Thompson

[sm85]

Mark Thompson is the 2nd longest serving coach of Geelong behind Reg Hickey. His record is currently 77 wins, 78 losses and 2 draws. Thats a winning ratio below 50% with 3 games remaining.
Is this acceptable?
Has the stability given by the Geelong board also have a knife edge which has developed complacency?
Hate to be negative but id really like to see what a Gary Lyon or Steve Silvagni could do with this group, especially with Hawkins and also most likely a number 8 or 7 pick in the draft. cant help but feel another year with Thompson would be wasting everybodys time, much like Rhode at the bulldogs in 2004.

 

[bradlz]

I'm' on neither side with Thompson. He has delivered so much in his time yet seemingly underachieved aswell. We were a rabble when he took over and he has taken us from that to a position where we are considered to have a reasonable list. However, we have only played in a few finals, the crowning glory being a nine point loss to Brisbane in a prelim.

I don' t believe him being at the club is the only problem. I believe it is the level of coaching he has beneath him to utilise is where our major problems lie.

Lets just remind ourselves of our assistant coaches etc.

Brendan McCartney (defenders)- a good local league coach
Andy Lovell (midfielders)- a reasonable player in his time but let go as an assistant by the eagles and how powerful has there midfield been since.
Ken Hinkley (forwards)- a guy who played most of his career as a back flanker

Are we getting the picture here?????

Imagine if we had an assistant coaching panel of:

Stephen Silvagni (defenders)- team of the century full back who has expressed a desire for a full time assistant coaching role next year
Garry Hocking (midfielders)- a geelong champion who has done the hard yards on the coaching circuit and doing good things with the falcons now

And finally a forward coach who has actually played as a KEY FORWARD. Some names to throw up....... Wayne Carey ( depending on availablility and how much eds paying) or Dermott Brereton ( seven have the footy next year) or someone more recent like Alistair Lynch ( played in three flags and was consistently one of the better key forwards during his time playing the game).

Surely a panel like this would demand the respect of the playing group and provide tremendous support for Bomber or whoever else may be coaching next year.

And they might be able to actually teach the playing group how to play in a position or how to set up an attacking forward line, or how to stop bags of goals being kicked against you. Those guys listed have played in the best teams in those positons and against the best teams in those positions...... just a thought!!!!!!

 

[bashar]

it all went terrible when the midfield coach left....
we need a revampe thats for sure...how about garry ablet senior coaching...aswell as hooking....(g.silvani and milburn would get along wouldnt they...lol) how about colbert hahaha

 

[fugsy]

Just throwing this one in as a passing thought...Barry Stoneham as forwards coach?

 

[bradlz]

i think they are all big enough to get past that stuff don't you. dash was a kid back then and when you hear from him you know how much he regrets that moment at princess park. i'm sure sos being sos, hes over it. but imagine the by play when silvagni strides on the field and gives dasher the biggest spray ever at kardinia park......lol or when they both walk off smiling after a win over the blues at telstra dome..........s**t that would be great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JUBJUB]

Hate to be negative but id really like to see what a Gary Lyon or Steve Silvagni could do with this group

Probably drive them to mass suicide.

Lyon is an arrogant prick who is the most overrated so called footy expert.He will never and should never coach at any AFL club.

 

[thegerman]

I'm' on neither side with Thompson. He has delivered so much in his time yet seemingly underachieved aswell. We were a rabble when he took over and he has taken us from that to a position where we are considered to have a reasonable list. However, we have only played in a few finals, the crowning glory being a nine point loss to Brisbane in a prelim.

I don' t believe him being at the club is the only problem. I believe it is the level of coaching he has beneath him to utilise is where our major problems lie.

Lets just remind ourselves of our assistant coaches etc.

Brendan McCartney (defenders)- a good local league coach
Andy Lovell (midfielders)- a reasonable player in his time but let go as an assistant by the eagles and how powerful has there midfield been since.
Ken Hinkley (forwards)- a guy who played most of his career as a back flanker

Are we getting the picture here?????

Imagine if we had an assistant coaching panel of:

Stephen Silvagni (defenders)- team of the century full back who has expressed a desire for a full time assistant coaching role next year
Garry Hocking (midfielders)- a geelong champion who has done the hard yards on the coaching circuit and doing good things with the falcons now

And finally a forward coach who has actually played as a KEY FORWARD. Some names to throw up....... Wayne Carey ( depending on availablility and how much eds paying) or Dermott Brereton ( seven have the footy next year) or someone more recent like Alistair Lynch ( played in three flags and was consistently one of the better key forwards during his time playing the game).

