Coaching Staff Mark "Bomber" Thompson - Will present the Jock McHale Medal for 2023 - 4/9

[Mercuri Rising]

As well as the 'there you go'.

Needs more "Trrriple M..."

 

[2one2]

All I know is that judging by Caro's jocular "Isn't Bomber tho wacky and fun?!" routine last night is that the AFL very much want him to be a senior coach next year by hook or by crook.

Remember this at the start of the saga? A lot of the words she is using with absolute certainty here are now reserved only for Hird

http://www.dailyliberal.com.au/story/1331462/thompson-robson-the-likely-fall-guys/

Thompson has been in denial on several fronts, far less convincingly on Fox Footy on Monday night when he tried again to play down his authority at Essendon over the past two years. The fact is that for all his coaching brilliance so crucial for the untried Hird, Thompson has had far too big a say in off-field issues and his failure to follow administrative practices in his zeal to improve and fast-track the Bombers’ fortunes was one reason Paul Hamilton’s position as football boss became untenable.

Thompson was not the only culprit, but there’s no doubt the football department became increasingly cavalier. And there seems little doubt that Thompson pushed for the appointment of Dean Robinson and, by extension, Dank, both of whom were given an irresponsibly long leash. Inexcusable when you consider the players and careers at risk.

Thompson therefore is unlikely to survive and will probably fall on his sword before the year’s end.

 

[Keystone agony]

Same questions were being asked by us during the succession plan. The thing is you can see how much Bomber is enjoying his new role, he still seems to have the fire in the belly to be the senior coach.

I suppose the question is that if Essendon go deep into finals this year with him in charge but struggle next year with Hird what would the Board do?

Ive always thought the coaches role is a little over rated. I think its ultimately the players that bring the success. When they do they make the coach look good and vice versa when they dont the coach looks bad (Carlton).

I still think if you have almost a co coaching role between Hird and Bomber (which it was to a degree in 2012-2013) then us having a bad year in 2015 wouldnt be so much Hird doing a poor job. Hird would be silly not to use Bomber in 2015 if he is still there which he should be after a successful year which you claim us to have.

The things Bomber has done that have changed
- J.Merrett playing up the ground almost a wing position (played small forward under Hird with some defensive negating roles)
- Got Chapman to the club (dont think Hird wouldve persuaded him at all) its inturn allowed a guy like Merrett to play up the ground
- Hurley back, Carlisle FWD (this is always the way Bomber liked it whereas Hird saw it differently)
- Hardingham forward (i still think under Hird he wouldve been sitting in the 2's playing down back)
- Myers starting onball (Still think Hird wouldve seen him and maybe limited him to a 2nd tier midfielder)
- Happy to play many debutants (Unsure on Hird but he didnt seem to pick many brand new players and didnt stick with them for too long)

I think the attitude Bomber has with him only having one year has allowed for alot of exploring and some of the above changes to happen.

Im still not sure we are a better team with Hurley back and Carlisle forward. Im not sure its made any difference. (Ill get slammed for that statement). Certainly a real position for Carlisle if he can become that 2nd ruck forward though, whereas Hurley couldnt do that.

 

[2one2]

I think the fire under his backside has been well and truly lit again.

We're playing the best footy we've played in a long, long time. I don't want him to leave. If we, say, made a preliminary final and he was still raring to go, why risk that?

Agree tenfold... and wouldn't it shut up some haters if Hird showed the class to step not down, but off to the side into a different role, let bomber coach as long as he wants and soak up that knowledge. Then, Clarko, he would surely be #aflaccredited #sadlyidontthinkthiswillhappen

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Would Bomber be displaying any of the attributes we're so thrilled with (how relaxed he is, how many risks he's willing to take wrt youngsters etc.) if he knew there was a possibility of coaching beyond 2014?

 

[dubber]

Hird would be silly not to use Bomber in 2015 if he is still there which he should be after a successful year which you claim us to have.

I think the most important person in all of this is Bomber, not Hird. It will depend on what he decideds.

Best case for EFC is that they both stay together and live happily after. In this case you will have best of both worlds, having Bomber mentor Hird will be a dream.
But there will be egos, personalities and other issues at play i suspect that may make things a little more unpredictable. Time will tell.

