Mark Thompson quits as Geelong coach

[The Coon Dog]

Scott Gullan - Herald Sun - 4 October

EXCLUSIVE: MARK Thompson has handed in his resignation as Geelong coach.

As reported on SuperFooty exclusively on Friday, Thompson will not fulfil the final year of his contract to coach the Cats next season.

The decision is expected to become official later today.

Thompson last week told the Cats heirarchy he was burnt out and was given a week to weigh up his future.

At the Cats' best-and-fairest dinner on Thursday night he did not reveal his decision but hinted he would not be back next year.

Article in full...

[Greystache]

He's going to come off as highly hypocritical if he joins Hird at Essendon given the way he's publicly spoken about Ablett and loyalty. Personally I think he'll end up there in the near future.

[Remi Moses]

Going to betray a lot of folk down at Geelong if he takes up a position with Hird.
Dead man walking when he stated he had burnout

[LostDoggy]

If he goes to Essendon, he'll be the biggest 2 faced since Nathan Brown.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

If he goes to Essendon, he'll be the biggest 2 faced since Nathan Brown.

This.

Thompson is a smug prick anyway.

[LostDoggy]

IMO, he has chosen his words so carefully....."I will not be a senior coach again, I'm burnt out, etc., etc.". Not once have I heard him say he will "not be involved" with coaching, so I think he is leaving the door open to go to the Bumbers. Have a Bumbers supporter at work who has been dancing around since the Hird appointment and is convinced Thompson will join Hirdy (BTW - he is also talking a premiership 2011!!!! - typical!)

[AndrewP6]

As Cinder has said, poor form... to say you're burnt out etc... and a short while later sign on at another club... very ordinary.

[Murphy'sLore]

Very lame. It's embarrassing. I used to have some respect for Thompson, it's all gone now.

[LostDoggy]

What happened to class? Thompson could have exited Geelong deservedly as a double premiership hero, been welcomed back to the Dons with open arms, had Sanderson installed as his legacy at Geelong, and been remembered fondly by all for the rest of his days.

Instead, all this stupidly transparent cloak-and-dagger crap has made everyone in this mess look like a goose, and diminished the dignity of the game and its participants, and no one, and I mean NO ONE (not even Essendon people) will really look at the bloke with any REAL respect ever again. A guy who can behave with so little class will just as readily stab you in the back as sign on your dotted line.

[Remi Moses]

What happened to class? Thompson could have exited Geelong deservedly as a double premiership hero, been welcomed back to the Dons with open arms, had Sanderson installed as his legacy at Geelong, and been remembered fondly by all for the rest of his days.

Instead, all this stupidly transparent cloak-and-dagger crap has made everyone in this mess look like a goose, and diminished the dignity of the game and its participants, and no one, and I mean NO ONE (not even Essendon people) will really look at the bloke with any REAL respect ever again. A guy who can behave with so little class will just as readily stab you in the back as sign on your dotted line.

Couldn't agree more the guy has sullied his reputation in one foul swoop.
The phone calls during the ACTUAL SEASON is very poor form from both Thompson and the Essendon Football Club ,just shows how obnoxious they are.They can have the Dream Team coaches box but with that crap midfield they're going nowhere!

[mighty_west]

He's a hypocrite, so what, we live in a world full of em, neighbours, family members, friends etc etc.

[GVGjr]

I made mention during trade week that if I had any say in proceedings then I would never trade with Hawthorn or Essendon because they are notoriously bad to deal with.

Thompson, Essendon and even Hirds conduct during the Thompson 'burnt out' scenario is deplorable and has only enforced my view of them.

Lets start with Hird.
Around the same time as Thompson started some communications with Essendon Hird also started the destabilizing of Knights tenure at Essendon with his 'slip-up' comments on Fox's On The Couch. This resulted in a vastly increased media scrutiny and whilst the baby faced assassin kept denying he wanted the position or was capable of doing it in the short term, he masterfully kept adding fuel to the fire by not answering direct questions or giving unequivocal assurances that he would not coach the club. No sooner it would quieten down, Hird would somehow make another comment that brought it back into the spotlight again.

The club
All of a sudden Essendon had unprecedented Hogans Hero's style leaks from within that put more pressure on Knights. Powerless to stop them, or more likely unwilling to, the leaks kept coming again putting Knights under pressure.
Later on they clearly approached a contracted coach and worked out a plan of deception with Thompson to fool Frank Costa and co into letting him go.

Thompson
For a guy who preached loyalty and the value of being in a side that has the best chances of winning for the first half of the season with Ablett at the same time he stopped making comments in the media he was in communication with Essendon about a position.

I think both Thompson and Hird should have lost significant amount of credibility with the public and the Essendon club has just confirmed to the rest of the AFL that they should never be dealing with them.

I hope we kick their backsides in round one next year.

[The Coon Dog]

^^^^

Excellent post GVGjr.

Clearly the cashed up coteries at Essendon had stuck the knife into Matthew Knights' back early on. There was no way the 'Bombers Mafia' were going to to allow him to continue.

I bet Matthew Knights wishes he had the same level of funding & support Hird has.

[GVGjr]

Clearly the cashed up coteries at Essendon had stuck the knife into Matthew Knights' back early on. There was no way the 'Bombers Mafia' were going to to allow him to continue.

I bet Matthew Knights wishes he had the same level of funding & support Hird has.

If Thompson had been honest he would have approached the Cats and told them of his wish to leave and take a position at Essendon. Why would they want to keep him if he doesn't want to be there and his heart wasn't in it?
The Cats could have then negotiated some form of compensation for breaking the contract for Thompson. As it is they, Thompson and Essendon, just lied to everybody to get what the outcome they wanted and in the process probably damaged any of Knights AFL career ambitions.

They could have got the same outcome without the need to deceive so many people.

By the way, I'm also of the belief that Essendon knew that Andrew Lovetts issues were about to explode before they traded him to the Saints. More fool the Saints for not checking him thoroughly but its another reason that underlines why people should avoid trading with them.

[Ghost Dog]

he masterfully kept adding fuel to the fire by not answering direct questions or giving unequivocal assurances that he would not coach the club. No sooner it would quieten down, Hird would somehow make another comment that brought it back into the spotlight again..

I distinctly, DISTINCTLY recall Hird being put on the spot by Leigh Mathews on a telecast, asking him directly, will you coach the Bombers next year. This was only a few months ago, during the start of finals season. He replied something to the effect of ' There is no way I will be coach of Essendon next year, as I have other business commitments'. It was a straight answer that I recall clearly.

What a crock!