Surely a panel like this would demand the respect of the playing group and provide tremendous support for Bomber or whoever else may be coaching next year.

And they might be able to actually teach the playing group how to play in a position or how to set up an attacking forward line, or how to stop bags of goals being kicked against you. Those guys listed have played in the best teams in those positons and against the best teams in those positions...... just a thought!!!!!!

Great post. My thoughts exactly. Our midfield has suffered since the departure of Creswell. If our head coach was empty I'd take him in a heartbeat.

How about at the forward coaching role we have Barry Stoneham ?? Guy is running around as the runner now, give him a role. He'd be better than Dermie anyday. That loser wouldn't know crap, he sprukes enough childish bulldust on TV now.

Silvani won't be cheap, Hocking might though as he hasn't had a top role. Silvani has though with many teams taking him on throughout the year as a consultant.

This is what is required for next year, better second line specialist coaches. That is what is needed.

 

[scottydeewah]

Money isnt actually a HUGE factor I dont think.

 

[Sando]

...how about garry ablet senior coaching...aswell as hooking[/quote]


Great Comment!!!!! G Ablett Senior needs to grab hold of all our forwards and re-teach them…..I’m surprised he hasn’t taken Nathan aside and put him thru the same training and weight resheme that he went thru to get the right size to play full forward.

The greatest player of all time can’t be left to sit in the grandstand once every 5 weeks or so…………we need to the 2 champs back.

Don’t care how much it costs

 

[CF]

Gary Ablett Senior was an instinctive footballer...you can't teach that. You either have it or you don't. That's why there is only a few in his class. If you could teach people to be like Gazza Snr, then every club would have one by now.


I also don't think he could handle the pressure of that scenario. I would be happy for him to have an ambassadorial role at the club, and to help out with the team now and then.

 

[Renegade]

I'm' on neither side with Thompson. He has delivered so much in his time yet seemingly underachieved aswell. We were a rabble when he took over and he has taken us from that to a position where we are considered to have a reasonable list.

We're going to finish this season in a similar position as when the moron took over. We have had a high quality list for a number of years and delivered sweet FA.
You say Bummer has 'delivered so much' please explain what the **** he has delivered? A prelim final? Well lardy freakin dar! Every club appart from Fremantle has been in a prelim in the last 10 yrs so get rid of that 'achievement'. Maybe you're celebrating the plastic cup?? if so, you're an idiot. Even Danny Frawley managed to get Bitchmond as far as Thompson has with Geelong. Thompson is an absolute disgrace to this club, and the longer the prick remains here the longer i hold off renewing my membership. We are the lifeblood of the club and they don't take into consideration any of our wants/needs, so i'll hold back giving them the money they need. When this pathetic football club decide that mediocrity is no longer acceptable i'll happily welcome them back. Until then, get stuffed.

 

[Larakin15]

We're going to finish this season in a similar position as when the moron took over. We have had a high quality list for a number of years and delivered sweet FA.
You say Bummer has 'delivered so much' please explain what the **** he has delivered? A prelim final? Well lardy freakin dar! Every club appart from Fremantle has been in a prelim in the last 10 yrs so get rid of that 'achievement'. Maybe you're celebrating the plastic cup?? if so, you're an idiot. Even Danny Frawley managed to get Bitchmond as far as Thompson has with Geelong. Thompson is an absolute disgrace to this club, and the longer the prick remains here the longer i hold off renewing my membership. We are the lifeblood of the club and they don't take into consideration any of our wants/needs, so i'll hold back giving them the money they need. When this pathetic football club decide that mediocrity is no longer acceptable i'll happily welcome them back. Until then, get stuffed.

I agree, but in a less harsh and forceful manner...

 

[year of the cat]

We're going to finish this season in a similar position as when the moron took over. We have had a high quality list for a number of years and delivered sweet FA.
You say Bummer has 'delivered so much' please explain what the **** he has delivered? A prelim final? Well lardy freakin dar! Every club appart from Fremantle has been in a prelim in the last 10 yrs so get rid of that 'achievement'. Maybe you're celebrating the plastic cup?? if so, you're an idiot. Even Danny Frawley managed to get Bitchmond as far as Thompson has with Geelong. Thompson is an absolute disgrace to this club, and the longer the prick remains here the longer i hold off renewing my membership. We are the lifeblood of the club and they don't take into consideration any of our wants/needs, so i'll hold back giving them the money they need. When this pathetic football club decide that mediocrity is no longer acceptable i'll happily welcome them back. Until then, get stuffed.

