The Tackle: Mark Thompson should co-coach Essendon next season, writes Mark Robinson
ESSENDON is no longer Hird’s team and it never was Thompson’s team. Yet, it can be their team together, says Mark Robinson. VOTE
Mark Robinson
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THERE’s a logical — and somewhat brave — answer to what Essendon does with Mark Thompson next year.
Make him co-coach with James Hird.
That’s right, two coaches.
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Suspect the immediate reaction to such a suggestion is no. It can’t be done. It’s never been done. It can’t work.
They’d be the glass half-empty cheerleaders.
Don’t look for the reasons to say no, but find the reasons to say yes.
Clearly, the Bombers can’t afford to lose Thompson and, truth be known, Thompson doesn’t want to leave the Bombers.
He doesn’t, however, want to return to an assistant coaching role and to make the situation more complex, he can’t be head of football either because Neil Craig has that role.
So, what do with him?
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Thompson and Hird would be open to the idea, for when they both returned to Essendon in 2011 it was a journey for both of them, together.
Hird was coach and Thompson was his adviser. Put it another way, Hird was Michael Corleone and Thompson was Tom Hagen, his consigliere. But in a plot weird enough for its own movie, Hird’s 12-month suspension meant Thompson had to become the head of the family.
It was a unique situation.
Essendon was no longer Hird’s team and it never was Thompson’s team. Yet, it was their team together. And it still can be.
Other than breaking with tradition and dealing with questions about who does the press conferences, who represents Essendon at the coaches table, and who presents the monthly board meeting, there really isn’t major concerns.
Essendon only has two considerations: 1) What’s best for Essendon? 2) What’s best for the players?
The best for Essendon is for Essendon to decide and as for the players, you suspect they want the best of both worlds.
Thompson has been masterly. They’ve been dips of troughs and periods of scintillating football, and on Saturday against West Coast, they played the type of game which makes people believe, mainly the players.
Down by six goals, the Bombers rallied to virtually save their season.
It it wasn’t the game of the weekend it was close.
Belief is in abundance around the competition. Carlton under Mick Malthouse was terrific and although many of us didn’t know the meaning of “crossing the Rubicon”, unquestionably the Blues have crossed over from being mentally fragile to mentally strong.
The same with Richmond. They beat the Crows in a four-quarter slog and despite them being the butt of “Ninth-mond” jokes, they are playing with substance.
And what about those Lions? Collingwood was hampered, yet the Lions had them on the rack before Cloke and Beams wet down. From being home-town giant-killers, they have certainly crossed the great divide.
The Blues and Lions can’t play finals, the Tigers are searching for an opening, and the Bombers are on the verge.
Although the commentariat will lay plaudits at Thompson’s feet, the reality is it’s been a work in progress from 2011, much the same as Hawthorn’s foundations for winning the 2008 premiership were laid in 2004.
The Hird-Thompson combination can work _ because it’s already been working.
The continued debate about whether Hird should return or not is wasted breath. He is coach next year. In fact, he officially returns in a week, where he will find a different football club.
There’s new people on the board, new people on the executive and new people in the football department.
The major constant for him is Thompson, assistant coach Simon Goodwin, head of recruiting Adrian Dodoro, doctor Bruce Reid and, of course, the playing group.
The actual job of coaching has probably grown too, which prompted one former senior coach last week to say the job is probably too much for one person anyhow.
It’s why the Bombers are in a position to be brave and adventurous and ahead of the play.
And they keep Thompson, which is must be a priority.
Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Thompson should co-coach Essendon next season, writes Mark Robinson
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