Scott Thompson Biography

Scott Thompson will retire at the end of the 2019 season.

"When it comes to our famed 'Never Beaten' mantra, Scott epitomises it more than any other," North Melbourne's football boss Cameron Joyce said.

"He is a player that will never lie down, and always gives his all out on the field.

"Scott's determination, durability, competitiveness and grit can never be questioned, and he sets a terrific standard for all our players."

Kangaroos caretaker coach Rhyce Shaw says Scott Thompson will miss at least a week after having surgery on a ruptured testicle.

"He looks like he's been riding bareback for the last four weeks," Shaw laughed.

"We've ruled him out, just to be safe. It was probably pushing the friendship to try to get him up. I think he was relieved more than anything that he doesn't have to train."

Scott Thompson has surgery for a ruptured testicle at Epworth Hospital.

The 33-year-old sustained the injury in the third quarter against Brisbane, when an opponent's heel accidentally made contact to his groin, and spent about 10 minutes off the ground.

Scott Thompson signs a new deal with North Melbourne to play on in 2019.

"Scott is an elite intercept marking player and a fierce competitor, but also plays a big part educating our younger players in the way we want them to play," North Melbourne football manager Cameron Joyce said.

"He was back to his best this year and it's hard to find such reliable and durable players like Scott. We're delighted that he'll be going around again."

Scott Thompson agrees to a one-year deal with North Melbourne to play on in 2019.

32-year-old Kangaroos defender Scott Thompson has been in All Australian form in 2018 and says he is keen on playing on in 2019.

"Sometimes it might not matter how well you're playing. It all depends on the club's future and what they want," Thompson said.

"We've got some really good young guys coming in, so they're probably ready to play, so it all depends what the club wants to do.

"I've been loving my footy this year, so if I can feel like this again next year, I'd love to keep playing."

Scott Thompson feared his AFL career was over at the end of the 2017 season.

The 31-year-old enjoyed a solid 2017 to finish ninth in North's best and fairest award, but a month after the season ended the Kangaroos had still not offered him a contract for 2018.

"It was a nervous wait and a situation I'd never really been in. It was a new experience," Thompson said.

"You get a phone call and it's either them telling you, 'Look for a new job' or 'You've still got a job'.

"I played my 200th game (in round 23) and it must have been close to being my last game because (I had) six weeks of waiting and then (got) a nod. I think people probably don't understand that you don't sometimes get a 10-week liaison into life after football, it can just happen in a split second."

Scott Thompson, Jarrad Waite, Ben Jacobs and Declan Mountford re-sign with North Melbourne on one-year deals.

Scott Thompson, Jarrad Waite and Ben Jacobs are among seven North Melbourne players whose futures are unlikely to be decided until after this year's trade period.

Thompson (restricted free agent), Waite and Jacobs are set to come out of contract at the end of October, along with Sam Gibson, Aaron Mullett and second-year players Declan Mountford and Corey Wagner.

It's understood North has told some of these players it won't be able to inform them whether they will be offered contract extensions until after the trade period finishes on Thursday, October 19.

North Melbourne is yet to open contract talks with free agents Scott Thompson and Lachlan Hansen, having delayed calls on the veteran key defenders ahead of some tough list management decisions at the end of the season.

Thompson, 31, and Hansen, who turns 29 next month, have been vital members of North's defence, but the list rebuild the club embarked on at the end of 2016 clouds their futures at Arden St.

Scott Thompson undergoes surgery to treat an adductor issue that flared up during pre-season training.

"Scott had a slight tear in his adductor repaired in order to get him back fit and firing," North Melbourne football manager Cameron Joyce said.

"Scott will also have a delayed return to full training, but we're confident he'll be right to hopefully play in the pre-season competition and be ready for round one."

Andrew Swallow will continue as North Melbourne captain in 2016.

Jack Ziebell will become the club's sole vice-captain after sharing the role with veteran spearhead Drew Petrie for the past four seasons.

Shaun Higgins will also come into the Roos' leadership group in 2016, joining existing members Swallow, Ziebell, Jamie Macmillan and Scott Thompson.

