Two-time Club Champion Scott Thompson has been recognised with Life Membership of the Adelaide Football Club.
Thompson, 30, was the only person to receive Life Membership at the Crows’ 2014 Season Launch held at the new Adelaide Oval on Wednesday night.
The prolific midfielder has played 206 games for the Crows since being traded from Melbourne, where he played 39 games for an AFL career total of 245. He is one of only 12 Crows to reach the 200-game milestone.
Thompson has been a model of consistency during his decorated career at Adelaide. The strong-bodied midfielder has finished top-three in the Club’s best and fairest award in five of the past seven seasons, claiming back-to-back Malcolm Blight Medals in 2011-12. He was selected as an All Australian in 2012 and finished fourth in the Brownlow Medal in the same year.
Thompson has been Adelaide’s leading possession-getter in each of the past four seasons. He also ranks No.1 at the Club in contested possessions, clearances and tackles in this period.
A dedicated trainer and meticulous preparer, Thompson has also been remarkably durable. After an injury-plagued start to his AFL career at the Demons, the South Australian has missed only four games in nine seasons with the Crows. He currently holds the longest streak of consecutive games at Adelaide (83), having not missed a match since Round Eight, 2010. A respected figure and role model, Thompson is a member of the senior leadership group and was vice-captain in 2012-13.
Crows Chief Executive Steven Trigg paid tribute to Thompson’s leadership qualities.
“Scott’s record speaks for itself. He is a strong leader, who remains part of our leadership group this year,” Trigg said.
“What makes his achievements even more extraordinary is that he has reached the 200-game milestone for this Club in nine years, an amazing feat that speaks volumes of his durability, consistency and importance to our team.”
Thompson was originally recruited by Melbourne with pick 16 in the 2004 AFL National Draft. He sought a trade home to Adelaide at the end of the 2004 season and the Crows pounced; giving up pick No.12 to secure his services.
The full list of Adelaide Football Club members is:
1995: McDermott, C.S
1996: Jarman, A.N
1996: McGuinness, A.B
1999: Bickley, M.A
1999: Smart, N.J
1999: Liptak, M.G
1999: Jameson, R.P
1999: Pittman, D.M
1999: Tregenza, S.L
2000: Hart, B.M
2000: Rehn, S.J
2000: Hammond AM, R.A
2000: Campbell OAM, R.E
2000: Sanders, W.B
2001: Ricciuto, M.A
2003: Basheer AM, M.R
2003: McLeod, A.L
2004: Edwards, T.R
2005: Goodwin, S.M
2006: Bean, D.F
2006: Leahy, R
2007: Goudge, G
2007: Sheppard, A
2008: Robran, M.C
2008: Jarman, D.R
2008: Bassett, N.W
2008: Perrie, I.M
2008: Sando OAM, Dr. B.G
2008: Modra, A.D
2009: Burton, B.T
2009: Downs, B.J
2009: Jaques, T.D
2010: Reid, J.A
2010: Doughty, M.J
2010: Shirley, R.J
2010: McGregor, K.D
2011: Johncock, G.R
2011: Gerard, R AO
2011: Hurley, P.J
2011: Sutton, J.S
2011: Payze, A.J
2011: Ballestrin, M
2011: Pilkington, A.E
2011: Rutherford, G.P
2012: Rutten, B
2012: Reilly, B.C
2012: Trigg, S.G
2012: Whitford, K
2012: McAvaney, S
2012: Carter, D
2013: Cornes, G OAM
2013: Del Bono, V
2014: Thompson, S
