BOMBER BACK FOR FLAG PARTY
BOMBER: ‘07 flag best thing I’ve achieved
MARKMAR Thompson says he is still sentimental about “the greatestgrea thing I’ve achieved” as he preparesp for tonight’s 2007 premiershippre celebration. The former Geelong coach w will be a headline attraction when up to 20 players from his drought-breaking team join in a pre-game motorcade at Simonds Stadium.
It will be the first time Thompson has mingled with many of the premiership players in a group setting since he left the club at the end of the 2010 season.
Gary and Nathan Ablett are the only two confirmed nonattendees tonight and the Cats are still waiting on a final word from a couple of other players with clashing commitments.
The club is also working out a way for current assistant coaches Corey Enright and Matthew Scarlett to be involved in the festivities.
“It should be fantastic, I reckon, to see the guys again, I can’t believe it’s been 10 years,” Thompson told the Geelong Advertiser yesterday.
“I’m just looking forward to seeing who can still get into their footy shorts.”
The Cats broke a 44-year premiership drought in emphatic style in 2007, punish- ing Port Adelaide by 119 points after starting the season 2-3 following a 2006 season in which Thompson almost lost his job.
He still vividly remembers the nerves of Grand Final day — and the emotions of the year that led to one of the finest seasons in club history.
“I reflect back on the coaches’ box and how you’re nervous,” he said. “We were nervous and our recent history in finals wasn’t great.
“I thought about it, the players I’m sure thought about it, the supporters. To get off to a good start was a bit of a relief. We didn’t have to do that much work in the second half.”
Thompson and his team will tonight relive past glories in a private room before the match and players will fulfil various speaking commitments across pre-game functions before taking part in the motorcade.
“It was fantastic, the best thing that’s happened to me,” Thompson said.
“The greatest thing I’ve achieved and just so happy to be a part of it. The best part is we get to do it forever, we can celebrate it forever.
“Everyone knows it was touch and go (heading into 2007), live or die for all of us — not just me.
“If a new coach had have come in then, he could have done anything, turned the place upside down. It was lucky that commonsense prevailed and we all got the chance to do our thing and we did it so well.”
As for the result tonight: “Hopefully the same thing happens”, Thompson said with his signature chuckle.
The motorcade is set to start at 6.55pm.