The entire football world may be willing to speculate on the future of the Essendon coaching situation, but Mark Thompson is more concerned with the Bombers’ end of season stretch.
Thompson is expected to relinquish his head coaching position to James Hird when he is invited back to the club next year after completing a one-year AFL suspension for his role in the Essendon supplement scandal of 2012. But while a number of Bomber veterans are contemplating retirement, Thompson isn’t willing to waste time planning for next season with a finals spot on the line.
“I’m not giving it too much thought,” Thompson said of intentions for 2015. “They’re busy days and you don’t actually get too much time to think about it.”
“I don’t want to distract away from what I’m doing.
“As a club we wanted it not to be a gap year, and it’s not. We’re still alive with a lot of improvement up our sleeves.”
The Bombers have dealt with Jason Winderlich’s impending retirement this week and are still unsure about the status of veterans Paul Chapman and 39-year-old Dustin Fletcher, who will miss Friday night’s blockbuster against Richmond with a groin complaint.
“If you’re still a chance and (your season is) still alive, then you can jump out of bed and come to work and do whatever you have to do to get through,” he added.
“I’m quite excited about the challenge.”
Winderlich called it quits earlier in the week, saying he didn’t believe he had another AFL pre-season in his body- a move that took Thompson by shock.
“I was surprised,” commented Thompson. “I think he’s playing fantastic footy. But I’m not with him when he tries to get out of bed every morning.”
“It’s sad, you don’t often see it when someone’s playing good football – he hasn’t hit the 30 mark – and he’s had to retire. He’s had a lifetime, a career of struggle. He’s going out on a high, we want him to stay, it’s amicable, he’s a great Essendon player so we wish him all the best.”
Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
