07 May Grand Final hero Thomas opens up on his pathway to glory

Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas says his driving ambition to be the club's number shot stopper was crucial during his lengthy period as an understudy.

Thomas was awarded the Joe Marston Medal for his outstanding performance between the sticks against the Newcastle Jets in the A-League Grand Final triumph.

The 25-year-old had to bide his time before emerging as the Victory’s number one keeper, but that experience was crucial in being able to hone his craft and become stronger in the mind.

“In any walk of life if you have a passion for something and mine was football,” Thomas told SEN Afternoons.

“Regardless of what the situation was in terms of playing or where I was at, I always had ambitions of being the number one goalkeeper.

“The physical side hasn’t changed too much but the mental side is huge.

“I’m at a time when I come to a game very relaxed and as a youngster I used to play the game in my head a thousand times the night before.

“I just really feel comfortable being in the moment and playing the game for what it is.

“That just comes with experience and playing more games. On a personal level I feel like I’m able to go out there and just play naturally and to be clear minded which is massive for a goalkeeper.

“At a young age when you make those mistakes at a big club you tend to get moved on pretty quickly.

“From a personal point of view I couldn’t be happier to play the last few years in a row and to individually make an impact this time of the season.”

Thomas suffered a cut to the head after being on the receiving end of a shocking tackle from Jets striker Roy O’Donovan.

However, the satisfaction of winning the championship eased the pain from the vicious blow.

“I’m not sure what it is about that place because the last time we played in Newcastle I ended up in an ambulance,” Thomas said.

“My head was throbbing and had stitches at the stadium. Once we got back to the hotel we had our post game function and the family was there all the soreness went away.

“It was a big celebration.”

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Listen to Joe Marston Medallist Lawrence Thomas' chat with Andy Maher in the player below

Source: SEN Football