New Essendon assistant coach Mark Thompson said today he was unremorseful and unapologetic about the manner in which he left Geelong.

In his first media conference since leaving the Cats for his new role at Windy Hill, Thompson said he had no regrets about the way his departure was conducted and said if Geelong officials and fans were still upset about it, 'that was their problem'.

The two-time premiership coach has been widely criticised for telling Cats president Frank Costa and chief executive Brian Cook he was suffering burn-out as a senior coach - but insisting at the same time he would not be joining his former club Essendon, as had been heavily speculated in The Age and The Australian.

That undertaking proved to be a sham: within days of his departure from Skilled Stadium it became apparent he was on a promise to join Hird's new coaching staff.

Today, only six weeks after that decision, and with many football followers feeling he had been less-than-transparent with Geelong, Thompson was not apologising to anyone for the sequence of events that led him to Windy Hill.

"I can look myself in the mirror and just say that I am happy with everything that I've done. And if other people don't see it that way, well I'm sorry for them. Some of the stuff I have read has been so far from the truth that it's ridiculous," he said.

Thompson said he was mentally drained after 11 years as a senior coach, and would not alter his final days at Geelong if he had the chance.

"Probably not. If you're talking about whether I should've announced I wasn't going to be coaching senior football while the season was still going, that would be a definite no, because a lot of the focus would have been off the team and the chances of winning another premiership,'' he said. ''And we weren't that far away last season. I felt it was really important we kept our focused and give us the best chance to win.

"I haven't got a problem with Geelong at all. If they have, well that's their problem, but I think it's a great football club. I had a great time there over an 11-year period, I gave everything I possibly could give to the Geelong Football Club. And I walked away from a very lucrative contract, because I didn't feel like I could do the job.

"I pretty much knew in my heart that I didn't want to be a senior coach anymore."

The former Essendon premiership captain said the stress of being a senior coach had left him mentally drained and he was looking forward to taking a step back next season as a mentor and assistant coach to Hird.

"I just felt myself, as the year went on, that I was wearing out,'' he said. ''And it was really hard to get the team up to win another premiership. And maybe I didn't do the best job I could possibly do. Maybe it was a distraction for the team and the club, but at the end, I couldn't give my commitment to Geelong to keep going.

"And the responsibility of the job, which James will find out, is huge. And you have to be a hundred per cent committed and you have to be ready and up for it, and I clearly wasn't.

"The responsibility, the pressure, the scrutiny, the losses and then facing the media. There just some responsibilities. What's the difference? It's massive, to be totally honest. And James is about to find out."

Thompson said he had felt a little saddened watching the club he captained to the 1993 premiership alongside Hird struggle over the past two seasons and felt an urge to help the debutant coach.

"I wouldn't be who I am, or I wouldn't have done what I have in my life, without the Bombers. When James rang I was nearly ready to walk away and just the feeling for the club, the love for the club and seeing where the club had been over the last couple of years saddened me a bit," Thompson said.

"Helping the club I used to play for, and helping James, who obviously needs someone around him who has been through the experience of being a senior coach to know what's coming...it's a very exciting group and I think it's great for the football club that they have someone who is experienced there to help him on his way, because he is going to need it."

However, Thompson said he loved his time at Geelong and simply needed a fresh start, one which wouldn't be fulfilled if he stepped down to become an assistant coach at the Cats.

Earlier in the day, Thompson spoke exclusively to Essendon members on the club's website about what it meant to him returning to his beloved football club.

"I just want to help Hirdy, help the Essendon footy club. It was sad to see it in the state it was. I am expecting a lot of improvement and we are very capable of doing it," he said.

"I think it's a really good coaching group. There is some really good experience and there is some freshness out of the game. I think it will match any coaching panel in the country. I'm very excited about the people I am going to be working with."

Thompson refrained from discussing his departure at Geelong, naturally wanting to talk about his future.

"When I decided I wasn't going to be the coach of Geelong ... I knew Hirdy was appointed and I can give him a hand, give something back to the club and make sure that they improve."

Thompson said he was excited about returning to the club and would be implementing an attacking style that took him to two premierships as a senior coach.

"I think you'll see an exciting brand of footy. We've got great people around the footy club and we are going to do our best to produce our best footy and win as many games as we can," he said.

"Come on board and support. Something we've lacked in the last couple of years is that real genuine Essendon support and we want that back."