Opinion Bomber Thompson vs Chris Scott

[Romeoh1]

Bomber is the one who turned this club around, and stopped other clubs laughing at us, and gave every cat fan something we only dreamed about..so will always be number 1 to me..Scott close second

Agree with that - yet he also had a terrific pool of talent to mould into a team. And he lost the 2008 final which we should have won by 10 goals- to a team that was years off being ready to win a flag, and to flipping hawthorn for crying out loud, and I can’t quite let that go. People get stuck into Scott for losing finals but he didn’t really lose us one like that- he actually got us further into the season than we deserved to be, on numerous occasions.
They are both wonders for mine and I can’t separate them. Forever grateful to them both. I spent so many years following Geelong for no flag and now we are a powerhouse thanks to them and so many others behind the scenes.

 

[catters_28]

On 2008, did Bomber catch much heat for us losing that grand final?

I mean as the poster above me said we should have won that easily. But we brought in injured players and were comprehensively outcoached on the day.

Was there much heat about this or did it not really escalate because of how good 07 was? And then of course redemption in 09.

I was only 12 in 08 so can't remember.

 

[dazbroncos]

It can't be forgotten that not just the team, but the club, was in a far, far worse state when he took over. Very different set of circumstances.

Great great point... whilst CS and co have done it their way.. there was a blueprint they followed.

Bomber and co blazed that trail.

GO Catters

 

[dazbroncos]

On 2008, did Bomber catch much heat for us losing that grand final?

I mean as the poster above me said we should have won that easily. But we brought in injured players and were comprehensively outcoached on the day.

Was there much heat about this or did it not really escalate because of how good 07 was? And then of course redemption in 09.

I was only 12 in 08 so can't remember.

jesus I got socks older than you lol

* im old


GO Catters

 

[Cataholic]

Great great point... whilst CS and co have done it their way.. there was a blueprint they followed.

Bomber and co blazed that trail.

GO Catters

Bomber & Co blazing that trail, and nailing 2007, was so cathartic for the club and its supporters.

Feeling that weight lift off the shoulders with pure euphoria in 2007, after so many, many years wandering in the wilderness, fighting for simple survival as a club, was indescribable.

Bomber brought back our pride, belief and joy as supporters.

 

[Romeoh1]

On 2008, did Bomber catch much heat for us losing that grand final?

I mean as the poster above me said we should have won that easily. But we brought in injured players and were comprehensively outcoached on the day.

Was there much heat about this or did it not really escalate because of how good 07 was? And then of course redemption in 09.

I was only 12 in 08 so can't remember.

People, myself included, quite rightly, forgive bomber for 2008 for all the reasons given. We all love bomber for the mighty achievements. But I will always rue that loss. It’s a rare thing to go back to back and that was a golden opportunity. And it’s a slight on just how brilliant and dominating that team was.
Scott gets judged more harshly for 2013, with less justification.

 

[Partridge]

People, myself included, quite rightly, forgive bomber for 2008 for all the reasons given. We all love bomber for the mighty achievements. But I will always rue that loss. It’s a rare thing to go back to back and that was a golden opportunity. And it’s a slight on just how brilliant and dominating that team was.
Scott gets judged more harshly for 2013, with less justification.

Hmm not sure about that. I still judge 2008 extremely harshly, they should have won that game. And I wanted Stokes flayed alive after the game. But 2013 to me was far more self-inflicted. It wasn't just one mistake, it was multiple ones, all at the same time, and all easily avoidable.

So to me, 2008 is number one for flags we should have won, but 2013 is number two. And for coaching contributing to it, reverse the order.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Agree with that - yet he also had a terrific pool of talent to mould into a team. And he lost the 2008 final which we should have won by 10 goals- to a team that was years off being ready to win a flag, and to flipping hawthorn for crying out loud, and I can’t quite let that go. People get stuck into Scott for losing finals but he didn’t really lose us one like that- he actually got us further into the season than we deserved to be, on numerous occasions.
They are both wonders for mine and I can’t separate them. Forever grateful to them both. I spent so many years following Geelong for no flag and now we are a powerhouse thanks to them and so many others behind the scenes.

Bomber has some responsibility but players mainly lost that game..

 

[Romeoh1]

Hmm not sure about that. I still judge 2008 extremely harshly, they should have won that game. And I wanted Stokes flayed alive after the game. But 2013 to me was far more self-inflicted. It wasn't just one mistake, it was multiple ones, all at the same time, and all easily avoidable.

So to me, 2008 is number one for flags we should have won, but 2013 is number two. And for coaching contributing to it, reverse the order.

Yep, fair comments but wasn’t 2008 also self-inflicted? Happy to disagree re the coaching.
Anyway, both coaches made mistakes and both redeemed themselves- so we are lucky.

 

[Romeoh1]

Bomber has some responsibility but players mainly lost that game..

Maybe, but doesn‘t the coach have any responsibility for getting a champion team, full of talented players, to play their best footy when it matters? Hasn’t it been levelled at Scott quite a bit over the years for our finals failings- we didn’t bring our best footy at the pointy end of the year?

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Just ask Kent Kingsley

Surely that rumour was false.

 

[Badtemperedbadger]

Hmm not sure about that. I still judge 2008 extremely harshly, they should have won that game. And I wanted Stokes flayed alive after the game. But 2013 to me was far more self-inflicted. It wasn't just one mistake, it was multiple ones, all at the same time, and all easily avoidable.

So to me, 2008 is number one for flags we should have won, but 2013 is number two. And for coaching contributing to it, reverse the order.

Except in 2013 we didn’t even play in the GF.
Big difference

In any case anyone who has played at any level or watched football know sometimes the footy gods abandon you. Sliding door moments, if we had done things in 2008 or 2013 differently doesn’t necessarily change things.

