Lindsay Thomas says he wants to be remembered as an honest and hard-working Shinboner who gave it his all.

The dynamic forward departed the club at the start of November, and says while saying goodbye was tough, he will cherish some amazing memories from his time at Arden Street.

“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I’ve been here (North) most of my life and unfortunately it’s come to an end,” Thomas said.

“I’m super proud of what I’ve been able to achieve at the footy club. A shy indigenous boy from Port Lincoln coming to the big smoke and making an impact, like I felt like I have in 11 years, is pretty cool and I’m pretty happy and proud of my achievements.”

The 29-year-old represented the royal blue and white on 205 occasions, booting 325 goals, which places him 11th on North’s all-time goal kicking list.

Thomas said he never expected his career to pan out in the positive manner that it did.

“I didn’t know how I was going to go, and I always thought I was going to last here two or three years and then I’d eventually move back to Adelaide, but I fell in love with North Melbourne.

“I remember I lived with Brady Rawlings and his wife when I first got to the footy club. They took me in and looked after me like I was their son, and that made me feel really comfortable.

“I remember coming in with legends of the footy club like Brent Harvey, Adam Simpson, Glenn Archer, Shannon Grant, and I was just star-struck. I didn’t really know how I was going to fit in, but Brent Harvey’s been a big impact in my life, not just with footy but away from footy as well, along with Daniel Wells.”

When it comes to Thomas’ most memorable moment at North, it is his good mate’s record-breaking match which stands out the most.

“Obviously we played games to win finals and win premierships, but to be able to play in Boomer’s record-breaking game, that night was unreal and he’s close friend of mine, and that game was probably one of the highlights of my career,” Thomas revealed.

As for his legacy at the club, it’s not just his on-field contributions he wants to be remembered for given his extensive work with North’s community programs.

“I look back now and I know at times I can be a frustrating player to watch and to support. Footy’s an up-and-down game and I just want to be known as an honest, hard-working person.” Thomas said.

“… a true Shinboner, and someone that gave his all and hasn’t left anything in the tank.

“On-field stuff, that’s well and truly good, but I think also what I want to be remembered for is the work I’ve done off-field with The Huddle and our Indigenous programs. That’s something that I’m really passionate about.

“To pave the way for our young indigenous players like Paul Ahern, Jed Anderson and Jy Simpkin, is something I’m definitely really proud of.”