, Matt spent time in hospital, after complications from having his appendix removed. He lost 15kg in just two weeks, after an abdominal infection following his appendix removeal. It was so severe that he had a section of his intestine removed.

In 2007, he played just 4 games for Port Adelaide, from round 6 to 9.

[Ford Fairlane]

After falling seriously ill in the 2007 pre-season after a post-appendectomy infection, Matty Thomas has bounced back bigger and badder than ever. Looks to be gunning for a tagging role in the midfield, following his efforts in this role in the internal trial and NAB Cup Rd 1 game v Carlton, where the oft-described Michael Wilson clone's vaunted fitness levels should hold him in good stead.

As well as a top performance tagging Nick Stevens (leading Judas 16-8 in possessions over the first 3 quarters) before Stevens moved out of the centre square, Matty stayed in the centre to collect another 11 possessions (81% total efficiency across his possessions). He finished with 10 contested possessions and six clearances as well as three tackles.

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New-look Thomas muscles in on spot

Andrew Capel

A year after almost dying and wasting to look like a "Year 8 schoolkid", Matt Thomas is Port Adelaide's new he-man.

And - judging by his new gladitorial physique and team-best running times in the club's first pre-season training session yesterday - the courageous defender has the inside running to be half-back Michael Wilson's replacement early next season.

The Power had declared Wilson, who snapped his left Achilles tendon in the preliminary final mauling of the Kangaroos, is unlikely to be considered for AFL duty until mid-year. Veteran backman Wilson had the "moon boot" removed from his Achilles 12 days ago & while he has already completed 15 rehabilitation sessions, he is a long way from playing again.

"It was good to see Matty Thomas out there in front (of the running drills)," fitness coach Darren Burgess said as the team's 1 to 3 year players - backed by 11 senior men who returned to training early - went through their paces at Alberton.

"Obviously he had a lot of (health) problems last year and we didn't see him (at training) until February but I'm expecting big things from him next year.
He's looking very good and with a full pre-season under his belt I would think he'd be playing regular senior football."

Thomas, 20, played just 4 AFL games last season after 8 in his debut year in 2006. The fact he played any AFL football at all this year was remarkable after blood poisoning following a routine appendix operation last November nearly killed him. He was just hours from death & seriously ill for 2 months, losing 16kg in the process.

Now - despite supporting a 25cm scar from the middle of his chest to his lower abdomen - he is back looking trim, taut, tanned & terrific & poised for a break through season.

"He's back to weighing in at what he played at in his first year here (84kg), which is great, because he came to us as a solid guy," Burgess said, noting that Thomas has added more muscle to his 2007 frame. Asked whether he was an instant replacement for Wilson, Burgess said: "Most certainly".

However he noted another defensive hardnut, Nick Lower, also is running well & will provide Thomas with stiff competition. Barring injury setbacks, every other Port player besides Wilson should be available for the round 1 re-match against Geelong on March 20.

Half-back Peter Burgoyne has had minor surgery & should be back running in 3 weeks. Burgess said that Wilson was recovering well from his Achilles operation but that it would be a long process to get him back on the field.
"He'll definitely miss a few games & then he'll probably come back through the sanfl to see how he's going but we hope he'll be playing (AFL) again towards the latter part of the 1st half of the season," he said.

(Thanks to Mr Magoo who typed this article out from the print edition of the tiser)

[RussellEbertHandball]

Just Heard Choco on an extended interview on ABC 891 after Sunday Grandstand with Roger Wills. He talked about several things then mentioned Matt Thomas, how he scouted him, said he looks like, trains like and plays like Michael Wilson. Talked about his appendix operation going wrong, the problems that caused for him in 2007 and his expectations for him in 2008. Made one comment that Ford and I have mentioned several times that he expects Matt to take mark of the year some time in his career.