Fallen AFL coaching legend Mark “Bomber” Thompson has opened up on his mental struggles as he prepares to answer to serious drugs charges relating to a raid on his Port Melbourne home.

Thompson, who captained Essendon to the 1993 AFL premiership and then coached Geelong to flags in 2007 and 2009, appeared briefly before a Melbourne court on Thursday.

In a frank interview with Melbourne’s Herald-Sun, Thompson revealed that the Essendon supplements saga from 2013 to 2016 had made him fall out of love with football and cost him friendships.

Thompson stepped up from his role as assistant coach to take charge of the Bombers while James Hird was suspended in 2014.

“I’m just sad. I’m just disappointed. I lost my friendships, I’ve lost my social life,” he told the Herald Sun.

“All the people I’ve grown up with are around footy, and I don’t like footy any more. I don’t want to talk about footy, I haven’t seen footy.”

He said fallout from the saga had cost him his marriage.

“I’d get up at 1am and read the next days’ news and what was going to be on talkback radio that day — and it just affected my sleep, it affected my personal life.

“I was married for the second time and I totally wrecked that. And I did it, I wrecked it.

“I’m seeing some people to try help me understand why I’ve turned out the way I have.”

Thompson faces seven drug-related charges, including trafficking and possession.

He did not speak in court last week as police prosecutor Sergeant Geoff Adams requested an adjournment because the investigating detective was away on leave.

Only the lead investigator could answer questions about the drugs seized from Thompson’s home and the allegations against the 54-year-old and a co-accused, Sgt Adams said.

Police have previously said they found methamphetamine, ecstasy, LSD and MDMA in plastic bags at Thompson’s converted warehouse home on January 5.

Three people - Thomas Windsor, Katia Drcec and Karl Holt - were charged following the raid, but Thompson was not charged until May.

Police said some of the drugs seized were found in a small room protected by a keypad that investigators allege only Thompson could access.

His DNA was also allegedly found on a bag containing MDMA located in his locked bedroom and other bags containing drugs.

Thompson, who is on bail, is due to return to court on July 31 for a special mention.