News Cats are better without me: former coach Mark Thompson

[manboob]

Necro post much.

 

[darren forssman]

Bomber is being senior coach of Essendon next year, so, so much for your theory!

you need a hobby, or a life. maybe both.

 

[catman 71]

Re: Cats are better without me -Mark Thompson

I always look at it like this: Essendon is his wife, Geelong is his mistress. He grew to love Geelong and treated her like a queen but he always knew that he could not leave Essendon. Eventually he got to a stage where he could not keep stringing Geelong along and so he had to end it with Geelong, to return to his loving Essendon. He left her a note on the fridge saying it was over (and to this day, he wishes he had ended it in a better way). Geelong was bitter for a while (she thought that she had convinced him to leave Essendon for good) but after a while she realised that it was for the best.

One night, a few weeks later, Geelong met Chris Scott. It was love at first sight, and the rest is history.

In all seriousness, the way he went about it was shit but I still love what he achieved at Geelong and hold no grudges.

A problem with your analogy. Bomber left his wife to be with his mistress, not the other way around.

 

[El Dubya]

Re: Cats are better without me -Mark Thompson

Most people don't get it.

Thompson and Ablett leaving has nothing to do about what they did for the club when they were here - they were great!

It is not about whether we are better off without them, or even if they have done us a favour by leaving (as if that was their line of thinking - "I know, I'll do the Cats a favour and head to GC for 2 mill a year. But i better not tell them for the next 12 months, and before I go I will flog off all my Cats stuff as well" / "I'll go and coach at Essendon now, but pretend I am not going there. Hope they don't find out I've been planning this for months. Then Geelong can get in a new coach to win them another flag.")

It isn't about hating them b/c they were supposed to be "loyal" to Geelong for forever and a day, no matter what happened. Everyone changes and moves on at sometime.

It is about two people who were disingenuous and duplicitous in their dealings with our club, and by extension, us. It is not that they have gone, it is how they went - just like Ross Lyon situation.

GFC do all they can to stand as a "character-full", decent, professional, gracious and tradition old style play and values club. By-and-large they succeed. It has it's own rewards, and I just love that about my club. And as recent years have shown, it is a very successful approach even in a "world" that says 'everyone for himself and hang the consequences.'

Two of the people at the heart of building that culture and at the coal face of displaying it, turned their backs on those values.

Why couldn't Thopmson be honest with us all? Why couldn't Ablett do the same? It just could have been done so much better, and it wasn't a mistake the way they handled it. It was handled badly b/c their characters (perhaps their advisers as well, as Ablett is still a young man) weren't strong enough for them to say and do what they really should have said and done. I suspect they partly destroyed each other thur 2010.

Are they forgiven? Yes. Forgiveness is really for the one forgiving so we don't burn up inside with hate and bitterness.

Have they asked for forgiveness? No. Is that a problem? Not for the forgiver - you can forgive even when people don't ask for it. But it always says something about the one who has done the wrong if they do not ask for forgiveness.

Does forgiving mean forgetting what they have done and giving a free pass? No. It is forgiveness, not forgetting.

Will they get a second chance with GFC and Geelong people. Yes. When they are ready to ask for it, which I suspect they are trying (very lamely I think) to do this week in the press. They are trying to be nice to Geelong and publicly win back some "points." They should just come out and say they didn't handle it well, they are sorry for their mistakes, they have learned stuff, and they would like to clear the air and remove any bad blood. It would be all done and dusted.

So easy, so simple, so very hard for people to do because pride rules our hearts.

I disagree that they are the same. Ablett never claimed he was staying, Thompson was asked whether or not he would be coaching Geelong in 2011, and he said he would be.
He pressured Ablett for not re-signing, only to then bail not long after. He praised the loyalty of Joel Selwood, back handedly attacking Ablett, only to leave too. He had a handshake agreement with Cook and Costa to stay at the club, and went back on his word. All the while Thompson was in contact with his mate Tim Watson about coming along for the ride with the golden child James Hird.
There is a mammoth difference in the conduct of Ablett and Thompson.

 

[randyzany]

I disagree that they are the same. Ablett never claimed he was staying, Thompson was asked whether or not he would be coaching Geelong in 2011, and he said he would be.
He pressured Ablett for not re-signing, only to then bail not long after. He praised the loyalty of Joel Selwood, back handedly attacking Ablett, only to leave too. He had a handshake agreement with Cook and Costa to stay at the club, and went back on his word. All the while Thompson was in contact with his mate Tim Watson about coming along for the ride with the golden child James Hird.
There is a mammoth difference in the conduct of Ablett and Thompson.

Personally I was relieved that Bomba decided to step down from from the job at the end of 2010 because I was of the firm opinion that after a decade or so at the helm, it was abundantly clear the coaching caper had gone past him at that stage. As the 2010 season progressed I got the distinct impression that Bomba was out of his depth and was at his wit's end trying to conjure a Plan B to counter the colonwood press.