Petrie and fellow veteran Nick Dal Santo exit the club's official leadership team but will have mentoring roles this year.

"The players have probably been the loudest voice in this and in the end it was fairly clear, but that doesn't mean it was easy," North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said.

"While we know Jack has got terrific leadership qualities, this process meant that Andrew was a fairly clear standout for us."

Scott Thompson is keen to play beyond 2015, believing he still has plenty to offer an emerging Crows group.

Thompson is out of contract at year's end but believes he still has the passion to continue his decorated 264-game career.

"If I wasn't enjoying it, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. I guess it's up to me and how I perform, but in saying that it's not about me really," Thompson said.

"As long as we're performing as a side and I'm playing my role, the club will hopefully see a role for me going forward.

"Hopefully, I can start the season well and we'll go from there."

Steve Johnson is free to face Fremantle in Saturday night's blockbuster clash at Simonds Stadium after North Melbourne full-back Scott Thompson gave key evidence at the Tribunal on Tuesday night.

Johnson was offered a one-match suspension by the Match Review Panel for kneeing Thompson, but the Cats elected to challenge his charge, risking an extra week on the sidelines.

The gamble paid off for the Cats, who successfully argued there was insufficient force in the blow to warrant a charge.

Thompson was called by the Cats to give evidence, telling the Tribunal he had suffered broken ribs in round 18 and wore an AFL-approved guard to protect the injury against the Cats.

Geelong argued Thompson's reaction after contact was made to his ribs was due to the existing injury – which Johnson was not aware of – rather than the force of the blow.

"I'm relieved by the result, I got a fair hearing, and I think the correct decision was made," Johnson said.

"We found out [about Thompson's injury] later, but I'm glad he came in … it helped my case, no doubt."

Steve Johnson will face the tribunal on Tuesday evening after the Cats opted to contest his one-match suspension for kneeing North Melbourne's Scott Thompson.

The Cats thought long and hard about the decision on Tuesday morning, but they are adamant that Johnson's contact with Thompson did not involve enough force to warrant a report.

"My position is that we would have to be absolutely adamant that there's been a travesty of justice here for us to even consider risking losing Steve for another game," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

"Given the fact that there was a 300-game umpire two metres away, and he didn't see the need to even pay a free kick, then I think that would work strongly in our favour.

"The way the system works, for us to plead our case on this one, in what is a very innocuous incident, we have to risk Steve not only missing the biggest game of the season for us this week, but missing a really big game the week after for something that is, in the way footy's played, absolutely inconsequential."

Tom Clurey hopes to make his debut in 2014 for the Power and hopes to model his game after North Melbourne defender Scott Thompson.

"He's good one-on-one but he takes the game on too, which is something Kenny (Hinkley) is keen for me to do as well," Clurey said.

"They know I'm good offensively with the ball, but they just want me to keep working on my one-on-one defence and get bigger and stronger."

All Australian full back Scott Thompson signs a three-year deal with North Melbourne.

"The club approached me and my manager, Anthony McConville, about a month ago with a two-year extension but I'm really keen to be a one-club player and we came to terms on an extra year on top of that," Thompson said.

"With the things going on at North at the moment, I'd be crazy to contemplate playing anywhere else.

"It's definitely an exciting place to be and the work the club is doing the post-season to ensure we have every opportunity to succeed is pretty clear and impressive."

Daniel Wells and Scott Thompson share the Syd Barker Medal after tying in North Melbourne's best and fairest count for 2013.

Wells and Thompson both notched 50 votes, one vote clear of ruckman Todd Goldstein with vice-captain Drew Petrie fourth, three votes further back.

Corey Enright is the latest Geelong player to be cited by the Match Review Panel although the star defender has escaped with a fine after being booked for standing on the leg of North Melbourne defender Scott Thompson.

The incident occurred during the dying minutes of the Cats' loss to the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

Michael Firrito says Kangaroo teammate Scott Thompson is one of the AFL's best defenders.

