Northern Inland Football: Gavin Thompson calls time on coaching career

The long-time North Companions coach was jovial, chatting to bystanders, and almost calm.

Those familiar with Tamworth soccer will know that Thompson is usually found on the sidelines, disagreeing loudly with the referees - sometimes to the point of reprimand.

But, Thompson said, there was a reason for his mellowed demeanour on the weekend.

"It is [my last game as coach]," he said.

"It's set in stone. I'm not saying I'll never be back, but certainly for the next five years or so, I'm going to have a spell."

The rationale for Thompson's decision was multifaceted. After 11 years spent giving his weeknights and Saturdays to North Companions, the Sydney product wants to spend more time with his family, who are scattered from NSW to Tasmania.

"My youngest, Jonah, he's moving off to Sydney, and all my other kids have moved away,"

"I've got elderly parents that are quite ill and live over on the coast, so I'd like to see them. My eldest son lives in Hobart, and he's having a baby in January. I'd like to go down and see the grandkids, things like that."

There is also, Thompson admitted, a more serious element to his stepping away from the sport.

The 56-year-old works as a forensic investigator - a career which he described as "very draining".

So hanging up the coach's hat, he said, is "part of a mental health plan for myself".

"[Coaching] is a bit of a release," Thompson said.

"But sometimes the stress of things really gets to me ... I'm just going to do a bit of fitness for myself and just try to take things easier, without putting the pressure on it."

Having begun coaching with North Companions shortly after moving to Tamworth more than a decade ago, Thompson has quickly become a beloved figure within the club.

Despite his occasionally explosive temper on game day, he will be remembered by those he mentored as someone who truly cares about the people around him.

"He's a wonderful man that loves his players," Northies captain, Ben Todd, said of Thompson.

"He's a very passionate man, and stands up for his players. He puts us first."

After so much time invested in the club, and a number of accolades which include his year as coach in 2017 when Companions won the first grade premiership, it is fitting that Thompson signed off on Saturday with another grand final win.

But his retirement from coaching (temporary or not) will not stop Thompson from supporting the club that has been "a big part of my life".

"You'll still see me at games," he said. "I just won't be yelling and screaming on the sideline."

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