But like a champion player entering the twilight of his career Bomba opted to go out when he knew he had nothing left to give the club anymore. I stress that's my personal take on his departure but still I'm bewildered that so many supporters hold on to his departure as evidence that gaj was done wrong or that it some how helps ablett come out smelling like roses.

Gaj in stark contrast hinted at his displeasure with the club 'paying him unders' as far back as 2008 when he couldn't re-negotiate his contract and that was ultimately the catalyst for him running to the GC to recoup what he felt Geelong had 'stolen' from him in 2009. I'll admit that Gaj is not bad guy per se, he's a bit dullard dork yet harmless enough. However I have very low tolerance levels for individuals who crave lucre too much and are not man enough to admit their avarice or other personal foibles.

I'd be fine with gaj's defection if this was the NBA/Premier League and the millions he was paid came out of the club's owner/s and fans own pocket. Still heart wrenching but somewhat understandable. But it rubs salt to the wound when that lucre came out of the pockets of all fans of clubs in the league.

The mentality that that is okay (Geelong getting screwed for the sake of plastic franchise and growing the game, don't make me laugh) for the good game is reminiscent of why the so-called third world is so dysfunctional and corrupt. Nobody, no matter how talented/rich should be above the rules/laws of the land. The gradual erosion of rules put in place is what inevitably brings down societies/structures due to a lack of faith in the fairness of the system.

 

[El Dubya]

Personally I was relieved that Bomba decided to step down from from the job at the end of 2010 because I was of the firm opinion that after a decade or so at the helm, it was abundantly clear the coaching caper had gone past him at that stage. As the 2010 season progressed I got the distinct impression that Bomba was out of his depth and was at his wit's end trying to conjure a Plan B to counter the colonwood press.

But like a champion player entering the twilight of his career Bomba opted to go out when he knew he had nothing left to give the club anymore. I stress that's my personal take on his departure but still I'm bewildered that so many supporters hold on to his departure as evidence that gaj was done wrong or that it some how helps ablett come out smelling like roses.

Gaj in stark contrast hinted at his displeasure with the club 'paying him unders' as far back as 2008 when he couldn't re-negotiate his contract and that was ultimately the catalyst for him running to the GC to recoup what he felt Geelong had 'stolen' from him in 2009. I'll admit that Gaj is not bad guy per se, he's a bit dullard dork yet harmless enough. However I have very low tolerance levels for individuals who crave lucre too much and are not man enough to admit their avarice or other personal foibles.

I'd be fine with gaj's defection if this was the NBA/Premier League and the millions he was paid came out of the club's owner/s and fans own pocket. Still heart wrenching but somewhat understandable. But it rubs salt to the wound when that lucre came out of the pockets of all fans of clubs in the league.

The mentality that that is okay (Geelong getting screwed for the sake of plastic franchise and growing the game, don't make me laugh) for the good game is reminiscent of why the so-called third world is so dysfunctional and corrupt. Nobody, no matter how talented/rich should be above the rules/laws of the land. The gradual erosion of rules put in place is what inevitably brings down societies/structures due to a lack of faith in the fairness of the system.

That doesn't change the fact that the way Thompson left was dishonorable and dishonest. He preached loyalty then showed none himself. It's total hypocrisy.
Ablett joined the Suns under rules put in place by the AFL, he didn't create those rules, but yes either he, the Suns or both exploited them to their fullest. It was unfortunate for Geelong, but we get over it.
Ablett never told anyone he was staying, he said he was yet to make up his mind. Thompson told people he was staying, only to leave. There is a huge difference there and whether it ended up better for Geelong is irrelevant to the point that Thompson acted hypocritically, dishonestly and dishonorably.

 

[JUBJUB]

Bomber is being senior coach of Essendon next year, so, so much for your theory!

 

[randyzany]

I just don't see it that way. Bomba was spent, physically and emotionally. He was out of ideas as to how to move forward with the boys and create a winning strategy the following season. There's nothing dishonourable in stepping down when you know you have nothing more to give, on the contrary it's what an honourable person does. Rather than taking the money (like many footy injury proned players do who are past their use by date) and not contribute in a positive meaningful way in 2011, he did the right thing by the club he was selfless in that regard.

Furthermore there's a world of difference between a player at the peak of his powers acting with subterfuge for months of on end and chasing lucre that really any level headed player knows it obscene and that they don't deserve. Recall that gaj repeatedly stated he hadn't made up his when any idiot with half a brain could tell he was counting the millions already. He lied via omission and that's putting it kindly, truth to be told he was a patronizing little git and I'm glad that at least someone at the club had the balls to call him out on it. For that I'll be forever thankful to Mark 'Bomba' Thompson.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

It was unfortunate for Geelong, but we get over it.

Do we? People are still whining about this 4 years later, everything - EVERYTHING that could possibly be said has been said already. You're not saying anything that hasn't already been argued ad infinitum/ad nauseam. Cam Guthrie wears 29 and we have Caddy & Smedts, and Chris Scott is a Premiership winning coach and now exercising the courage to rebuild the list. These things are indisputable and current.

 

[manboob]

I wish I had the lock key SJ Turbocat.

 

[SJ]

Maybe let's leave this one for now.