THOMSON Dow may finally be joining brother Paddy Dow on the AFL stage, but Thomson is determined to forge his own path.
Thomson became an AFL player during last Wednesday’s opening AFL draft night after reigning premiers Richmond selected the 18-year-old with pick 21.
Paddy went through the same experience only two years earlier when Carlton selected the now 20-year-old with pick three in the 2017 draft.
Thomson and Paddy have shared a lot growing up on the family fruit farm in Swan Hill, not only as brothers, but teammates, too.
As the two middle children to father, Richard, and mother, Janine, Paddy and Thomson paired together against oldest brother, Jedd, and youngest brother, Max, in their front yard football battles.
The duo also ran onto the field together on many occasions during their junior years at the Swan Hill Football Netball Club.
“My fondest memory would be the premiership I won with Paddy when I was in Year 8 (under 16’s in 2015) for Swan Hill, and I was fortunate enough to win another with my mates two years later (in colts),” Thomson said.
“They are close to my heart because it’s not often you’re able to win premierships, especially with the home club — it’s pretty special.
“Those games in the front yard also got the best out of us all in terms of our aggressive and competitive nature.
“Although, it always used to end up in a fight with one of us coming back into the house crying.”
Following the same pathways to get to AFL — Bendigo Pioneers, Geelong Grammar, Vic Country representative sides, draft combine — Thomson has been feeding off Paddy’s experiences.
“Paddy has assisted me through a lot of my journey, which has made it so much easier” he said.
“I feel I can better slide into the lifestyle at an AFL club because he’s had two years in the AFL system and has helped me understand what to expect.
“I have been asking questions and if I have more, he’s always there.”
Both players also have a lot of similarities in their games, with recruiters often comparing Thomson’s clearance work and acceleration to that of Paddy’s.
But Thomson knows there are differences as well and said he’d prefer not to be known only as Paddy’s brother.
“You always want to make a name for yourself, but the comparisons are always going to happen and I’m used to that,” he said.
“We both play midfield, but we play it very differently — he’s more contested while I’ve got more of a balance.
“I like to use my outside run more and also run and jump at the ball, modelling my game on Western Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli.
“Bontempelli’s a superstar both inside and outside and I’d like to eventually be where he is.
“Paddy, on the other hand, is a more in and under player.”
Starting his footballing journey as a bottom ager in the under 11s, Thomson’s first significant strides towards an AFL career began aged 15.
After playing in the Under 16 Vic Country team, Thomson returned to make his senior debut for Swan Hill against Cohuna Kangas at the Swan Hill Showgrounds.
“I played on the wing and I was this scrawny little bugger who was half the size of everyone on the field,” he said.
“I was pretty nervous in the lead-up because there are some big bodies on the field.
“It’s nothing I had experienced previously with no underage players as big as the blokes out there.”
But it wasn’t until this year’s Under 18 Vic Country performances where Thomson felt AFL was a potential reality.
“When you start to play some good games and get a bit of consistency, you start to feel you belong when you’re matching it with the top-tier players,” he said.
“I never let myself get caught up in the idea of being drafted though because as soon as you start thinking about that, your mind is off the job.”
After a hectic year of football with Vic Country, Bendigo Pioneers and Geelong Grammar, today marks Thomson’s first day of pre-season training with Richmond.
While Thomson said he’ll miss the lifestyle of Swan Hill, the shift to Geelong Grammar during his schooling has prepared him for this situation.
“I missed Swan Hill when I was down in Geelong and that was always going to be the case because I have my family and mates here,” he said.
“But they’re always a call away and you end up making friends pretty quickly when you enter new environments.
“I’ll be sure to come back to Swan Hill when I can because it’s always nice to get away from the city and Swan Hill is awesome because of its laid-back country nature.”
Thomson thanked all the family, friends, former coaches and teammates along with many others who have supported him along the journey.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without all those who have helped me throughout the years,” he said.
