Coach Matthew Primus questioned his team's - and in particular his midfield's - willingness to compete for four quarters, following costly lapses against West Coast and Geelong.
The Power started strongly against the Cats last weekend, trailing by seven points at the first break but conceded 61 inside 50s after quarter time and eventually went down by 79 points.
Port Adelaide also managed just one good half of football against West Coast in round two.
Primus declined to single out individuals for criticism, at least in the public arena, and Thomas said the whole team needed to take responsibility for its inconsistent effort.
"Everyone takes it [the criticism] personally to a degree because we try and do our best in the midfield all the time," Thomas said.
"When our head coach and someone as experienced as Matty comes out and says he needs more from his midfielders, it doesn't sit too well to think we haven't been giving enough.
"For us to get that four-quarter effort, it's going to require everyone on the ground getting around each other and supporting each other's role in the team.
"We need to urge each other to compete and I think seeing some really desperate acts this weekend and in our other games this season will really help lift the team."
It's hard to suggest Thomas hasn't done his bit for the team in the opening three rounds of the season.
The tough onballer leads the competition in tackles (32), which is double that of the next-best Port Adelaide player, Travis Boak (16).
Thomas has achieved this feat in spite of separate foot, back and hip injuries.
The 24-year-old tore 25 per cent of his plantar fascia (the connective tissue that supports the arch of the foot) during the pre-season.
He tried to play with the injury against Greater Western Sydney at Willaston in the final round of the NAB Challenge, but lasted only a few minutes before coming from the ground in agony when the plantar fascia in his right foot ripped even more.
"I had just been playing with a bit of discomfort, knowing that eventually the plantar fascia was going to snap completely," Thomas said.
"Against GWS I snapped a further 65-70 per cent of it, so I've only got about 10 per cent left attached now. It feels like I'm running with a rock in my shoe, but eventually that'll finish itself in a game and then I'll be right."
Thomas reached the 50-game milestone against Collingwood in round one without fanfare, predominantly because he wasn't expected to recover from the setback against GWS in time for the game.
The foot complaint is the latest in a long list of injuries and illnesses for the unlucky onballer, who took six years to play 50 AFL games.
In 2006, he came within hours of losing his life and had 15cm of his bowel removed, following complications from surgery to remove his appendix.
Two years later, he missed half a season after tearing the plantar fascia in his other (left) foot.
Thomas, who has also curbed his aggression to avoid missing games through suspension, was hopeful his next 50 games would come a bit easier.
"The first 50 have come with a lot of hard work," he said.
"It was a bit to do with my body adjusting to the workload, but also a bit of bad luck. I'm probably the only guy at the club to have torn a plantar fascia let alone snapped both of them.
"It's just one of those things, but I'm hoping the next 50 games and the next 50 after that come a bit better and hopefully in more of a succession."
Katrina Gill covers Port Adelaide news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter: @AFL_KatrinaGill
