John Thompson (Australian footballer, born 1938)
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| John Thompson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | John Laurence Thompson | ||
| Date of birth | 21 June 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Benalla, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 11 February 1999 (aged 60) | ||
| Place of death | Queensland | ||
| Original team(s) | Benalla | ||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1959–1963 | Richmond | 65 (0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1963. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
John Laurence Thompson (21 June 1938 – 11 February 1999)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Thompson, a centre half-back originally from Benalla, was on a permit from Ararat when he came to Richmond in the 1959 VFL season and made three league appearances.[2] The following year Ararat cleared him to Richmond, on the agreement that he would cleared back if he didn't become a regular member of the side.[2] He was however able to cement a spot in the team and played 62 more games for Richmond, over four years, which included a stint as vice captain.[3][4] During his time at Richmond, Thompson had a full-time job in Ararat and had to travel 500 miles to train.[5][6]
After leaving Richmond, Thompson was captain-coach of Mortlake in the Hampden Football League and got the club into a grand final in 1966, which they lost to Warrnambool.[7][8] He led Mortlake to another grand final in 1967 and they were again unable to get the win, this time going down to Terang.[9][10]