Lindsay Thomas credits North Melbourne coach Brad Scott for lifting him from the lowest point in his career.

"I've got the utmost respect for Brad Scott,'' Thomas told The Herald Sun's Warwick Green.

The leader in the Coleman Medal is referring to the period during the 2011 season, where his yips struggles in front of goal were well documented.

"I'm a confidence player, and all that Brad said was, `Look, go back to the VFL and try to find that enjoyment in your footy'.

"He could have just dumped me and left me there to sort myself out, but he went back and played me and showed a lot of faith in me.

"Having a coach like that in my corner, well, it just meant that I love playing for him and love being part of his team.''

Thomas’ fortunes in 2011 are a far cry from where he’s at now; with 23 goals, 8 behinds for 2013 he’s considered one of the AFL’s sharpshooters.

He’s had to overcome plenty of hurdles though.

"The way I saw it was that my football couldn't get any lower than it was (in 2011), so the only way forward was to progress upwards.

"It had to. I just felt that I was letting my teammates down.''

Thomas admits it wasn’t technique and game plan that needed tinkering, more his mindset.

"It's hard to believe, but I didn't change anything, really,” he added.

"The funny thing is I don't think I changed any part of my routine ... it was just about finding that inner belief."

A lot of that confidence was instilled by Scott. When Thomas' was accused of staging for free-kicks, it was the support of the senior coach that mattered most.

"If he said I needed to pull back, then I would. He's the only person I really need to listen to. Him and the other coaches and my teammates.

"But Brad has told me that he's loving the way I'm playing my footy at the minute.''