 

[dubber]

Would Bomber be displaying any of the attributes we're so thrilled with (how relaxed he is, how many risks he's willing to take wrt youngsters etc.) if he knew there was a possibility of coaching beyond 2014?

And that's what i gathered from his statements on 360.. How amazing would be if it netted you a premiership? I mean your best bet is to be unpredictable come finals time.

 

[Doss]

Would Bomber be displaying any of the attributes we're so thrilled with (how relaxed he is, how many risks he's willing to take wrt youngsters etc.) if he knew there was a possibility of coaching beyond 2014?

It's really an unknown, isn't it?

Is Bomber's passion reignited because it's meant to be a short term appointment? Or it because he genuinely has the love back? Only the man himself really knows.

I do get the very strong impression he has a very deep admiration for the players for sticking together in the face of all the rubbish last year.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

And that's what i gathered from his statements on 360.. How amazing would be if it netted you a premiership? I mean your best bet is to be unpredictable come finals time.

Listening to him speak, especially in the aftermath of us bending over and going all goatse for the AFL, it sounds like he's truly embarrassed that he came here to oversee our transition from a mediocre football club to a powerhouse once more, and three years later he's got very little to show for it except for a good team. My impression was that his overwhelming desire is to see the EFC great once again, and he'll do whatever he can to achieve that, be it coach, be it help Hird, be it whatever else they want him to do.

 

[dubber]

Agree tenfold... and wouldn't it shut up some haters if Hird showed the class to step not down, but off to the side into a different role, let bomber coach as long as he wants and soak up that knowledge. Then, Clarko, he would surely be #aflaccredited #sadlyidontthinkthiswillhappen

And this is where it gets complex. Hird has been promised his position back later in the year. Why would he let someone else coach 'his' team? If he did it would undermine his long term position as the senior coach. And what if he did step aside, what if Bomber then wanted to continue coaching. That will be a messy situation.

 

[Keystone agony]

Its strange though. What does Bomber get out of playing all these youngsters?

If i had one year to coach id play my more senior best 22 players whether that included guys like Ashby, Zerrett, Gleeson at the start of the year or not.

You play youngsters with an eye towards the future. No way are Ashby and Zerrett in our best 22 and maybe they have just played due to injuries. Im sure Jimmy is sitting back going gee we have some talent there in Zerrett and Gleeson i didnt even know about.

I cant really see Bomber going to a 3rd club. We pay him enough i think he will feel involved enough next year in almost a co coaching position and he liked that role enough before he became coach and felt he had enough input.

 

[dubber]

My impression was that his overwhelming desire is to see the EFC great once again, and he'll do whatever he can to achieve that, be it coach, be it help Hird, be it whatever else they want him to do.

I hope you are right for your sake. I mean Mick sounded like he wanted to stick around too initially but then got cold feet.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

A few of points:

1) Hird (IMO) is a very good coach - we were going down a good path with Hird at the helm and our game plan was tightening up. We were being scored against less and we won 14 games last year (most since 2004/5?) and probably could have won a couple more and gone ok in the finals if it weren't for what happened.

2) I believe Bomber is much more relaxed and appears to be enjoying his coaching because he knows it's a one year thing and he knows the exact end date. Like he said, he can make moves and do things that he otherwise would not have been able to do if it weren't for the freedom of knowing his end date.

3) I still don't think he will coach anywhere next year. I think he understand this was a fill in year, that he can enjoy it while he is in the chair but that ultimately he was burnt out at the end of 2010 and he can easily get back to that burnt out place if he throws himself into a whole new role.

In summary, let's not forget that at this point last year we had beaten Adelaide in Adelaide (as outsiders at best), smashed Melbourne by an obscene margin and beaten the eventual grand finalists in Freo at Subi in a cracker. So although I am loving where we are at now (and I think we are much better placed than last year), we still had a similar great start under Hird.

Just my thoughts.

Oh, and why can't we have both

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Mick's a very different man to Bomber though. Combine his bigger ego with the motive of his time coming to an end ("you're finished, old man" versus "I'm back") and you've got a different scenario all round.

