Injury Thompson out

[Truck Rutten]

Thompson is our most maligned player, and it's ridiculous. I know his disposal isn't the best going around but the way our own supporters constantly bag the bloke is crazy. He's always racks up 30 touches and he always wins the hard ball, the contested ball, to feed our runners and it's what makes him so underrated. Hard bodied midfielder who tackles, excels at the stoppages and we'll see how much we miss him tonight.

Well said Drum Thommo has been down a bit this year on his form of the last 3 years, but is still our best clearance winner, contested possession gatherer and tackler. He does a huge amount of heavy lifting in close that goes unnoticed by too many. The thing you have to remember is that the Thompson bashers are predominantly bedwetters with no appreciation or understanding for the role of hard, inside mids, or downright clueless football observers.

Just on your statement about his disposal not being the best going around, I actually think this criticism of Thommo is often overstated. His disposal efficiency and clanger count is comparable with other quality inside mids in the comp. What I find amusing is that in most games this year Thommo's DE and clanger count has been similar to Reilly's, yet he's talked up by some to be this supremely skilled player and Thommo the opposite. Personally I'd much rather have the ball in Thommo's hands than Reilly's every day of the week.

I really hope this talk linking the GC with Thommo comes to nothing as he'd be a huge loss. I can't believe some cretins said if we could get a second round pick as compensation for him we should jump at it. Is he the best inside mid in the comp? No, of course not. He's still a very good player that we're lucky to have on our list.

 

[macca23]

Ten less clangers/turnovers we will win now, Thompson lost my vote in the 2007 EF.

The thing you have to remember is that the Thompson bashers are predominantly bedwetters with no appreciation or understanding for the role of hard, inside mids, or downright clueless football observers.

Can't disagree with you Truck.

I give you exhibit A.

 

[cmndstab]

I doubt we'd get anything less than a first round pick for him anyway. Given that he was originally taken with pick 12 (from memory, it was late first round anyway) and has proceeded to rack up Brownlow votes and decent results in B&F, I'm fairly sure the AFL formula thingy would throw that all together and decide a first round pick is the way to go.

But I hope we don't lose him. With Hale and McIntosh down on the weekend we should have monstered the clearances, but instead we got smashed, right as our top clearance player leaves the side. Hardly a coincidence. Dangerfield worked hard but he was a lone hand against several bodies in there.

If you watched that match and still can't figure out why people rate Thompson, you'd have to be blind.

 

[SydCrow]

the biggest hole in our list at the moment is QUALITY inside mids

who is our Cross, Sewel, Barlow, Rich?

let alone our Ablett, Bartel, Boyd, Mitchell, Hayes, Brown etc etc etc

you can't expect to fill the hole with triers like Sloane, Petrenko, Cook etc

we need to come out of November with something or we are stuffed

if we lose Thompson we need to replace him with someone of similar (if not better) quality

one of Thalia, McKernan, Davis etc may need to be on the table to get any kind of acceptable deal

 

[Allefgib]

Well said Drum Thommo has been down a bit this year on his form of the last 3 years, but is still our best clearance winner, contested possession gatherer and tackler. He does a huge amount of heavy lifting in close that goes unnoticed by too many. The thing you have to remember is that the Thompson bashers are predominantly bedwetters with no appreciation or understanding for the role of hard, inside mids, or downright clueless football observers.

Just on your statement about his disposal not being the best going around, I actually think this criticism of Thommo is often overstated. His disposal efficiency and clanger count is comparable with other quality inside mids in the comp. What I find amusing is that in most games this year Thommo's DE and clanger count has been similar to Reilly's, yet he's talked up by some to be this supremely skilled player and Thommo the opposite. Personally I'd much rather have the ball in Thommo's hands than Reilly's every day of the week.

I really hope this talk linking the GC with Thommo comes to nothing as he'd be a huge loss. I can't believe some cretins said if we could get a second round pick as compensation for him we should jump at it. Is he the best inside mid in the comp? No, of course not. He's still a very good player that we're lucky to have on our list.

