Former Adelaide star Scott Thompson jokes Rory Sloane stopped him amassing more than 51 possessions against Gold Coast
Ex-Adelaide onballer Scott Thompson set a club record for disposals during a day out against the Suns in 2011. But he says a Crows teammate, who is still playing, cost him getting even more touches of the Sherrin.
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Scott Thompson described it as “just one of those days when I couldn’t get away from the Sherrin’’.
And he has cheekily suggested new Adelaide captain Rory Sloane might have cost him the VFL-AFL record for most disposals in a game.
In a week where the Crows were scheduled to play Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium, dual club champion Thompson reflected on the day he had a severe case of leather poisoning.
Thompson, who last week was a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic when he lost his development coach’s role at Port Adelaide, had a whopping 51 disposals against the Suns at Metricon in round 22, 2011.
The whopping number smashed the previous Adelaide disposals record of 44 – held jointly by inaugural captain Chris McDermott (twice, in 1992 and 1993) and premiership skipper Mark Bickley (1993) and still stands as the benchmark at Crowland.
The midfield ball magnet racked up 18 disposals in the first quarter as Adelaide built a seven-goal buffer, 10 in the second term, 14 in the third and nine in the last.
Thompson finished with an incredible 21 kicks, 30 handballs and nine clearances as the Crows – playing their fourth game under interim coach Mark Bickley following the late-season dismissal of eight-year mentor Neil Craig – thumped the first-year expansion club by 61 points.
At the time, the then 28-year-old’s 51 disposals was the third-most in VFL-AFL history and the first time in more than two decades a player had collected more than 50 possessions in a match.
Only dual Brownlow Medallist Greg Williams, with 53 for Sydney against St Kilda in 1989, and Barry Price (52 for Collingwood against Fitzroy in 1971) had won more of the ball than Thompson.
“And I could have had more (disposals),’’ he joked this week.
“There was a period in the third quarter when I got stuck on the bench for a long time, probably seven or eight minutes, certainly longer than I would normally spend on the bench, and I was trying to get back on for ‘Sloaney’.
“But we couldn’t get him off – all midfielders want to stay on the ground – and we joked after the game that he cost me a few more (touches).’’
Thompson said he had “no idea’’ he had compiled 51 disposals until he was interviewed straight after the game by Channel 10 boundary rider and former Cat and Kangaroo Leigh Colbert.
“I knew I’d had a fair bit of it but I was stunned when I got told I’d had 51,’’ said Thompson, who started in the centre square on Jared Brennan before having Dion Prestia shifted onto him.
“I didn’t know what the record was and it was just nice to consistently get your hands on the ball for four quarters.
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“As any midfielder would say, when those days come around you certainly try to make the most of them because there are days when you can run just as hard and to as many spots and you don’t get your hands on the ball.
“But with big ‘Saucy’ (Sam) Jacobs giving us some good service in the ruck on this occasion the ball just kept making its way to me.
“The only unfortunate or frustrating thing was that I didn’t kick a goal because I would have loved to have topped it off by hitting the scoreboard.
“But it was certainly a good day individually and one we enjoyed as a group because things hadn’t been going too well and we ended up having a pretty solid win.’’
Adelaide had entered the August 20 clash with a 6-13 win-loss record as it missed the finals for the second consecutive season.
Two years ago, Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell became the VFL-AFL’s new disposals record holder, with 54 against Collingwood.
Geelong’s Gary Ablett jnr, who had 39 disposals for the Gold Coast side that Thompson torched, now ranks equal-second with Williams after having 53 for the Suns against the Magpies in 2012.
Thompson’s 51 ranks equal-fifth, with Brisbane’s Lachie Neale, who had the same number against Richmond last year.
Current Crow Matt Crouch has moved into second spot at Adelaide, with 47 against the Bulldogs last season.
Thompson said while he had put his stats-fest to the back of his mind, his mates occasionally raised it.
“Every now and again they’ll say, ‘do you remember that game against ‘Goldy’ when you had 51 touches?’,’’ he said.
“It was a brilliant day, so it’s always a good thing to have a joke about with your mates.’’
Interstate Showdown would be ‘weird’
A Showdown at Marvel Stadium?
How about Port Adelaide “hosting” the Crows at the Gabba?
Both ideas sound strange and the clubs have only battled at Football Park or Adelaide Oval during the premiership season, but squaring off interstate looms as a serious possibility when the AFL resumes mid-year from its shutdown for COVID-19.
With the Power and Crows scheduled to meet in Round 2, reports suggest Victoria, Queensland or WA, rather than SA, are favoured to be used as hubs to restart the competition.
Big man Billy Frampton, who spent five years at Port before joining the Crows in the off-season and playing in Round 1, said taking on his former side across the border would “definitely be weird”.
But Frampton said he was open to having hubs to get the competition going.
“If we have to do that to help the game and keep the game going, I’m all for it and will put my hand up, for sure,” Frampton told The Advertiser from his hometown of Perth, where he returned before state border closures.
The Showdown was meant to be played on March 28 at Adelaide Oval and Port was going to wear its traditional prison-bar guernsey.
If hubs were used interstate, the Power and the Crows would not play another game at Adelaide Oval in 2020.
Matches are expected to go ahead without crowds, no matter where they are scheduled.
Some AFL identities have expressed concern about the hubs proposal, which could lead to players and officials spending up to 20 weeks across two stints away from home.
Frampton said players would have different views based on their personal circumstances.
“I’m 23, don’t have a hell of a lot of commitments outside of football so if it has to be done, I’m open to it,” he said.
“But other people are in different boats to me and have bigger fish to fry and other things to worry about than what I do.
“It’s definitely a case-by-case set up.
“It’s going to take a bit of time to resolve and figure out what’s the best thing for all parties.”
Frampton believed the competition’s shutdown halted momentum he had built on the field to earn selection for his fourth game and in settling into his new club.
“It was a little bit frustrating on that front, considering I’d only just made the move and played Round 1 and set myself for a big year,” he said.
“But at the same time, it’s nothing that could be foreseen and you can’t get too frustrated because you can’t control any of it.”
Originally published as Former Adelaide star Scott Thompson jokes Rory Sloane stopped him amassing more than 51 possessions against Gold Coast