Bomber Thompson Quits Cats

[mighty_tiger_79]

Mark Thompson to quit Geelong in 2011
Mark Robinson | October 11, 2009 11:30pm

Have your say!Add your comments or read what others are sayingEmail Article Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Post to NewsVine Post to Facebook What are these? Printer friendly Text size+- GEELONG coach Mark Thompson has earmarked 2011 as the end of his coaching career. The two-time premiership coach said the contract he signed in August would be his last and that his "abnormal" life would be replaced by business opportunities and "other stuff".

"I'm ready to go (coach) in 2010, because I haven't got long to go in this caper," Thompson, 46 next month, said.

"I just signed for two years and that's it . . . and the club pretty much knows that," Thompson said.

"I reckon this is my last two years and I'm going to get out and do some other stuff.

"I want to leave the place in good shape and I want to be successful next year."

In an exclusive double interview with victorious Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy, to appear in Tuesday's Herald Sun, Thompson revealed his hunger for a third premiership was absolute and that he started planning for next season the Monday after the Grand Final win.

Last week he dealt with losing ruckman Shane Mumford to Sydney, much to his annoyance, and welcomed Fremantle's Marcus Drum to the club.

Thompson will work for the next two weeks and then take holidays.

He is driven to win a third flag in the next two years and then plans to expand his property business.

"I just got lucky with some land. No, I'm not going to build a shopping centre, but I've got a block of land (between Geelong and Torquay), which some shops will go on and I've got a few other business interests," Thompson said.

So two more years?

"Yep, and then I'm going to go about my life, put the overalls on and hat on, and live a bit more," he said.

"It's a big commitment being an AFL coach. It's an abnormal life."

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said yesterday he was aware of Thompson's plans, but didn't dismiss the prospect of him coaching beyond 2011.

Jokingly, Cook said to remember Cats president Frank Costa had said Thompson could coach for life.

"I reckon 'Bomber' is as hungry as I have seen him," Cook said. "As much as he was after (the) 2007 (flag) and he's very much looking forward to 2010.

"He will go flat out to win a flag in the next two years, that's the impression I've got.

"He wants to win three premierships on his watch. No one has done that at Geelong.

"And if you ask me the question about beyond 2010, my response is, 'Who knows?'

"In the 20 years I've been a chief executive, I have often heard a coach say, 'This will probably be my last term', and somehow that attitude changes often."

Thompson began at Geelong in 2000 and will probably leave as the club's most successful coach.

He has been in charge for 235 games, won 143, lost 89 and drawn three.

The glory has been the two premierships, the disappointment the Grand Final loss to Hawthorn last year.

Thompson and Bellamy, whose Storm side lost the rugby league grand final to Manly in 2008, by chance caught up in New York late last year and "sooked" over a few beers about their losses.

Cook said yesterday the salary cap didn't allow the Cats to match Sydney's offer to Mumford, but the gaining of Drum and having four selections in the top 42 in the national draft were pleasing.

"Our main aim was to keep the list together as much as possible," Cook said.

He remained confident Gary Ablett, Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins, who come out of contract at the end of 2010, would stay at the club.

[silicone skyline]

He didn't quit them. Lol. Misleading headline!

[mighty_tiger_79]

but it made ya look!!

[spell_check]

but it made ya look!!

Ya dirty chook! Made me look too.

[bloods08]

Me three.

[the big bang]

me 249th!