WHEN Mark Thompson and Geelong agreed that they would not talk contracts until season's end, it seemed a sensible decision for both parties.

Thompson and the Cats had endured a terrible year in 2006, and "Bomber" had barely survived the laborious review that he labelled "crap" before this season. It suited the club, and the coach, to keep their options open, with the administration clearly holding the upper hand in the power equation.

It would determine whether Thompson remained at the Cattery, or went to the coaching knackery.

In the course of this season, as it gradually became evident that the Cats were in pole position to land that unthinkable premiership, the club and Thompson decided there would be no detour from the original road map.

Now, there was an extra reason not to talk about a contract extension for Bomber — such talks could potentially distract the coach and those around him, and thus jeopardise the surge towards September.

Those decisions, sound at the time, are no longer appropriate for a club in Geelong's position, or for a coach in Thompson's situation.

Kevin Sheedy's removal has seen to that.

No club is an island; it is part of a competition and a market place and Geelong cannot make decisions without considering external forces.

Today, there is a frenzied coaching market, and if there is one club that could conceivably coax Thompson away from Geelong, it's the one that nurtured him, which he captained to a premiership and to which he remains close. The club that shares his nickname, in the plural.

Geelong, thus, must try to secure Thompson for 2008 as soon it can, without seeming panicked. The pre-season plan has been overtaken by events. Really, by an event — the biggest dismissal since Gough Whitlam was caught Fraser bowled Kerr in 1975.

Thompson is on the Essendon short list, even before it has been fully formed. Whereas contract talks are seen as a dangerous distraction, the lack of a contract is now more dangerous to Geelong.

With Essendon in the game, talk about Bomber and the Bombers has the potential to destabilise or unsettle the team that has won its past 11 games.

If Thompson remains unsigned throughout the finals, many will read this as a sign that he's heading back to Windy Hill, assuming the Dons haven't hired anyone by then. It will become an issue, and the players will wonder what's up. It will become, yes, a distraction of greater magnitude than that of contract negotiations.

The Dons are open minded about Sheedy's replacement, but their preference is for a somewhat experienced coach.

Thompson, in his eighth season at Geelong, has precisely the right profile for the club, and installing a favourite son would appease the supporters who were threatening to storm the barricades last night.

Much of Thompson's focus at Geelong has been on rebuilding the list; he inherited a moribund, ageing group and was given time, and a charter to create a sustainable team that could contend over a period of three to five years.

What he's done at Geelong is pretty much what Essendon requires now, although the Dons aim to complete the reconstruction faster, within three years, under their "2010" strategic plan.

Why would he leave Geelong in its current state for a team that seems two to three years away? Good question, but why wouldn't he sign with Geelong, if offered a contract now, is even more pertinent. Should this be read as a sign that he might contemplate leaving?

While a good coach sticks by his game plan, an inspired one can react to the changed circumstances and adapt to the new realities.

If Bomber learnt anything from Sheedy, it ought to have been that.