-. Nathan Thompson

[Lidge]

About
Again led the Roos’ goalkicking in 2006. The strong-marking forward was the go-to man and shone with a season-best haul of eight goals against his former club Hawthorn. Narrowly missed winning the best and fairest, finishing equal second, but led the club in Brownlow Medal votes.

Records
Player honours:
2nd Best and Fairest 2006
3rd Hawthorn Best & Fairest 2001 (equal)
Kangaroos Leading Goal Kicker 2005, 2006
Hawthorn Leading Goal Kicker 2003
AFL Rising Star Nominee 1999
Hawthorn Pre-Season Premiership 1999
AFL Rising Star nominee 1996
Pre-season Premiership side 1998
Previous AFL club: Hawthorn (1998-2004: 119 games, 192 goals).
Draft history: 1997 National AFL Draft 7th round selection (Hawthorn) No. 82. 2004 National AFL Draft trade by Hawthorn for No. 10 (Chris Egan) and No. 26 (Matt Little).

 

[Urmoe]

Re: 23. Nathan Thompson

Nathan Thompson and Corey Jones on track

Michael Horan
January 08, 2008 12:00am

HIGH-PROFILE Kangaroos pair Nathan Thompson and Corey Jones are on track to make a Round 1 return to AFL action.
Both emerged from the Roos' first post-Christmas training session yesterday in good shape, Thompson completely recovered from last year's knee reconstruction and Jones in full training after having a pin inserted in his foot to help mend a stress fracture.
The Kangas returned from a 16-day layoff during the festive season in the sort of shape that won the approval of coach Dean Laidley.
"I was really pleased with the shape they came back in, re their weight and skin folds. Their attention to detail across the break was good," Laidley said.
Twelve months ago Laidley put his squad through a significantly tougher pre-season than a year earlier and this time around he has asked for even more from his men.
"We've certainly upped the ante. There was a large component of running with a bit of football involved prior to Christmas but now really the football side goes into full swing," he said.
Jones missed yesterday morning's running session but Laidely said it was simply part of "kid gloves" treatment in the build-up to the season.
"He's probably a little bit behind the others, but we'll be in no rush with him. We'll just make sure he's ready for Round 1," he said.

"He's worked enormously hard with cross training and if you look at him, he's in really good nick. We're not going to rush him, that's for sure."
Thompson also missed the morning run but there is no problem with the veteran forward.
"He trained this afternoon, with the older guys in particular, because we do a lot of our running in the morning and then train in the afternoons," Laidley said.
"Rather than warm them up twice, we let them do it all in one session.
"He's (Thompson) absolutely ready to play.
"Coming off a knee reconstruction, we will pinpoint the games he needs to play during the pre-season to have him right for Round 1.

"We don't want to burn him out by playing him in a lot of games, but we don't want to underplay him either."
The Roos, who made it through to the preliminary final last year before being eliminated by Port Adelaide, have delighted their coach with their work.
"Lachlan Hansen, with his running has certainly picked up the pace, Ben Ross has been very good. Just coming to mind they've been the two standouts," Laidley said.
"But across the board we've had 95 per cent of our blokes do 95 per cent of the work, so we're really happy with that. A large chunk of our guys now have a big base behind them."

 

[shintemaster]

Re: 23. Nathan Thompson

Draft history: 1997 National AFL Draft 7th round selection (Hawthorn) No. 82.

Makes you realise how much luck is involved in the drafting process. We all bag our own and other clubs choices but it's patently obvious that a good eye for talent & a bit of luck can go a long way. What I do think is important in these days of taking selection control away from coaches is that clubs have a plan for how they want their list structured. A five year plan that says "We want to win a premiership" is about as useful as gumboots in a swimming pool.

On Thommo, how do people think he'll come back? That first Intra Club in a couple of weeks will be very interesting viewing for a number of reasons, foremost of those for me is to see how match aware Thompson is after a year out.

 

[Urmoe]

Re: 23. Nathan Thompson

Nathan Thompson's return imminent
7:42 PM Mon 4 February, 2008

By Luke Holmesby

NORTH Melbourne assistant coach Darren Bewick says tall forward Nathan Thompson is almost certain to return to senior football in the first week of the NAB Cup.

Speaking at the Kangaroos’ Telstra AFL Community Camp in Bairnsdale, Bewick said Thompson would make his return against the Western Bulldogs next Friday after a 12-month layoff with a knee injury.

“Nathan’s done everything since the start of the finals last year,” Bewick said.

“He just wants to play a game of footy and I’d be very surprised if he wasn’t playing up in Darwin.”

 

[Urmoe]

Re: 23. Nathan Thompson

Thompson set for return if conditions allow
February 12, 2008 - 3:19PM

Kangaroos forward Nathan Thompson's long-awaited return to AFL football after a knee injury looks set to hinge on the weather.

Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley said Thompson, who has been out of action for nearly a year, was set to play in his side's pre-season competition opener against the Western Bulldogs in Darwin on Friday night.

But the Northern Territory weather looks likely to determine whether the Roos risk Thompson, with Laidley keeping a nervous eye on monsoonal rains which have hit Darwin and look set to continue for the rest of the week.

"We're looking at the conditions up there - there's four lows (low pressure systems) across the top of Australia, there's a cyclone about 2000k's west so it could be fairly wet up there," Laidley said.

"We'll make that call on the day but at this stage he's going to play."

Thompson tore knee ligaments in a practice match against St Kilda in March last year, ruling him out of the 2007 home-and-away season.
AAP

 

[Urmoe]

Re: 23. Nathan Thompson

Thommo’s good to go: Laidley


THE PROLONGED agony for North Melbourne forward Nathan Thompson looks set to end after his coach Dean Laidley cleared the big man to make his return to competitive football on Friday night.

Thompson has been on the sidelines since he ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in the club’s final practice game of 2007, and despite speculation he was on the cusp of making a return late last season, the ex-Hawk was ruled out as a matter of precaution.

However, Laidley said Thompson was a near-certainty to return to action in the Kangaroos’ NAB Cup clash with the Western Bulldogs at TIO Stadium in Darwin.

“It’s just terrific [he’s ready to return],” Laidley told reporters prior to a training session at Trinity Grammar in Melbourne.

“He’s been training for 18 months, it’s been a long time.”

The only hurdle left for Thompson to overcome will be the weather, with Laidley admitting the spearhead could be held back if the skies above Darwin begin to threaten.

“We’ve set a program in place for him [to return] but we’re also looking at the conditions up there,” Laidley said.

"There's four lows (low pressure systems) across the top of Australia, and there's a cyclone about 2000km west, so I think it might be pretty wet up there."

"We'll make that call on the day, but at this stage he's going to play."

While Thompson’s return might be delayed to ensure his safety, his teammates won’t be afforded a similar luxury if the tropical weather arrives, with Laidley saying recent experience had equipped them well.

“It probably won’t be too different to what we’ve come across on the Gold Coast and in Cairns, and we’re getting all the boys to wear gloves,” he said.

 

[giantroo]