Comparing Thommo's efforts last year to a few inside-mids of note:

Thommo vs J Watson: http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...10&type=A&fid1=P&fopt1=2009&fid2=P&fopt2=2009

Thommo vs Sam Mitchell: http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...66&type=A&fid1=P&fopt1=2009&fid2=P&fopt2=2009

Thommo vs J Selwood:
http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...25&type=A&fid1=P&fopt1=2009&fid2=P&fopt2=2009

Anyone got access to stats with DE%, Clangers, 1%'s and Contested Possessions?

 

[Vader]

I doubt we'd get anything less than a first round pick for him anyway. Given that he was originally taken with pick 12 (from memory, it was late first round anyway) and has proceeded to rack up Brownlow votes and decent results in B&F, I'm fairly sure the AFL formula thingy would throw that all together and decide a first round pick is the way to go.

His original draft position is irrelevant - they only use that as a measure for players who have been in the system for 4 years or less. However, I do agree that he should be worth a first rounder, given his Brownlow and Club Champion voting history.

 

[SugarShane]

I'm a big Thompson fan, love his work. Though i will say my heart sinks a little every time he lines up for a set shot at goal.

 

[cmndstab]

His original draft position is irrelevant - they only use that as a measure for players who have been in the system for 4 years or less. However, I do agree that he should be worth a first rounder, given his Brownlow and Club Champion voting history.

Oh, I wasn't aware of the four year maximum requirement for the draft position meaning anything. That seems a bit strange, but on the other hand it protects clubs who have sunk resources into rookie picks and developed them up only to have the AFL give them back a third rounder because it was "only a rookie pick" six years ago.

SugarShane - I don't even mind him when he's having a set shot, it's the snaps at goal when he roves a ball inside 50 that make me cringe They're always close, without ever being close enough

 

[Vader]

Oh, I wasn't aware of the four year maximum requirement for the draft position meaning anything. That seems a bit strange, but on the other hand it protects clubs who have sunk resources into rookie picks and developed them up only to have the AFL give them back a third rounder because it was "only a rookie pick" six years ago.

It makes perfect sense. After 4 years, a player should be judged on their performances at the AFL level - not on what they did in some U18 competition. Players who have been in the system for less than that have their draft position factored in, as they can reasonably be assumed to be still developing and learning the ropes.

 

[cmndstab]

It makes perfect sense. After 4 years, a player should be judged on their performances at the AFL level - not on what they did in some U18 competition. Players who have been in the system for less than that have their draft position factored in, as they can reasonably be assumed to be still developing and learning the ropes.

I guess so... Though I think the number 4 is a strange choice, I would have gone for something closer to 6. Players could be absolute guns at junior levels and get picked up with an accordingly low draft pick, and may turn into guns at AFL level but after four or five years might not quite be there yet, either through injury or through struggling initially to take that next step. I suppose I'm a bit biased being a Crows supporter because we keep our kids in the SANFL system for so long before playing them

 

[marvin]

Comparing Thommo's efforts last year to a few inside-mids of note:

Thommo vs J Watson: http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...10&type=A&fid1=P&fopt1=2009&fid2=P&fopt2=2009

Thommo vs Sam Mitchell: http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...66&type=A&fid1=P&fopt1=2009&fid2=P&fopt2=2009

Thommo vs J Selwood:
http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...25&type=A&fid1=P&fopt1=2009&fid2=P&fopt2=2009

Anyone got access to stats with DE%, Clangers, 1%'s and Contested Possessions?

Prostats have got all those numbers if you are willing to pay!

Herald-Sun stats (2010 only) has Thompson's disposal efficiency as 70% for the year. By comparison, Mitchell is 62%, Watson is 68%, and Selwood 80%.

Contested/Uncontested possessions:

Thompson 48 / 115 (7 games)
Watson 105 / 116 (8 games)
Selwood 69 / 137 (8 games)
Mitchell 43 / 101 (5 games)