Footy star Dale Thomas had vodka-fuelled nightclub drinking session with Ben Stokes before Ashes

Cult footy figure Dale Thomas has revealed he partied with Ben Stokes just four days before the Ashes began, with the English skipper ‘dancing around with bottles of vodka’ in a nightclub.

The Collingwood premiership hero was part of the infamous Magpies ‘Rat Pack’ during his 258-game AFL career, and can often be seen enjoying the best the off-field life for famous sports stars has to offer.  

Stokes is no stranger to enjoying a night out after getting involved in a brawl outside a nightclub after downing eight vodka and lemonades and four beers following a Test win in 2017.

There was only dancing this time around, however, as Thomas, Stokes and cricket legends Paul Collingwood and Graeme Smith partied the night away just before Stokes led England onto the field in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. 

Thomas, a huge racing fan, recently returned from a massive few weeks in the UK where he attended Royal Ascot, played golf in Scotland and was able to take in a few days of the Ashes.

Ben Stokes (pictured with wife Clare) was ‘dancing around with bottles of vodka’ just four days prior to the Ashes opener

Dale Thomas said he recently partied with cricket legends Paul Collingwood and Graeme Smith as well as Stokes in a nightclub before the opening England vs Australia clash

‘I went out on the gas on the Saturday night with Ben Stokes, Paul Collingwood and the big left-hand opener, Graeme Smith, from South Africa,’ he said on Triple M’s Midweek Rub. 

‘We had a vodka. Four days before the Ashes and Ben walks us into a nightclub — he I and a couple of others in the back booth and he’s dancing around with bottles of vodka and having a good time.’ 

As England’s struggles with no-balls and extras continue to mount – conceding an astonishing 74 sundries (second-highest in their Ashes history) in the second Test – Thomas revealed he had a joke with mates that very nearly turned into reality. 

The cheeky ex-Magpies and Blues star joked to his friends as they were golfing that Stokes would engage in some light match-fixing, insisting the completely innocent English skipper told him when he would bowl a no-ball.

He was then terrified when he saw it go very close to becoming a reality. 

‘I did take the p**s a little bit with a few mates told them the next day as we went to Scotland and told them he said he’d bowl a no-ball on the fourth ball of his first over, just as a joke,’ Thomas laughed.

‘He comes in for his first over, first ball no-ball, third ball no-ball! I was like, “There’s nothing in it, it was only a joke!”‘

Ben Stokes enjoys a county cricket win with a beer. The England captain went out for a few pre-Ashes vodkas with footy legend Thomas

The popular footy figure, who has transferred seamlessly into a role in the media since retiring, was quite the busy boy during his UK holiday.

Thomas, who got finally engaged last year to long-term partner Natasha Bongiorno, admitted his Aussie larrikin nature got him into a bit of trouble at the time-honoured Ascot racing carnival.

Thomas – who casually name-dropped meeting King Charles – said he got in a little bit of trouble for not obeying authority.

‘Royal Ascot was awesome, got in trouble a lot for taking my top hat off, you have to wear it at all times while in the major building so it was 30-odd degrees and bloody hot in a three-piece suit, so got in a bit of trouble for that,’ he said.

‘It’s amazing when you get told not to do something how much you want to do it. 

‘I ran into the King, which was good fun.’

Thoma (pictured with fiance Natasha Bongiorno) admitted it was ‘good fun’ to run into King Charles at Royal Ascot during  his UK holiday

Stokes is preparing for a crucial third Test at Headingley, where he hopes to recreate his heroics of 2019

The third Test match is crucial for Stokes and his under-fire England side, down 2-0 in the series, with their Bazball approach escaping criticism only due to the huge furore surrounding the Jonny Bairstow stumping at Lord’s. 

But Stokes is adamant the side can replicate some of their most famous heroics yet again at Headingley with it all on the line.

‘I don’t know what it is about this ground but we’ve had some special moments here,’ he said, referring to his famous 155 in the last Ashes series at the venue.

‘And going back before we were all born, you obviously have the game of Beefy [Ian Botham] and Bob [Willis]. It’s just one of those things that we have so many good memories here and you’re always thinking, “It’d be great to make another one now”.’