FEW AFL players of Scott Thompson's calibre have endured as much frustration in 249 games as the champion Adelaide midfielder.
Even St Kilda legend Robert Harvey, who played 383 games without a premiership, wasn't forced to endure three losing preliminary finals.
After battling injury early in his career, Thompson appeared destined to earn a shot at a flag in a star-studded Adelaide line-up in the mid-2000s, only to twice stumble in the preliminary final. It happened again in 2012 when Graham Johncock gave the Crows the lead with just minutes remaining, before Hawthorn stole victory and a place in the season's decider.
On the eve of his 250th game, Thompson told the AFL Record he was too preoccupied in his premiership pursuit to allow his significant milestone to sink in.
The 31-year-old hasn't flagged retirement, but he remains desperate to hold the premiership cup aloft before he hangs up his boots.
"I played finals footy in my first five seasons at the Crows … we've been very close a couple of times and I'm now in my 14th year of senior footy and I'm just craving a premiership," Thompson said.
The midfielder spent four injury-affected seasons with the Melbourne and, while he retains fond memories of his time at the club, a season-ending foot injury halfway through 2004 proved the final straw.
"I was rapt when the Demons called my name on draft day. I really enjoyed my time there and I've still got some really close mates who I played with that I catch up with regularly," he said.
"It was just that I got some unlucky injuries along the way and it got to the stage where I was coming out of contract and just wanted a fresh start.
"I missed basically all of my second year with my knee and then missed the second half of my fourth year with my foot and, as much as I loved the place, I just wanted a fresh start because of these little things that kept arising."
Port Adelaide was keen to secure his services, but by the time the Power made their play, Thompson had already progressed significantly in discussions with the Crows.
Always reliable, he evolved into one of the AFL's most prolific ball-winners and in 2012 narrowly missed out on claiming football's highest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal, finishing fourth, five votes behind winner Jobe Watson.
The year also delivered him his third preliminary final loss; it was a bitter end to what he described as a "bloody exciting" campaign.
Read the full feature in the round five edition of the AFL Record, available at all grounds.
