Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas made his 100th Hyundai A-League appearance in Friday night’s 3-1 elimination final win over Wellington Phoenix.
Thomas made his Victory debut in 2011, coming off the bench to play his part in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Brisbane Roar.
Since then, the shot-stopper has kept 24 clean sheets and won 51 of his 100 A-League games.
The 26-year-old is currently enjoying his seventh season as a Victory player and has been a regular first-choice for Kevin Muscat since 2016.
Raise the bat, Loz! #MVFC #OurVictory pic.twitter.com/eJ9p6iBFQU
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) May 4, 2019
Here are some of Thomas’ Victory highlights so far, starting with the obvious one:
Joe Marston Medallist 2018
Thomas’ heroic performance in the 2018 A-League Grand Final earned him the Joe Marston Medal – becoming only the second goalkeeper to achieve this feat since 2006.
On the night, Thomas pulled off a catalogue of incredible saves including a memorable double-save in the first half.
Thomas’ bravery earned him a Grand Final clean sheet, a second A-League Championship medal and an abundance of head bandages.
He was the Joe Marston Medallist for a very good reason! #MVFC pic.twitter.com/0TDpAhIz6g
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) July 15, 2018
The double
Thomas played an important role in the latter stages of Victory’s double-winning season in 2014/2015 – keeping four clean sheets in seven appearances.
In the Grand Final at AAMI Park, Thomas kept Sydney at bay for 90 minutes – ensuring an emphatic 3-0 win over the Big Blue rivals.
Goals from Besart Berisha, Kosta Barbarouses and Leigh Broxham sealed Thomas’ first taste of Grand Final glory.
There's nothing better than big games at @AAMIPark! @lawrencet92 and @KostaBarb7 reflect on the biggest of them all in At Home With Victory, presented by @MetriconHomes #MVFC #OurVictory pic.twitter.com/xPXgFm8ouO
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) May 2, 2019
A five-star performance
In the final round of the 2015/2016 season, Brisbane Roar visited AAMI Park needing a win to be crowned A-League Premiers.
In only his fifth appearance of the campaign, Thomas frustrated the visitors by making a host of top saves – including a one-on-one with Jamie Maclaren.
Late in the game, Brisbane’s last chance fell to James Donachie. Once again Thomas remained unbeaten and denied the Roar’s bid to finish top-of-the-table.
Thomas the Tank #MVCvBRI #MVFC @lawrencet92https://t.co/NuOPaG8ybc
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) April 9, 2016
