#31,#26 Ben Johnson

[pietillidie]

[swoop42]

Hopefully others who are more dedicated to the cause, more professional in the way they prepare themselves for an upcoming season and willing to make the sacrifices needed to play there best football throughout the year will be given an opportunity ahead of Johnson.

I suspect even if he turns his attitude and behaviour around others will have taken his place based purely on talent alone. For me if he's still in our best 22 then the kids aren't developing as quickly as we hoped.

Can count himself extremely lucky to be still at the club, he was getting himself in trouble long before last year wasn't he? Back in the days of Tarrant I seem to recall, he must be a very slow learner.

[Piesnchess]

With all due respect,can anyone honestly see either him or OBree being part of a Collingwood premiership team? Anybody?

[medders#7]

Give him a damn break would ya!!

he has been part of collingwood for a long time
at least he has damn identified what his FLAWS are socially wise and wants to improve on it!

good on the bloke seriously!!
its funny how quickly ppl forget.
remember that tackle on burgoyne in the goal square in that final
johnno is a gun!!
if he gets firing look at him playing 22 games + this season

[jack_spain]

With all due respect,can anyone honestly see either him or OBree being part of a Collingwood premiership team? Anybody?

NO.

[Johnson#26]

With all due respect,can anyone honestly see either him or OBree being part of a Collingwood premiership team? Anybody?

Yep.

O'Bree, in particular, is ridiculously underrated by all bar the other clubs. Probably a good thing, really.

[Mountains Magpie]

With all due respect,can anyone honestly see either him or OBree being part of a Collingwood premiership team? Anybody?

Definitely !!

Anyone heard of Lewis Roberts-Thompson ? Must be the most unlikely premiership player in the last decade but that bottom line is he IS a premiership player and it can never be taken away from him.

[WhyPhilWhy?]

A fully fit and in-form Johnson is not a long way off a Cousins anyway. I don't know exactly how he does it, but he can kick a goal from outside 50.

Must have finally got over Taz.

[Kingswood]

^yup.

in 06 he was one of the most damaging players in the league

i remember the herald sun featured a new stat measuring how many meters a player moves the ball forward in the teams direction either by runnin or kicking and he was well in front...

and dont give me any wisecracks about the ball landing i opposition hands and being sent right back!!

[3rd degree]

I reckon Johno will have a big 2009. He can be a great tagger and decent small backman, also has a good Krusty the clown hairdo on his day! I loved it when he smashed that demon sook in 2007 I was just disapointed that he got murdered by the tribunal.

[uuuuu..... The LoneSTAR]

Love watching Johnno in form!....... maybe Favs can help remind eveyone??

Can't wait for 2009,..... Hurry up!!!!!

[burnsy17]

With all due respect,can anyone honestly see either him or OBree being part of a Collingwood premiership team? Anybody?

Nope - Add Lockyer to that list.


You watch, by mid season at least 2 of the 3 mentioned players will be battling for a game.

[optimax]

With all due respect,can anyone honestly see either him or OBree being part of a Collingwood premiership team? Anybody?

NO.

yes actually if everything falls into place (ie 02 without a bullshit oal umpire) obree could very well be a premiership player and the player that leads disposals and clearances for that team. But you dont like stats do you jack

Also johnno at his peak was a very good player and even his kicking although ungainly worked well. so we'll see

[Tannin]

Oh, gimme a break. It's a hell of a job picking a side already, but at least one decision was easy: there were four or five kids floating around the edge of selection that you'd obviously pick before you'd even think about BJ. At least BJ was easy to pick: you stuck him on the HB flank in the seconds and hoped like crazy you didn't have such a dreadful run with injuries in the seniors that you'd have to consider him for the first 22.

If he's really turned himself around the way he says he has, then there is another one you have to look at at the selection table and try to fit into the side, another[ good kid stuck in the twos and not learning his trade in the seniors as he ought to be.

Sigh.

Well, we will have to wait and see.

On the one hand, there can be fantastic value in a player who reaches that 27ish mark. Still young enough to have a strong young body instead the mass of scars and long-term niggles which is your typical 32-year-old, but suddenly old enough to realise he only has a few years left at the top level and if he wants to make his mark it has to happen now! You can't screw around anymore when you are looking 30 in the face. Look at what happened with Lockyer in '07 (but for a short while only - his '08 form wasn't even close, alas), or with Leon, who is getting better and better as he approaches the beginning of the end of his career.

So could a grog-free, clean-living, hard-training, super-fit BJ have a couple of golden seasons near his end? Or is this just holding back the development of a Dick or a Wellingham?

Beats me. Have to wait and see. But I'll make one prediction: there are going to be some huge arguments over selections here at Nick's this year.

[Mossi]

Beats me. Have to wait and see. But I'll make one prediction: there are going to be some huge arguments over selections here at Nick's this year.

Going to make some fantastic reading ..... One thing for sure. It's the best position for a club to be in when the difficult decisions have to be made at the selection table! I hope MM and the selection panel do it in such a way that all have some reward and a good team spirit is built. I'd like to see a horses for courses policy with some creative game plans against the sides that walloped us last year! Looking forward to the development of the younger brigade and for BJ to show some leadership qualities of a few years back.