Collingwood forward Dale Thomas' had two modest pre-season goals - to get a run in the NAB Cup and to make five senior appearances in 2006.

Two rounds into the new season, the Magpies' top pick at last year's NAB AFL Draft - No.2 overall - got his first goal out of the way early and, judging by his NAB Rising Star nomination for round two, may have sold himself short on the second.

The 18 year-old from Drouin in Gippsland followed up his two-goal debut performance against Adelaide with 20 possessions against Hawthorn last Sunday at Telstra Dome to earn his nomination.

Thomas told a media conference at the Lexus Centre on Tuesday that he feels he's adapted well to senior football and that he's not the least bit concerned about taking on more seasoned opponents.

"I suppose they're always going to be bigger and stronger than you to start with, but if you go out and be scared then you're not going to play your best footy," Thomas said.

"If you go out and take no prisoners then you'll be right."

"The pace was pretty ferocious at the start there, and the intensity. The blokes' attack on the ball is another step up, but after a while you just pick it up and you just roll with it."

Thomas said the club's mentor system had been a big factor in helping him to settle in as well as he has.

He and fellow new recruit Danny Stanley have been grouped with Rhyce Shaw, skipper Nathan Buckley and second-year player Adam Iacobucci.

"I came down here and I knew that it was going to be a lot of hard work but I think the club, they've put the steps in place for us young fellas coming in through the mentors and that's really helped with my step up into AFL footy," Thomas said.

"There's a mix of the young and the old - and with 'Stanners' and Rhyce - Rhyce has come off and injury and 'Stanners' had a setback over the pre-season so it's definitely a good system put in place there."

With his distinctive mop of fair hair and penchant for taking a big grab, Thomas is already a cult figure at Collingwood.

And the good news for his admirers is that, while his primary role is to crumb off Chris Tarrant and Anthnoy Rocca, coach Mick Malthouse has given Thomas license to back himself.

"Being one of the smaller ones you've got to use your strengths to your advantage so if I come up against someone taller than me I'm obviously going to have to jump and if you can put him … out of position, that works," he said.

"If the chance is there for me to jump up and take a mark I've definitely got to go for it.

"I think it comes down to me - if I fly and turn the ball over I've got to take that off my own back. But if I take the mark then Mick's going to be happy."