Exiled Carlton veteran Dale Thomas has pressed his claim for a quick return to the AFL side with a stellar VFL performance for the Northern Blues.

Thomas was stood down from Sunday’s AFL encounter with Essendon at the MCG after he drank several glasses of wine at a charity function two days before last week’s loss to St Kilda.

The 31-year-old, out of contract at the end of the season, appeared to take his demotion in the right spirit in an eye-catching display in the clash with the Bombers’ VFL team at Windy Hill on Sunday.

Playing across half-back, Thomas had a game-high 32 disposals, took nine marks, laid five tackles, went inside 50 five times and had seven rebound 50s.

He went to the bench for assessment in the final term after AFL-listed ruckman Zac Clarke caught him around the neck in a crude tackle but was quickly cleared to return to the field.

Thomas would be a certainty to return to the AFL in Round 12 when the Blues host Brisbane at Marvel Stadium based on his performance, but coach Brendon Bolton said that wouldn’t be the only consideration.

“There’s lots of layers now … form will be one of them but it won’t be the only one,” Bolton said at his weekly media conference.

“It’ll be also about what balance we need in the team. There’s lots of variables, but I’m not going to sit here and say yes or no based on just one criteria.”

The Northern Blues trailed by 12 points at three-quarter time but the Bombers piled on five unanswered goals to cruise to a 41-point win.