Both are legends of the GFC in my opinion, I’m old enough to have witnessed four losing GF’s prior to 2007, so to see 4 premierships in the ensuing 17 years is quite frankly outstanding.

Over the course of 100 years plus your going to have plenty of ”what if” moments I prefer to focus on the successful moments/times

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Hmm not sure about that. I still judge 2008 extremely harshly, they should have won that game. And I wanted Stokes flayed alive after the game. But 2013 to me was far more self-inflicted. It wasn't just one mistake, it was multiple ones, all at the same time, and all easily avoidable.

So to me, 2008 is number one for flags we should have won, but 2013 is number two. And for coaching contributing to it, reverse the order.

The 2008 loss is as bad as it gets.

What makes it even worse is that the 2008 team is the best Geelong team I’ve ever seen - that year they were at the peak of their powers… but have nothing to show for it.

I swear it gets worse as the time goes on. Yes we’ve won 3 flags since then, but it still stings.

 

[Partridge]

The 2008 loss is as bad as it gets.

What makes it even worse is that the 2008 team is the best Geelong team I’ve ever seen - that year they were at the peak of their powers… but have nothing to show for it.

I swear it gets worse as the time goes on. Yes we’ve won 3 flags since then, but it still stings.

Yep they failed the most basic football premise - take your chances in front of goals. I still maintain we played ok, and a few players were brilliant (Ablett, Scarlett, Selwood), and a lot of things were done well. But counts for nothing if you can't kick straight. And unfortunately we didn't.

 

[patience]

The 2008 loss is as bad as it gets.

What makes it even worse is that the 2008 team is the best Geelong team I’ve ever seen - that year they were at the peak of their powers… but have nothing to show for it.

I swear it gets worse as the time goes on. Yes we’ve won 3 flags since then, but it still stings.

I'll never forget the shock of it. Monday morning we were all still walking around wondering what the hell happened. It was beyond belief.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Yep they failed the most basic football premise - take your chances in front of goals. I still maintain we played ok, and a few players were brilliant (Ablett, Scarlett, Selwood), and a lot of things were done well. But counts for nothing if you can't kick straight. And unfortunately we didn't.

Have you watched it since?

 

[Mr Meow]

I'll never forget the shock of it. Monday morning we were all still walking around wondering what the hell happened. It was beyond belief.

Swings and roundabouts though. Some players have said they're not sure they would have had the hunger to prevail in 2009 if they'd won the 2008 grand final. That slice of redemption didn't fully cancel out 2008 but it helped. We had to wait a while for a second flag Scott redemption but he gets bonus points for doing it with basically an entirely different team in the end.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Same same but different.
2 flags each, none back to back, but did them completely differently from completely different bases.
I almost refuse to seperate them, the only factor is Scott still has time to go one better.

 

[Cataholic]

Same same but different.
2 flags each, none back to back, but did them completely differently from completely different bases.
I almost refuse to seperate them, the only factor is Scott still has time to go one better.

The difference in the bases is where I give an edge to Bomber at this point in time.

Scott took on a club that had just won 2 flags in the preceding 4 years.

Bomber took on a club that hadn't tasted victory for 37 years and been perilously close to bankruptcy. Many supporters were of the belief that they'd never see another flag in their lifetime.

Bomber, Costa & Co turned that all around in 7 years.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Have you watched it since?

One day I hope too.
Perhaps now that Hawthorn are struggling might be the time

 

[Mad_Hatter]

The difference in the bases is where I give an edge to Bomber at this point in time.

Scott took on a club that had just won 2 flags in the preceding 4 years.

Bomber took on a club that hadn't tasted victory for 37 years and been perilously close to bankruptcy. Many supporters were of the belief that they'd never see another flag in their lifetime.

Bomber, Costa & Co turned that all around in 7 years.

But at the same time bomber was afforded amazing father sons, multiple top 10 picks, and multiple picks in historical drafts, which Scott didn't have, which to me offsets the above, hence why I won't split them.

 

[Cataholic]

But at the same time bomber was afforded amazing father sons, multiple top 10 picks, and multiple picks in historical drafts, which Scott didn't have, which to me offsets the above, hence why I won't split them.

I see your point, but I think for a lot of older supporters Bomber will always been seen as a saviour.

For many years we followed a club that went nowhere, who choked when it mattered.....and after a while the belief that it'd ever change had virtually died for many of us. Then came 2007.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

I see your point, but I think for a lot of older supporters Bomber will always been seen as a saviour.

For many years we followed a club that went nowhere, who choked when it mattered.....and after a while the belief that it'd ever change had virtually died for many of us. Then came 2007.

I AM an older supporter lol
This is kinda why I hate comparisons, too many people feel like you have to denigrate an option to talk up the other (or vice versa) when it simply isn't the case (not saying you are doing that either BTW).
Bomber was part of the group who saved our club (Costa, Cook, Bomber, Wells, Balme) and deserves the credit for it.
Scott was part of the group who kept us at the top and continued the run of success the above group started, and also deserves the credit for that aswell.
That's why I can't split them, both were/are amazing but also 1 part of a larger group.
If Scott snares another flag, in particular if we can win it this year and go back to back, then I'll rethink it.

 

[PhatBoy]

Not dismissing for a moment that Thompson built us into a great side but the picture being painted here is that he inherited a Brisbane Bears level team.

The team he took over at the start of 2000 went 10-12 the year before and still had a good, if a bit ‘star-less’ nucleus - Hocking, Mensch, McGrath, Burns, Milburn, Riccardi, King, Graham, Sholl, Houlihan etc and a fair few players from the 97 team that finished top 4. The club itself was in a horrible state but he did have a bit to work with and that was evidenced by a finals appearance off the back of a 12-9-1 finish in his first season in charge.