The two-time premiership coach has rebuilt his life following his 2019 conviction for possession of drugs, whose use he linked to the stress of the Essendon supplements saga.

He is billed to speak at a House of Truth event this Friday to support Bridge of Hope, a Melbourne charity that helps young women after they leave out-of-home care.

Last year Thompson sat down with Herald Sun journalist Michael Warner in a revealing series in which he spoke about the depths of his drug abuse hell. Catch up on the series below and scroll to the bottom to re-read all four parts.

INSIDE BOMBER THOMPSON’S DRUG HELL

Police raids which led to Mark “Bomber” Thompson’s conviction for drug possession probably saved his life, he says. Thompson was in the grip of ice abuse within days of accepting a puff from a friend’s pipe in early 2017, he reveals. Thompson says the highly addictive methamphetamine made him “feel light” and helped him forget the pain of his broken life.

First offered a smoke by an acquaintance at his Port Melbourne warehouse home in early 2017, the two-time AFL premiership coach was soon taking a gram a week of the drug.

“It just took pain away. I was just happy to go anywhere,” he says.

“I didn’t care if it was a good idea or not. I actually didn’t care.”

Asked what it felt like to use ice, Thompson says: “It felt like I was light. Like I could sort of get up and start thinking and start concentrating on things again. So that’s what I did.”

But his life spiralled deeper into the abyss when neighbour Thomas Windsor, possibly sensing his vulnerability, moved in and refused to leave.

The arrival of Windsor — who had alleged links to the Rebels bikie gang — in Thompson’s life prompted interest from Victoria Police.

His warehouse home was dramatically raided by heavily-armed officers in January 2018.

And more than two years later, Thompson admits that raid was probably the wake up call that saved him.

Asked what would have happened if the warehouse had not been raided, Thompson says: “God knows ... I don’t want to think about it. I was in a spot of bother.”

And, unlike many, he managed to get off the ice just as quickly as he got on it.

Before turning to drugs, the 202-game triple premiership Bomber recounts how he would sit in silence, surfing YouTube, trading cryptocurrency and brooding over the injustice of it all in a dark corner of his apartment after the collapse of his second marriage.

At the heart of his torment was guilt over the disastrous 2012 Essendon supplements regime and fury over the subsequent joint investigation by the AFL and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

It ate him up inside.

Most of his friends had long been shut out as sadness and bursts of anger consumed him.

Thompson flatly rejected suggestions of drug use during his days at Geelong and said his lowest moment came when fronting the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in July last year.

“I’m never going to take it back. It happened. And even though it was a hard process, I don’t think I’ll ever go through anything as hard again in my life, so that’s probably going to be good for me for the rest of my life,” he said.

It’s a story of redemption Thompson hopes will inspire others struggling on life’s sometimes rocky road.

MW: Bomber, we’re at the house where it all happened. Do you want to get out of this house?

MT: Yeah, I do. I was about to sell it before the COVID thing hit. I was preparing it but as soon as that came it probably wasn’t a great time to sell it. I want to sell it just to escape a whole lot of memories. It might be a good thing to get out of here, so I’ll do that.

MW: You admitted to the court that you had used drugs as an escape. When was the first time you had a drug problem?

MT: That’s the only time that I had a drug problem. I was just happy to go anywhere. It just took pain away.

MW: Can you say what sort of drugs you were using?

MT: Just the methamphetamines.

MW: Which is what?

MT: Ice.

MW: Do you remember the first time you used it?

MT: Yeah.

MW: How did it feel?

So that’s what I did. I was sitting here at home, by myself, not wanting to go and talk to anyone.

MW: What year was this?

MT: 2017.

MW: How does a guy first use ice? How did you get it?

MT: I didn’t get it. It just came. A friend had it with them and said, ‘do you want to try it?’ I didn’t care if it was a good idea or not. I actually didn’t care.

MW: How quickly did you find yourself in a spiral?

MT: Not that long. When I was on it I was on it. I felt good taking it. You don’t really feel like sleeping all that much, but I didn’t have any problems sleeping.

MW: You weren’t awake for days at a time?

MT: Never.

MW: You must have been at a pretty low point when Thomas Windsor (who had alleged links to the Rebels bikie gang) moved in and wouldn’t leave. But in hindsight, while the police raid was embarrassing, was it also a circuit breaker in a way?

MT: Yeah, it was. At the police interview I got told of legal advice not to say anything and after about four questions and saying ‘no comment’, they said we are putting you under arrest and we’re going to the magistrates’ court now. I couldn’t quite believe it.

MW: What do you think would have happened though if the police hadn’t got involved?

MT: God knows. I don’t know what would have happened. I don’t want to think about it. I was in a spot of bother.

MW: When was the last time you used it?

MT: Back then. Before the raid.

MW: Where were you when the house was raided?

MT: I was out. I drove past the house and saw all the police there. I kept driving. I didn’t know what to do.

MW: How did you feel about it all? Here is Mark Thompson, football legend, charged with drug offences?

MT: I just felt horrible. Not because of who I was but just the fact that it had happened.

MW: Were you embarrassed?

MT: For my family and everything, yes. For me, no. For me, personally, it didn’t hurt me that much because I was already hurt.

But I’m never going to take it back. It happened.

And even though it was a hard process, I don’t think I’ll ever go through anything as hard again in my life, so that’s probably going to be good for me for the rest of my life.

MW: What was the darkest moment of your life?

MT: Trying to sleep the night before going to court. Knowing what is going to be there.

MW: That was rock bottom?

MT: It wasn’t a great time. I hated going to court.

MW: Why is that?

MT: Why do you reckon?

MW: I don’t know.

MT: It’s a shit thing. Your house has been raided, people think you’re the bikie, you’ve got a crew, selling drugs.