So were you advocating his removal at the end of last year? He has run his course but personal insults like those highlighted really show who the pathetic one is....Bomber has done his best, its not good enough, hopefully the club gets rid of him but to call him a prick is just ridiculous.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

I'm' on neither side with Thompson. He has delivered so much in his time yet seemingly underachieved aswell. We were a rabble when he took over and he has taken us from that to a position where we are considered to have a reasonable list. ...
I don' t believe him being at the club is the only problem. I believe it is the level of coaching he has beneath him to utilise is where our major problems lie...

Imagine if we had an assistant coaching panel of:

Stephen Silvagni (defenders)- team of the century full back who has expressed a desire for a full time assistant coaching role next year
Garry Hocking (midfielders)- a geelong champion who has done the hard yards on the coaching circuit and doing good things with the falcons now

And finally a forward coach who has actually played as a KEY FORWARD. Some names to throw up....... Wayne Carey ( depending on availablility and how much eds paying) or Dermott Brereton ( seven have the footy next year) or someone more recent like Alistair Lynch ( played in three flags and was consistently one of the better key forwards during his time playing the game)...

Ooh, those are some juicy thoughts. Nice work bradlz. And whatever extra money there might be involved would be repaid eventually by results and subsequent extra interest and support of the club.

I'd not really considered the assistants issue before and for consistency's sake, I've always maintained that Bomber should at least be allowed to see out his contract. If we can use our resources to make something like that happen, I'd be pretty impressed and excited.

 

[Renegade]

I thought i was been nice by downgrading my opinion to 'prick'.
Hahahaha and who says he should see out his contract? Ridiculous! Then again we've embraced mediocrity for the last 43 years, what's another wasted one right?

 

[Sando]

straight swap Thompson for Sheedy???

 

[geelong32]

there will be some departures in the assistant coaching area, hinkley and lovell and the ones in most strife, stoneham already works with the forwards and rucks part time.

 

[CF]

given how our forwards and rucks have performed this year he may want to leave that off his resume

 

[quartercat]

I thought i was been nice by downgrading my opinion to 'prick'.
Hahahaha and who says he should see out his contract? Ridiculous! Then again we've embraced mediocrity for the last 43 years, what's another wasted one right?

What contact? Frank's told us for seven years that there is no contract only a handshake. This "contract" has only come out in the last few weeks when the pressure has gone on. I hope the contract wasn't written after Frank appointed him "coach for life" earlier this year!

 

[CatsNeedFullForward]

Everyone seems pretty quick to get on the "axe Bomber" bandwagon.
He's not the one who drops marks, turns the ball over or misses a set shot from 20m. I think overall (despite the stats) he's done a far better job than Ayres (who basically showed the door to some of our legends and only got us to a GF on the tails of Blights work, not his own coaching ability).
The Cats have had plenty of opportunities to actually win most of the games they lost this year - notable exceptions being Adelaide & Collingwood. Even though Thompson hasn't been a match-day genius, stupid onfield mistakes and poor decisions have probably cost us more.
I like the post about the assistant coaching staff - we should be bringing inspirational past players such as Buddha & Baz into the fray (or any from other clubs). I seriously doubt GAblett Sr would be remotely interested in any coaching position.

 

[catdman]

Football is a business. Businesses and shareholders(members) should demand results and achievement, 50 % does not convey either of those.
For those who want much of same next year, enjoy the heartbreak! For me, 44 years will be too long, something must be done by those in charge or are they?

 

[Champ39]

Ron Watt for Coach 2007
Coached and captained North Shore to like 7 Premierships in a row, then coached the Geelong VFL to a premiership in 2002.
I think.
Lol.

 

[winty]

I wasn't one of the people who thought Thompson should be sacked. That is, until I opened the Advertiser this morning and saw an article that said he is not going to wield the axe this week and that King will be definitely playing this weekend, which is a direct contradiction to what he said in the post-match press conference on Sunday. Instead he trotted out the line "the players were very disappointed with the way they played on Sunday and will be keen to make amends." How many times have Thompson or someone else at the club used that line this year? And had they improved the week after? More often than not, no, they hadn't.

I'd hate to be a player in the VFL like Gamble, Lonergan, Callan etc. who are busting a gut each week, only to be denied a place in the seniors because 'the players were disappointed and keen to make amends.' If a player played ordinarily in the seniors, let him make amends in the VFL. The team should be picked on form, not on reputations as it seems to be picked at the moment.