One of the best wins, says Thompson

A STUNNING last-term comeback, a half-time spray after some "disgusting football", a big tick – Geelong's one-point win over Hawthorn on Saturday afternoon had it all.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson was buzzing after the match. You could see it in his body language in the rooms, and he was still pumped by the time he made it to the media conference 30 minutes later.

"I was very excited, I was just genuinely excited," he said. "We worked hard in the box, and the players just never gave up.

"There were some individual efforts that were just outstanding; one that comes to mind is (Joel) Selwood, just an outstanding game.

"It rates up there – it was enjoyable to sing the song, to know that you had a victory like that."

Thompson said the side getting smashed in the second term brought a predictable response once the side was in the rooms at the main break.

"I gave them a good bake at half -time – the best one of the year; best one for a few years.

"But not my best one ever, though.

"We were getting smashed in the contested ball, the clearances.

"We looked like we couldn't defend an under-nine team. They just got through us so easy, and their spread was hard, and they looked faster and more skilful and more aggressive.

"We turned it around, and it takes a bit of character."

Despite the excitement of the win, Thompson was still in teaching mode after siren.

"I gave them a bit of a compliment, a big tick. I thought we were down and out at half time, and I asked for a fair bit.

"I said them that when a coach sits there and says that anything can happen in a game of footy, I think now you'll believe them, because to be 22 points down and to have two of your key defenders out, to get up and win is an extraordinary effort.

"They'll know exactly what that means for the rest of their lives, I think."

A Brent Guerra goal early in the last extended the lead to 28 points, and Thompson admitted that he thought the game was beyond reach once that happened.

"You just never know. Probably most of us watching the game would have thought that, and maybe some of the players, but again, you just see how quick goals are scored from the centre bounce, you can score a goal, and then within the next 15 seconds another goal.

"They never had that margin where we thought we couldn't get back in.

"But you asked if I was confident about us doing it? Probably not."