The Cats were far too good for Freo but had to withstand a fierce physical barrage, particularly in the opening half in which Dean Solomon’s high hit on Cameron Ling was the main talking point.
While the close-checking tactics that Freo employed in the round six clash between the sides were again evident – sparking several push-and-shoves – it was the manner in which his side was able to put that aside and kick away that most pleased the winning coach.
There were times early in the clash when Geelong looked as though it might get sucked into the visitors’ tactics, however Thompson said he couldn’t be happier with the “professionalism” of his group.
“I don’t think we could avoid just not giving a little bit back,” Thompson said.
“I think it’s just [an] extremely difficult situation to be in.
“I think by the end of the game you’d look back and say ‘well our boys were really professional’.
“We played football and that’s what we intended to do and I think we achieved that.”
Thompson looked like a man who had to bite his lip when asked his thoughts on how Fremantle – coached by friend and former teammate Mark Harvey – went about the match.
“Well they just played the way they wanted to play … I’m the coach of Geelong so all I can worry about is the behaviour of our boys,” he said.
The Cats coach was also bemused by a lopsided free kick count in the visitors’ favour in the opening term.
The umpires blew the whistle 26 times in the first quarter – 19 of those to the benefit of Fremantle and at one point the count was 14-3 to the men in purple.
So was his side overzealous in its attack on the man?
“Us? No we weren’t overzealous because we don’t play that way,” Thompson said.
“Anyone who’s watched us play over a long period [would know] we try not to talk to the umpires, we try not to talk to the opposition, we don’t unsettle players from the opposition side, we just play footy.
“So whatever happened today wasn’t about Geelong.”
Thompson said his team’s effort to fight on despite being two players down after half-time was exceptional, while his side’s evenness was also pleasing.
It wasn’t just the known superstars that were winning plenty of the ball and helping this team enjoy its success, he said.
“People like [Corey] Enright and [Darren] Milburn, who aren’t even in the middle of the ground … they’re just very good players,” he said.
“It’s hard for them because they probably should get more recognition than what they do from week to week.
“But inside our club, I rate Enright as high as anyone and same as ‘Dasher’.”