 

[dubber]

Mick's a very different man to Bomber though. Combine his bigger ego with the motive of his time coming to an end ("you're finished, old man" versus "I'm back") and you've got a different scenario all round.

Agreed 100%.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Its strange though. What does Bomber get out of playing all these youngsters?

If i had one year to coach id play my more senior best 22 players whether that included guys like Ashby, Zerrett, Gleeson at the start of the year or not.

You play youngsters with an eye towards the future. No way are Ashby and Zerrett in our best 22 and maybe they have just played due to injuries. Im sure Jimmy is sitting back going gee we have some talent there in Zerrett and Gleeson i didnt even know about.

I cant really see Bomber going to a 3rd club. We pay him enough i think he will feel involved enough next year in almost a co coaching position and he liked that role enough before he became coach and felt he had enough input.

Bomber loves coaching but doesn't want the scrutiny of fronting the media every week that's why i can see him easily going back to his old role once Hird returns.

 

[kfc1]

Personally, I would prefer Bomber. But I want whoever the players want to play for, without any distractions of a power struggle. The players need to be motivated by their coach to get us to 17.

Exactly! This is the long and the short of it for me.

 

[kfc1]

And this is where it gets complex. Hird has been promised his position back later in the year. Why would he let someone else coach 'his' team? If he did it would undermine his long term position as the senior coach. And what if he did step aside, what if Bomber then wanted to continue coaching. That will be a messy situation.

Bomber has made it clear several times that this is Hird's team and he is simply taking care of it for him

 

[Zach Package]

it'd be nice if we could take someone at their word, just the once

 

[rines]

A few of points:

1) Hird (IMO) is a very good coach - we were going down a good path with Hird at the helm and our game plan was tightening up. We were being scored against less and we won 14 games last year (most since 2004/5?) and probably could have won a couple more and gone ok in the finals if it weren't for what happened.

2) I believe Bomber is much more relaxed and appears to be enjoying his coaching because he knows it's a one year thing and he knows the exact end date. Like he said, he can make moves and do things that he otherwise would not have been able to do if it weren't for the freedom of knowing his end date.

3) I still don't think he will coach anywhere next year. I think he understand this was a fill in year, that he can enjoy it while he is in the chair but that ultimately he was burnt out at the end of 2010 and he can easily get back to that burnt out place if he throws himself into a whole new role.

In summary, let's not forget that at this point last year we had beaten Adelaide in Adelaide (as outsiders at best), smashed Melbourne by an obscene margin and beaten the eventual grand finalists in Freo at Subi in a cracker. So although I am loving where we are at now (and I think we are much better placed than last year), we still had a similar great start under Hird.

Just my thoughts.

Oh, and why can't we have both

This, this and this. I can't believe we are still discussing it.. and being played for fools by the media agenda again. Players know Hird is coming back, are happy with Hird coming back. Thompson is happy filling in, and I believe will stay next year.

This is completely different to the Buckley/Malthouse situation..

I am 100% confident that we would be playing great footy under Hird too.. because we are a good footy team that played great footy last year and are building towards a premiership.

 

[Maddogm]

I've had the feeling that the only way Bomber would consider staying on as Senior Coach would be if Hird asked him to. That he'd see anything else as a betrayal of trust

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Just put $100 on you guys to make the Grand Final at $5

 

[Coldacre]

Very happy with the way we are playing but it's clear he's not interested in continuing next year. Quite happy to have a fresh Hird come in and resume the good work.

fixed

 

[AlexEss]

I would be shattered if Thompson didn't stay on as senior assistant to Hird almost as much as I would be if he remained senior coach

 

[Coldacre]

And this is where it gets complex. Hird has been promised his position back later in the year. Why would he let someone else coach 'his' team? If he did it would undermine his long term position as the senior coach. And what if he did step aside, what if Bomber then wanted to continue coaching. That will be a messy situation.

I honestly believe Bomber & Jimmy have a gentleman's agreement. I don't think Bomber would have taken on the job unless both parties were 100% clear of what will happen at the end of 2014.