Footy legend Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson reveals the lowest point in shocking decade that saw him get addicted to ice after Essendon doping scandal rocked the game
- Mark Thompson says James Hird’s suicide attempt rocked him
- Weathered a downward spiral following the Essendon doping scandal
- Now adamant time heals old wounds and holds no grudges
Former premiership-winning player and coach Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson has revealed his lowest point following a downward spiral that saw him become addicted to drugs following the infamous Bombers supplements saga.
Thompson, who coached Geelong to two premierships in 2007 and 2009 after winning three flags with Essendon as a player, has accepted the competition’s invitation to present the Jock McHale Medal to the winning coach on grand final day on September 30.
It will be Thompson’s most notable public return to the game since his 2019 drug possession conviction, which was the culmination of a period of substance abuse that he linked to a downward spiral following his stint as an assistant coach with the Bombers during the Supplements -saga. five years earlier.
Appears on Channel 9’s Footy classified Wednesday night, Thompson said the passage of time has helped him heal personally.
“It’s been a while… I was very aggressive and I was very defensive and trying to get my name honored and my name cleared and everything else. But then it gets to a point where you just lose interest in footy – which I did – and now I’m starting to come back,” he explained.
Mark Thompson says time has healed many of his wounds following his downward spiral
Thompson says James Hird’s suicide attempt was his lowest point
‘Time heals everything – and for me it’s all healed now. You still talk about it, it’s still there, I can’t get rid of it. But it’s not like I’m sticking to it now. You just let it go. It is what it is.
‘I don’t hold grudges about anything. I love Essendon, I still love all the people there. It’s not a problem for me and football.
I didn’t want a role in football, but I’m happy to watch it … and show people I’ve forgiven and tied the knot with the AFL to say we’re back on track.”
When asked about his lowest point, Thompson said hearing about James Hird’s suicide attempt in 2017.
“I think the night I heard ‘Hirdy’ (James Hird) tried to take his own life was probably the one.
“That’s actually where I said, ‘Why does the game have to get to this point?’
“That was a bit of a wake-up call for everyone, I think. That was a wake-up call for me: don’t take it so seriously.
‘Hirdy and I are friends. We don’t talk to each other that much, but we have supported each other and we will continue to do so and support each other.
Thompson will return to the AFL atmosphere on Grand Final day after accepting an invitation to present the Jock McHale Medal
‘But I’m not the kind of guy who hangs out with a lot of people. I’m a bit of a loner and introvert. I just like to mess around and do things on my own.”
Despite the shocking decade since the Bombers doping saga, Thompson says he knows he has behaved ethically.
“The most important person you have to please is yourself – and I never had any doubts about what I did,” he said.
“I don’t need to go back to (his) Mark Thompson. Just go out there (on the day of the grand final), enjoy a game of football and shake hands with the man who has just joined the premiership coach’s club.’
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