Cats won't stop Thompson moving to Dons

GEELONG chief executive Brian Cook says the Cats will not prevent departing coach Mark Thompson from joining another club if he wishes to do so.

Thompson resigned from his position at Geelong on Monday after a very successful 11 seasons in charge.

But his move has reignited speculation he will soon join Essendon - the club he captained to a premiership in 1993 - as a senior assistant coach working under James Hird.

"Mark's current contract allows him to leave with six weeks notice, which he has provided today," Cook said.

"He is pretty much a free man after that. The only expectation we would have - and that's been communicated to him - is that at some stage in the future, if and when he does take up another position, is that he doesn't take any of our staff."

However, Thompson, 46, has once again refused to give any hints on whether he will head back to the Bombers.

"The thing for me has been to say goodbye to the people who work here, the supporters, the players. It's really difficult to do," he said.

"What I'm going to do tomorrow is sit down and reflect and see what I want to do next.

"I clearly have no idea, and I know there's a lot of speculation about what I'm going to, but it's pretty hard to speculate if I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow.

"I really don't know what I'm going to be doing. End of story."

Thompson said he was glad to have left his position on his own terms, rather than face the prospect of being forced out at a later date.

"I think handling it this way is a lot easier on the person," he added.

"I know I've let the club down by walking away, but we're going to be friends for life because I chose that way.

"A lot of people who do get the sack as coach, they don't end up having a great relationship with that club."

Cook said the working group that has been put together to find Geelong's new coach will hold its first meeting on Tuesday morning.

"It's not simply a matter of coming up with three or four names and ringing their managers," Cook, who is part of the working group, said.

"It's an important position and we'll do the best we can to find the best person for Geelong, whether that person is sourced internally or externally."

Geelong's recruiting manager, Stephen Wells, will handle the club's participation in trade week, which begins on Tuesday.

Source http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/103713/default.aspx