Thompson finds positives after loss

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 28 Maret 2014 | 22.07

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ESSENDON coach Mark Thompson found positives from the agonising four-point loss to Hawthorn.

Thompson preferred to focus on the stunning third quarter burst that grabbed the lead and momentum from the stunned reigning premier.

"Losing games is not fun at all, but that was a decent loss tonight, if you can say that. Can't believe I'm saying it,'' Thompson said.

Bombers coach Mark Thompson walks off after their defeat. Source: Getty Images

"I was really concerned at half time and I said them in my strongest possible words that I could actually speak because my voice was gone, that I just wanted them to play the way we've been training, to do the things that we expect to do. And they did them brilliantly in that third quarter. That was the highlight of the night for me.

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"Next time we get in that situation, we expect to win. That's how much of a hurry I'm in.''

Thompson said he didn't think the game was safe after Paul Chapman goalled to stretch the lead to nine points 24 minutes into the last quarter.

"I was optimistic that we had a chance to win, but I knew we had to do a fair bit of work,'' he said.

"What did they kick a goal in 20 seconds, five seconds, how quick was that goal? No, it's not the way we really wanted to play in the end, but there were a lot of positives out of that match. Pretty happy.''

Josh Gibson tackled by Zach Merrett and David Zaharakis. Source: News Corp Australia

The Bombers coach said he had instructed his forwards at half-time to present on the lead rather than wait for the high balls, a request accentuated after ruckman Paddy Ryder limped off with an ankle injury early in the third quarter.

"It actually brought (Jake) Carlisle into the game and Joey (Daniher) into the game moving around the midfield,'' Thompson said.

"We're going to miss him (Ryder), he's probably in doubt next week. So, I'm not sure what we're going to do in the ruck.''

On exploiting a Hawthorn defence missing Brian Lake, Ben Stratton and Ryan Schoenmakers and then losing captain Luke Hodge shortly after Ryder's mishap, Thompson said: "I've been involved in games like this for a long time where you get a few key defenders out and you naturally think you get an advantage. And it has never worked out that way.

"If my memory serves me well we've never got an advantage from that because teams just kick the ball on their heads and the big forwards didn't lead. The big forwards just thought the height would do it and it doesn't.

Jackson Merrett celebrates his last-quarter goal. Source: News Corp Australia

"When Paddy went down, they actually got the thing moving better. The Geelong Grand Final against Collingwood in 2011, it's when they started to kick the ball to players on the lead that they were able to kick goals. That's the way I want to play.

"Everybody knows how to play, but for some reason when they get under pressure and there's a crowd here against a good team that's really predictable in their behaviour, then something breaks down in their minds, especially when they're young.

Liam Shiels marks in front of Michael Hibberd. Source: News Corp Australia

"So you have to build up the resilience to it, this confidence, this knowledge that I've actually done this before and I'm going to pull this off. When forwards don't lead, when forwards don't chase, when forwards aren't in their defensive structures, you're in trouble. And they all went out together tonight in that second quarter. They were all back into play in that third quarter.

"At three-quarter time when I walked in (to the huddle) I could actually feel that our players said yes, this is fantastic. That they had just nailed the third quarter against Hawthorn when they were five goals down.

"That's what we want to do. Whatever happens on the day we want to handle it and get it back to the way we want to play.''


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