Interim Essendon coach Mark Thompson has left the AFL club after his talks with club officials broke down.
The Herald Sun reports Thompson as saying they could not reach agreement.
“I’m out, I’m done,” Thompson is quoted as saying.
“There’s not a job there for me.
“I was happy to work there, but a role could not be agreed upon.”
Thompson met on Wednesday with Bombers chairman Paul Little and chief executive Xavier Campbell.
“In the end, it just didn’t work at all,” Thompson said.
It is only seven weeks since Essendon’s tumultuous best and fairest night, where Thompson gave an emotional speech.
At the time, there was strong speculation he was about to become Gold Coast’s new senior coach.
That night Essendon also appeared on the verge of sacking coach James Hird, after he broke ranks with the club and appealed against their devastating verdict in the Federal Court.
Thompson said at the best and fairest night that he wanted to stay at Essendon, but did not want to go backwards.
This was widely interpreted to mean that he only wanted to continue at the Bombers as their senior coach.
But Hird survived and at this stage will be Essendon’s senior coach next year.
Thompson was interim coach this season as Hird served a 12-month AFL suspension over the club’s ongoing supplements scandal.
The AFL also fined Thompson $30,000, which he has so far refused to pay.
That issue could soon go before the AFL Commission.
Thompson, a three-time Essendon premiership player, coached Geelong to the 2007 and `09 premierships.
He returned to Essendon in 2011 to be reunited with Hird – they were premiership teammates in 1993 – and was their senior assistant coach.
Thompson became one of the stories of this season when he took over as interim Essendon coach, guiding the Bombers back into the finals.
He was also one of the year’s most intriguing AFL personalities.
Working on the basis that he was only coaching for one more year, Thompson gave free reign to his quirky personality – especially at post-match media conferences.
The Bombers released a statement saying they had finalised their football department for next season.
Chief executive Xavier Campbell said the decision to part with Thompson had been very difficult.
“There were many factors that were considered but at the end of the day any role needed to have purpose and add meaningful value to our football club,” Campbell said.
“We held extensive negotiations with Mark but we were not able to reach a position that would satisfy both parties and in the end, we had to make a difficult decision in the best interests of all parties and move forward with planning for the 2015 season.”
“I would like to commend Mark on the job he did coaching the team in the absence of James this year, he played a pivotal role in the ongoing development and improvement of our players.”
“Mark is a great Essendon person and although he won’t be involved in an official capacity next season, I’m sure he will be keeping a close eye on the team as it continues to push for success.”
Pumping Dougie
Guest
Just not having the money in the past (to pay the full salary cap). But they reckon they have now.
BigAl
Guest
Thompson going to the doggies (or any other club ) would be disastrous for the AFL. It would just spread the Essendon Ebola to other clubs. Whether or not he was guilty of anything that happened, there he is now infectious ! And apart from all this, as pointed out by a previous poster, he has been carrying on like a Mad Sea Captain lately! Bomber Thompson's time in the AFL is done - or should be - for everyone's good health and peace of mind
micka
Guest
I think the Doggies getting Bomber on board would automatically lift their media profile to the point they might actually show their games. I think it would almost be mad of them not to give him a red hot go. If Channel 7 wanted their hilarious Bomber Thompson coaches box and media pit shanigans they would have to play the games. Money would surely follow.
Casper
Guest
Col - well if the verdict goes against him then maybe that is what will happen, but until such time there is no need for him to resign his position.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Is the salary cap the issue? Or just outright having the money?
Col of Brissie
Guest
But if there were illegal drug administered then he as Head Coach surely must accept some responsibility and in all good conscience resign his position.
Casper
Guest
You really need to grow up. Not even Patrick Smith thinks that Hird is guilty of sanctioning illegal drugs.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
No idea. But we just lost McCartney, Cam Mooney and Scarlett off our books, plus money saved from not having Cooney, part of Griffen's salary, Higgins, Liam Jones, Tutt and Gia. Yes, we're paying Boyd a handsome sum, but we were already paying about $1m short of the salary cap. So that shouldn't be a drama. I suspect governance will be a bigger issue. Bomber won't want anyone being his boss, which will make the Board a bit nervous. But I'd love to have him.
andyl12
Guest
The players also could've quit the club on principle. The fact that they didn't makes a mockery of the fact that they were only following coach's orders. It is the old Nuremberg defence which we all know doesn't stand up in court. David Zaharakis showed how easy it would've been for any other player to opt out of the regime.
andyl12
Guest
How confident are you that they'll have the money Bomber wants?
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
What makes you think he knew about it after he expressed his concerns? Ever wonder why they administered the injections off site? For all we know Tird could have said they were going to stop the injections and just removed Dr Reid from the loop. These are all questions Tird is going to have to answer once his circus of an appeal is over. After this he will not be able to hide behind anymore silly wigs and gowns and just man up and tell the truth to some serious questions. Who knows, he might be innocent. However, what he is currently doing is not helping him look innocent when he is clearly trying to get this so called (no evidence) against him thrown out on a technicality.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
News just in. Bulldogs have flagged they intend to talk to Bomber Thompson about their senior coach job. You bewdy!
Pumping Dougie
Guest
Casper, I think Reid's concerns were ethical, rather than legal. He made his disdain very clear. You're right, he should have quit the club on principle, but like so many of you Essendon supporters, he was in love with the club and lacked clear vision. Some of his comments are below: "Dear James/Paul , I have some fundamental problems being club doctor at present. This particularly applies to the administration of supplements. If we are resorting to deliver this altered growth hormone molecule, I think we are playing at the edge and this will read extremely badly in the press for our club and for the benefits and also for side effects that are not known in the long term, I have trouble with all these drugs. I am very frustrated by this and now feel I am letting the club down by not automatically approving of these things. I need to collect my thoughts as these drugs have been given without my knowledge. I am sure Steve Danks believes that what we are doing is totally ethical and legal, however, one wonders whether if you take a long stance and look at this from a distance, whether you would want your children being injected with a derivative hormone that is not free to the community and whether calf’s blood, that has been used for many years and is still doubted by most doctors, is worth pursuing."
Casper
Guest
It didn't seem that Reid was concerned about the legality of the supplements. It seems like his main concern is that the club was going down the injection path. If he was really outraged then he would have quit the club.
andyl12
Guest
Stop it Micka. Conchie and the like don't need inconvenient truths, they already know they're losing the argument.
micka
Guest
No evidence? What about Essendons own long serving doctor writing a letter within the club to highlight his concern over the program? Their own medical professionals were sweating mate...
Lewis Stewart
Roar Rookie
I thought Bomber was burnt-out and fatigued anyway. That's what he said when he left the Cats, just after publicly scorning Ablett's decision not to re-sign with the club. You reap what you sow Bomber.
Andy_Roo
Roar Guru
Western Bulldogs are looking for a senior coach.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
I'd love to get Bomber Thompson as our head coach at the Bulldogs (although it sounds like that's not going to happen). Essendon are crazy keeping Hird who refuses to acknowledge his complicity in the drugs saga. Yes he has threatened them legally if they sack him, but why did they extend his contract in the first place? Serious neglect and incompetence from the Board. Bomber on the other hand has been honest throughout, admitting they collectively made mistakes and showing great grace to stick around and lead them through troubled times this year. He was the one person with enough influence within the inner sanctum (Dr Reid's damning formal letter to Hird was ignored) to call a stop to the drugs regime (twice). And yet he cops a $30k fine while Hird gets a $1m holiday and other assistants (including Melbourne's Simon Goodwin, who allegedly participated in receiving some of the injections) aren't criticised. Bomber is the only bloke at Essendon apart from Mark Harvey and David Zaharakis that I respect.
andyl12
Guest
"If the evidence is so great why are players or player managers etc not all over ASADA and the media saying how their boy was wronged, sucked in, tricked, etc etc." Because it was Essendon who injected the players, not ASADA. One player's Mum rang Triple M to complain about Essendon's actions and she was dismissed by the club as fake. Most players' partners and families have met with the club expressing concerns about infertility and birth defects, but this would be an inconvenient truth to people like you.