COLLINGWOOD fan favourite Dale Thomas will have to get used to wearing hats and applying sunscreen to his ears after losing his trademark locks in the name of charity on Thursday.

The 24-year-old, whose blond mop has been with him since he was drafted in 2005 and has sported plaits, dreadlocks and a range of shades, traded in his shaggy do for a 'No.3' at the Westpac Centre in front of fans and teammates Nathan Brown, Tyson Goldsack and Ben Reid.

He did it to raise funds for the Portland (Victoria) branch of Make-A-Wish and the N.I.C.K Foundation.

"It actually feels all right so far. I haven't really seen it yet," Thomas said.

"I'm just going off feel at minute and it feels all right.

"But it's not about the hair, it's about the charity and raising money for them so hopefully we've raised a fair bit. Donations are still open for another week so people who haven't donated, if they still could that would be fantastic."

Thomas said the last time his hair was so closely cut, it was "at birth", and he promised to sport some "crooked dos" as it grew back over summer.

He was also yet to gauge the reaction of his mother Kaye, who was in attendance to see Thomas not only lose his mop but a thatch of facial hair courtesy of a cut-throat razor.

"I haven't spoken to her yet but she was laughing a fair bit when it was coming off - but I don't know if that was a good sign or a bad sign," he said.

The N.I.C.K. Foundation is close the club, given it was established by sports science director David Buttifant and two of his friends after his son Nick tragically took his own life in February 2009. 

The foundation was born from the desire to give parents and youth hope and instill belief in the future.

Thomas said he was proud to raise funds for both charities, after being introduced to Make-A-Wish through club captain Nick Maxwell.

"To hear the stories of the people that they help and the kids there who are going through some difficult times … the smiles on their faces and the courage they show really inspires you," he said.

"This was a small way I could help out both charities.

"It's a pretty easy thing; my hair will grow back and for these kids to get an opportunity, one of the young girls has just got back from Disneyland.

"At the end of the day it's only hair and hopefully it will grow back."

The Magpies returned from their 15-day camp in Arizona at the weekend, and have this week off before they head into their last week of pre-Christmas training.

Thomas said the program had been different this year with "more of a footy vibe", and the group came home even more enthused about the new Nathan Buckley-led era.

He also said players such as Jarrod Witts, Peter Yagmoor and Caolan Mooney - who were on their first trips - would benefit from the tough training, which he still found hard himself after multiple visits to the high altitude region.

"I remember I brought my breakfast up on the first day [of my first trip], and I think a few of the boys weren't too dissimilar this time," he said.

"It's certainly a bit of a shock when you get over there for the boys who were encountering their first time, and even the second time it still knocks you around a bit.

"Heath Shaw has been the most now with seven [trips] and I think he still really feels the effect when you first get over there.

"It's a tough camp but hopefully the benefits will be really good going through the rest of the season."

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs