MmkMrMackie
13 Jun 2007, 19:48
Johnson says it’s payback time for Lions
4:03 PM Tue 12 June, 2007 | Back (javascript:history.go(-1);)
By Finn Bradshaw
Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network
News
GEELONG goalsneak Steve Johnson says his side will be looking for some payback this weekend against the Brisbane Lions.
“There's a lot of us boys who were playing in the side in 2002, 2003, 2004 when [the Lions] were a side that would come down and just belt us up.
“They were a bigger, stronger side,” Johnson said.
“I think we first beat them in 2004 and we're sort of aiming at getting them back for all the times they belted us round a bit ... we won't be holding back this week.”
It's a good time for Geelong to tackle its old nemesis. The Cats are sitting top of the table and leading the ‘points for’ column by 114 points, a benefit of the club's attention to the forward line in the pre-season.
“We worked a lot harder on our attack over the pre-season, working on how to score goals more than stopping them,” Johnson said.
“At the start of the year our defence was down a little bit but it's starting to gradually build up - I think we're in the top three in defence.
“In the pre-season the focus was on how we were going to score more goals. It's obviously worked a fair bit.”
The Cats actually rank fourth in points against, and Johnson credits the team's swifter ball movement and improved defensive pressure from small forwards such as Travis Varcoe and Mathew Stokes creating more scoring opportunities.
“[This year] we're running and carrying the ball. Last year we did a lot of chasing and were a little bit defensive, where this year we're just running and creating. It makes a difference.”
The Crows gave the Cats’ new gameplan its sternest test yet during Sunday's seven-point win.
Johnson said Geelong came out victorious because it stuck to the qualities needed to beat the top sides.
“It's just a matter of winning the contested ball and being more physical in all the things we do,” he said.
After serving a club-imposed five-match suspension at the start of the year, the small forward has been a major cog in the Cats’ machine as it’s rolled off six straight victories.
On Sunday, Johnson scored the last goal of the game when an attempted Adelaide clearance fell in his lap. After nailing the shot, he was glad for the work he'd put in prior to the game
“My set shots the past few weeks have been terrible, so I’d done a bit of work on them the day before the game at training and I was kicking alright. So I just went back and focussed on what I what I'd been practising.
“Since I've been five years old, I've tried to have the same routine. So I just tried to go back and think back to when I've had a good kick in the past and focus on that.”
That combined with the motivation that Lonergan will bring to the cat's lineup, means that the Lions are up for an absolute thumping. The Lions will go home bruised and battered, and with a massive percentage drop. I'd love to see Hawkins play in the same game as Jonathan Brown.
4:03 PM Tue 12 June, 2007 | Back (javascript:history.go(-1);)
By Finn Bradshaw
Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network
News
GEELONG goalsneak Steve Johnson says his side will be looking for some payback this weekend against the Brisbane Lions.
“There's a lot of us boys who were playing in the side in 2002, 2003, 2004 when [the Lions] were a side that would come down and just belt us up.
“They were a bigger, stronger side,” Johnson said.
“I think we first beat them in 2004 and we're sort of aiming at getting them back for all the times they belted us round a bit ... we won't be holding back this week.”
It's a good time for Geelong to tackle its old nemesis. The Cats are sitting top of the table and leading the ‘points for’ column by 114 points, a benefit of the club's attention to the forward line in the pre-season.
“We worked a lot harder on our attack over the pre-season, working on how to score goals more than stopping them,” Johnson said.
“At the start of the year our defence was down a little bit but it's starting to gradually build up - I think we're in the top three in defence.
“In the pre-season the focus was on how we were going to score more goals. It's obviously worked a fair bit.”
The Cats actually rank fourth in points against, and Johnson credits the team's swifter ball movement and improved defensive pressure from small forwards such as Travis Varcoe and Mathew Stokes creating more scoring opportunities.
“[This year] we're running and carrying the ball. Last year we did a lot of chasing and were a little bit defensive, where this year we're just running and creating. It makes a difference.”
The Crows gave the Cats’ new gameplan its sternest test yet during Sunday's seven-point win.
Johnson said Geelong came out victorious because it stuck to the qualities needed to beat the top sides.
“It's just a matter of winning the contested ball and being more physical in all the things we do,” he said.
After serving a club-imposed five-match suspension at the start of the year, the small forward has been a major cog in the Cats’ machine as it’s rolled off six straight victories.
On Sunday, Johnson scored the last goal of the game when an attempted Adelaide clearance fell in his lap. After nailing the shot, he was glad for the work he'd put in prior to the game
“My set shots the past few weeks have been terrible, so I’d done a bit of work on them the day before the game at training and I was kicking alright. So I just went back and focussed on what I what I'd been practising.
“Since I've been five years old, I've tried to have the same routine. So I just tried to go back and think back to when I've had a good kick in the past and focus on that.”
That combined with the motivation that Lonergan will bring to the cat's lineup, means that the Lions are up for an absolute thumping. The Lions will go home bruised and battered, and with a massive percentage drop. I'd love to see Hawkins play in the same game as Jonathan Brown.