Mark Thompson quits Geelong to join Essendon

[FNM]

Didn't he say he had some personal issues that he had to get sorted?
How could you hold that against someone?

Thought he said he was burnt out
Well, you don't jump from one fire to an even worse one
HOw will changing football clubs make a difference if you're supposedly burnt out?

[jackstar is back again]

changing partners burns people out

[Penelope]

Didn't he say he had some personal issues that he had to get sorted?
How could you hold that against someone?

Thought he said he was burnt out
Well, you don't jump from one fire to an even worse one
HOw will changing football clubs make a difference if you're supposedly burnt out?

Perhaps the two things go hand in hand? feeling burnt out and having personal issues?
I heard him say about the personal issues on the radio today when they played a snippet of his press conference.

Do you know for sure he is coaching someone else?

[FNM]

Do you know for sure he is coaching someone else?

If he doesn't end up at the Bombers, well, he'll be lauded for doing a good job at Geelong and wish him luck on his journey.  But if he ends up there helping out in whatever form you'd have to question the bloke. I'll reserve judgement.
Two premierships at the Cats is a good job, so be hard to criticise him there
But if I'd been a player who'd played under him and he walked out to another club, I'd be pretty disappointed in him. You either are burnt out or you're not.
We shall see!

[Penelope]

If he took another coaching gig I'd agree that it's a pretty low act, but if he takes on a role that is not so demanding then fair enough.

Also, if Geelong want to rebuild you are better off with someone fresh in now, as bomber has supposedly already told the club he wont be coaching them in 2012.

[one-eyed]

ESSENDON and Mark Thompson have been engaged in discussions on his football future since July, according to usually reliable sources.

The sources say key Essendon figures, headed by club president David Evans, have been talking to the then Geelong coach regularly since Round 17, when Geelong was second on the ladder and tracking towards a fourth Grand Final in a row.

They say Thompson also had discussions with new coach James Hird more than once before resigning from Geelong and with Tim Watson, a Channel 7 commentator, former Essendon champion and an influential figure behind the scenes in club affairs.

By extension, Matthew Knights was "gone" as Essendon coach at least five weeks before the end of the home-and-away season, with a grand plan of Thompson as the preferred replacement or a tandem operation of Hird and Thompson.

Knights duly was sacked with two years left on a contract and Hird appointed to replace him. The broad expectation since is that Thompson will join him as his senior assistant and confidante.

Evans refused to comment yesterday - "I'm not going to say anything about that" - while a call to Thompson went to message bank and was not returned.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/mark-bomber-thompson-in-essendon-talks-for-months/story-e6frf9jf-1225938959947

[mightytiges]

If Thomson does join Essendon now as expected then he really has tarnished his time at Geelong at the end by lying to them about quitting because he was "burnt out" and deliberately misleading them saying "he was not going to Essendon..." and adding "to coach" as the disclaimer. Not sure why you'd hurt your friendships, trust, legacy and hero status at one club just to go to Essendon in its current basketcase state because Jimmy has returned ???.

[one-eyed]

Thompson is expected to be appointed by Essendon this week, probably today, in an assistant coaching role with the Bombers after quitting the Cats on October 4. Thompson is expected to help in the coach's box on match day and spend the rest of his time in a more development-focused role.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/bombers-move-to-dons-close-20101103-17e25.html

[Francois Jackson]

If Thomson does join Essendon now as expected then he really has tarnished his time at Geelong at the end by lying to them about quitting because he was "burnt out" and deliberately misleading them saying "he was not going to Essendon..." and adding "to coach" as the disclaimer. Not sure why you'd hurt your friendships, trust, legacy and hero status at one club just to go to Essendon in its current basketcase state because Jimmy has returned ???.

i am so glad Ablett left the Catery now. How he was treated by bomber throughout 2010 was an absolute disgrace.
The sneaky way Bomber answered questions about Ablett staying or going, meanwhile he was plotting his own departure away from Kardinia Park.

He is a tarnished character that bloke and i hope now more than ever the Bombers fail under Hird.

[tiger101]

If Thomson does join Essendon now as expected then he really has tarnished his time at Geelong at the end by lying to them about quitting because he was "burnt out" and deliberately misleading them saying "he was not going to Essendon..." and adding "to coach" as the disclaimer. Not sure why you'd hurt your friendships, trust, legacy and hero status at one club just to go to Essendon in its current basketcase state because Jimmy has returned ???.

i am so glad Ablett left the Catery now. How he was treated by bomber throughout 2010 was an absolute disgrace.
The sneaky way Bomber answered questions about Ablett staying or going, meanwhile he was plotting his own departure away from Kardinia Park.

He is a tarnished character that bloke and i hope now more than ever the Bombers fail under Hird.

I fully agree with you i dont know why he has wanted to tarnish himself after a great era at the cats building one of the most exciting teams to watch in the modern era than he throw's it all away to join the bombers. If he was over coaching i can understand that but wouldnt you just retire from coaching not say i was burn-out than let rumours go on about joining another club after all he said about ablett

[one-eyed]

Essendon still playing games over this......


"To my knowledge there hasn't been a contract signed," Hird said on Monday morning at training. "I know Mark's on a break at the moment and we're respectful of that.

"It's something the club is working through and when there's something to talk about, we'll talk about it.

"At the moment it's pretty obvious there's been speculation about what's going to happen and that's all it is at the moment."

Hird said he last spoke to Thompson a couple of weeks ago, and hoped his former teammate would still agree to return to Windy Hill.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/104921/default.aspx

[cub]

We all know Hirds track record when it comes to telling porkys, who cares anyway.

[one-eyed]

Press conference at 2.30pm at Windy Hill today.

[tiger101]

you beat me to it one-eyed lol. I just heard on the radio press conference at windy hill 2.30pm.

[mightytiges]

The worst kept secret is official. Thompson with work with Hird on a part-time basis. If you were Geelong you'd be pretty peeved at the dishonesty and silly games Thompson and Essendon played since July.

It must be the first time in history any club has appointed someone to their footy dept without them or the coach being at the media conference  .