"He's a fantastic competitor, he's so good one on one, he can beat his direct opponent, and there are not many key defenders in the comp who are as damaging the other way as he is with his rebounding and intercept marking," Firrito said.

"He's as good as any defender in the competition at the moment. He's the complete package, so he's great for our backline and he'll soon be known as one of the elite defenders in the competition."

Andrew Swallow wins the Syd Barker Medal - his third North Melbourne best and fairest award in four years.

Swallow tallied 60 votes ahead of Scott Thompson with 49 and Brent Harvey with 45.

Crow Scott Thompson will play his 200th game against the Bulldogs and says that at 29 years of age, he is hungry to taste premiership success.

"I'd dearly love to win a premiership and we've had our chances I think, in '05, '06 when we were right up around the top of the ladder," Thompson said.

"My aim now is to fast track the development of these guys with the other senior guys and coaches around the football club to get to that ultimate success as soon as possible. If I'm playing in a premiership before I retire that'd be fantastic."

North Melbourne defender Scott Thompson talks to the Herald Sun about his confrontation with Barry Hall during the Kangaroos-Bulldogs clash when the burly forward had him in a stranglehold.

"I thought I was all right, but it soon became a pretty tight grip and I got a little scared, but he knew to let go," Thompson said.

"He had me across the neck and I was struggling to breathe, but I think Barry felt that as well and that's why he let go."

Thompson admits to deliberately trying to niggle Hall and says he will try to temper his penchant for getting under his opponents skin after the incident.

"The weekend's incident has brought home that I don't want to be seen as that sort of (dirty) player," he said.

"Some people can see that I may have taken it too far, but I just want to be hard at the ball and I think I can definitely learn from the weekend."

Carlton coach Brett Ratten has joined the Barry Hall debate, questioning the tactics used by Kangaroo Scott Thompson to rile the reported Bulldog.

Thompson was seen to niggle Hall as the forward doing up his shoelaces.

"I wouldn't like to to see my son doing it or being the one that's being hit - that's my answer," Ratten said.

"I think we have a responsibility as AFL clubs and the AFL to make sure nothing goes down through the grades. We're the role models for society on the field and off the field, and I think we have a responsibility there."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has defended the actions of full-back Scott Thompson, who was reported twice after his altercation with Bulldog Barry Hall.

"I thought he played the way a full-back should play," Scott said.

"He got a reaction out of the full-forward. I don't think Scotty did anything untoward at all."

North Melbourne defender Scott Thompson earns a place in Champion Data's 2009 team of the year after the statistics reveal that he is one of the competition's most versatile defenders.

"I love football and I just want the football in my hands as much as possible," Thompson said.

"It doesn't matter whether you are a forward, a back, or a midfielder, you've got to try to win the footy and go hard at it, no matter where the ball is."

Kangaroo Andrew Swallow's impressive season has been rewarded with the midfielder claiming his first Syd Barker Medal as the club's best and fairest player.

Swallow finished on 487 votes, just 10 ahead of full-back and runner-up Scott Thompson with 477 votes.

North Melbourne backman Shannon Watt will retire at the end of this season after seeing his spot in the team being taken over by the young defender Scott Thompson.

"The young boys are playing really well. Scotty Thompson's been brilliant this year and he's probably pushed me out of the side, which is great for the club's future," he said.

"As much as I'd love to have been playing seniors, I've still enjoyed the year at Ballarat. If I wasn't still enjoying my footy, I wouldn't play out the year just for the sake of it."

Tim Notting is offered a one-match suspension subject to a guilty plea for striking Kangaroo Scott Thompson in Saturday's match at the Gabba.

Cameron Mooney has been suspended for one game for striking Kangaroo Scott Thompson.

An unusual headbutt by Collingwood forward John Anthony is to come under scrutiny today.

Anthony was seen to have driven his head into North Melbourne's Scott Thompson's groin region during the third quarter of their clash.

John Anthony and Simon Taylor face time on the sidelines for on-field indisgretions.

Anthony was offered a week for headbutting Kangaroo Scott Thompson in the groin while Taylor has been handed a two-match ban for rough conduct against Carlton's Setanta O'hAilpin.