Despite solid form, he struggled to push for selection and managed just two senior games for the 2006 season, both against the West Coast Eagles.
At Richmond, Thomas wore the number 8 guernsey of his legendary father for the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
The Tigers had hoped for his potential to develop, but after he had struggled to win a place in the senior side in 2006, they decided to delist him.
He completed the final two years of his junior career with the Greythorn Falcons Football Club where in 2001 he was named the Best and Fairest player in the Colts competition of the Yarra Junior Football League ; he was the first and so far only AFL player to have played for RJFC.
Roach played the 2007 season for the North Ballarat Football Club in the VFL.