A second flag in three consecutive attempts speaks volumes for Mark Thompson’s coaching abilities, but 2009 was far from easy. Everything was smooth in the beginning as Geelong won 13 games in a row, before they took on an undefeated St Kilda in round 14 and went down by six points. Geelong then suffered a horror run of injuries, but the ever-relaxed Thompson maintained his confidence in his troops’ abilities. After publicly challenging the players at a club dinner, they clicked into gear during the finals, with good wins against the Bulldogs and Collingwood, and then a fantastic performance to beat St Kilda to the flag. Given their six finals appearances in Thompson’s 10 seasons as coach, if Geelong aren’t the team of the decade they’re very close to it. And Thompson has certainly stamped himself as one of the best coaches of the modern era. Andrea Petrie
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