Adam Thomson

[Dyer Disciple]

Money in the bank, will be a ripper for us and will stay in the side once he gets in I wager. Has had a long term injury with lots of niggling complications, no different to a knee reco in terms of sometimes it takes time to get players right, only difference being is it doesn't stop him from playing. He is just not 100%.

As I have said before, he doesn't want to play until 100%, which should be respected. He is thinking long term not, how quick can i get a game. If he plays when not ready there will be supporters and possible coaching staff who may put a line through his name if he can't show his best, what is the sense of that?

If we have such a excess of insiders as people think now, best getting him right and looking long term at him. He has a two year contract, he will live or die by next season for sure. Right now we have to do the right thing by him and list management in ensuring he is 100% before playing.

We are STILL talking about a guy who was in the ELITE in the AFL for clearances based on time on the field during one of his seasons at Port and he is in the right age group for us to perservere with. More potential ups than losses at this point.

I'm probably more dissapointed than most he has not played a game yet, but let's give him (and Hislop for that matter) two season before judging them. Happy for any player to go in their boat who has shown nothing in two years. 3/4's through a 1st season? Patience peeps.

 

[Chiang Mai Tiger]

I'm probably more dissapointed than most he has not played a game yet, but let's give him (and Hislop for that matter) two season before judging them. Happy for any player to go in their boat who has shown nothing in two years. 3/4's through a 1st season? Patience peeps.

I agree DD however time does fly down at Tigerland - Schulz, Pettifer, Tivendale, Fiora...........

 

[Dyer Disciple]

I agree DD however time does fly down at Tigerland - Schulz, Pettifer, Tivendale, Fiora...........

Point taken. However all those names were "home grown" talent and our development, recruitment and list management were atrocious.

If our new list management model is to be taken seriously with Hislop and Thomson being trades over 20, they must show something in their first two years, if not their contracts need to be fed through the paper shredder. I just think they need to be given their full contracts before people start lashing into or judging them.

 

[Mr Pumblechook]

Has had a long term injury with lots of niggling complications, no different to a knee reco in terms of sometimes it takes time to get players right, only difference being is it doesn't stop him from playing. He is just not 100%.

DD, What's the nature of his injury that allows him to play for Coburg but not the seniors?

 

[Stuart]

DD, could it be that he is slow & doesn't have much of a motor?
He appears slow & gets limited game time.
Was he playing SANFL last year because of the niggling injuries & didn't want to struggle at the AFL level? If so, why didn't PA keep him? Is it that they know this niggling injury (ies) won't be leaving soon? Or was it that they just thought, pick #42 for Thomson.... YEEHAW.
I hope your view or knowledge of what's happening is true, as I didn't like the trade when it took place & nothing yet has changed my view.

 

[GoodOne]

DD, What's the nature of his injury that allows him to play for Coburg but not the seniors?

Its a condition called 'fear of losing'

 

[Dyer Disciple]

DD, What's the nature of his injury that allows him to play for Coburg but not the seniors?

Playing AFL football is VERY different to playing VFL. You also have more control over a player in the VFL, or more accurately, more flexibility/less pressure (ie speed of the game, bench rotations etc).

Thompson has some respiratory problems and significant strength problems resulting from his injury (sternum injury the likes of which the club hasn't seen before, it's a tricky injury that there appears some long term complications of). Considering he did it in the pre-season comp (a game he played well in ) and was only starting to get over it and feel confident in June...would sort of indicate it is serious no?

DD, could it be that he is slow & doesn't have much of a motor?
He appears slow & gets limited game time.

He's not the quickest no, but when he played with the seniors in the precomp no one was complaining about his speed when he was giving as tackling presence around packs and clearances. His not the slowest by any stretch either. Bit hard to gauge his motor all things considered right now, however when he has been performing well there has been no sign of a problem with his motor.

As far as limited game time, he was playing the vast majority of games at Coburg in the first half of the year and he had a purple patch where he was our best or amongst our best for a month. That was when Wallace was coaching and he never got a game, not saying he should have either but I bet he would have got a game if he was ready bodywise and/or Jade was coaching.

Keep in mind he has had players like Tuck, Cogz and Hislop in front of him health and opportunity wise. You can't have Tuck, Cogz & Thomson all in the same side. The club in my opinion have finally worked out Hislop is not a midfielder and perservering with him as a forward where I have always believed he is best to add steel and grit and act as a enforcer. I've never got the comparison between Hislop and Thomson because Thomson is a midfield/inside specialist, Hislop is a utility who best place appears in the forward structure.

Cogz tore it up at Coburg and every time Cogz plays in the coburg side Thomson gets put to second fiddle and given roles as a small forward and half backer. Wallace had Thomson trying to play a small forward role at Coburg, nuts! Galls me when we get into these players who were being groomed by wallace in wrong positions.

I hope your view or knowledge of what's happening is true, as I didn't like the trade when it took place & nothing yet has changed my view.

Yes well to be fair I can only claim to be going on more faith than knowledge right now, last time I spoke to him was June. That said I know from some of the symptoms he was talking about you don't get over in a month. I also know a couple of points I wouldn't disclose on this forum so I'm happy to back him as not having an even ground to show his wares on yet.

Look, I'm not about making excuses for players. I just have confidence he couldn't possibly be 100% and I know his struggling with a few serious things that can be making it difficult to get consistency to his game.

Its a condition called 'fear of losing'

 

[Tiger74]

Thanks for the update DD.

I still reckon from what we saw of Thommo in the pre-season he has something to add to the team, and believe once the injuries are past him, the current doubts will go quickly.

 

[Mr Pumblechook]

Playing AFL football is VERY different to playing VFL. You also have more control over a player in the VFL, or more accurately, more flexibility/less pressure (ie speed of the game, bench rotations etc).

Thompson has some respiratory problems and significant strength problems resulting from his injury (sternum injury the likes of which the club hasn't seen before, it's a tricky injury that there appears some long term complications of). Considering he did it in the pre-season comp (a game he played well in ) and was only starting to get over it and feel confident in June...would sort of indicate it is serious no?

Thanks DD - sounds nasty. Hopefully he can get himself back fit enough to have a crack.

 

[Jason King]

Lets not forget he was a Port player. They have a very high level of discipline and hardness (if you disregard P Burgoyne that is).