Thomas to be thrown lifeline

NORTH Melbourne livewire Lindsay Thomas will be rookie listed by Port Adelaide later this month, while fellow veteran Andrew Swallow remains hopeful of joining Gold Coast under a similar deal.

The Kangaroos yesterday delisted Thomas despite the 29-year-old having one year to run on his contract at Arden St. The Power will select the small forward in the AFL rookie draft on November 27 after putting him through a medical examination.

All parties mutually agreed to the deal, which will see North Melbourne pay out the final year of Thomas’s contract and it is believed the 205-game veteran will also be offered a post-football job within Port Adelaide’s Aboriginal AFL Academy.

Originally recruited from Port Adelaide’s SANFL team with pick 53 in the 2006 national draft, Thomas played just nine AFL matches this year after twice being dropped to the VFL and serving two separate suspensions.

The Kangaroos still expect to strike a similar deal for former skipper Swallow, who made public his desire to join brother David at Gold Coast Suns during last month’s trade period. As with Thomas, the 224-game midfielder is contracted for next year, but the Kangaroos have been working to help facilitate a move that could see him join the Suns through the rookie draft.

Swallow, who turns 31 next June, averaged almost 20 disposals from 16 games this year.

The Kangaroos have already made seven list changes this off-season as they go about an aggressive rebuild.