50. Paul Johnson (2011)

[RustyHawk]

2011 season.

Final rookie spot (mature)

2011 playing list finalised

2:07 PM Tue 15 Mar, 2011


Ruck option Paul Johnson been selected from the Hawthorn Football Club training list, ahead of Travis Tuck and Nathan Ahmat-Watkins, to fill the final rookie spot.

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4742/newsid/109334/default.aspx

[RustyHawk]

Johnson surprised by Hawks' call
By Jennifer Witham and Jason Phelan
1:52 PM Thu 09 Dec, 2010


http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4742/newsid/106086/default.aspx


"FORMER Demon ruckman Paul Johnson has committed to join Hawthorn's pre-season training squad comfortable in the knowledge his chances of snaring a rookie berth are slim."

Appears his chances were not that slim after all.

[SS JP]

PJ has taken over the #50 guernsey worn by Nathan Ahmet-Watkins in the NAB cup according to the HFC website. #22 will remain unallocated for the year.

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/players/playerprofile/pauljohnson/tabid/8483/playerid/22425/category/senior/season/2011/selected/bio/default.aspx

[Hodgepodge]

Was a high draft pick once. Wouldn't mind seeing why.

[RustyHawk]

Paul Johnson. In the 2003 season draft, taken 24 by West Coast Eagles.

Played one game in 2003 and none in 2004 season before being traded to MelbourneFC in exchange for pick 29 (which WCE used to draft Matt Rosa)

Played 68 games for the Demons from 2005-2010 seasons.

Total AFL games to date: 69
Kicks 414
Marks 225
Handballs 331
Total disposals 745
Goals 20
Behinds 19
Hit outs 694
Tackles 115
FF 46
FA 64
Brownlow votes to date: 2


In games against Hawthorn, Johnson is 0-5.

[RustyHawk]

Round 24, Season 2011.

Johnson is elevated to the senior list for the final home and away game of the season. Coming in for Taylor Duryea who is on Long Term Injury list.

Johnson then selected to the senior team to play Gold Coast @ Gold Coast on Saturday 3 September 2011.

Managed to kick a goal in our 9 point win over the Suns.

David Hale who was the other ruckman the Hawks took into this game was subbed out in the 3rd quarter so Johnson had to carry a lot of the big man load.

This game was meaningless to Hawthorn and as a result the Hawks dropped 8 senior players including the Captain Luke Hodge and Buddy Franklin and number 1 ruckman Max Bailey.

Other Hawk ruckmen
Luke Lowden - on LTI
Brent Renouf - still recovering from surgery earlier in the season and still not fit enough to play.

Means Paul Johnson will be our first or at least 2nd back up ruckman as the Hawks go into the 2011 finals behind Max Bailey and David Hale.

[RustyHawk]

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4742/newsid/125359/default.aspx

Hawthorn announces list changes

5:01 PM Thu 20 Oct, 2011
Hawthorn Football Club has made the following changes to its playing list in preparation for the AFL draft period.

The Club would like to thank each player for their commitment and contribution to Hawthorn Football Club during their careers and wishes them every success for the future.

Rookie-listed players
Paul Johnson (delisted)
Jack Mahony (delisted)
Riley Milne (delisted)
Sam Menegola (delisted)


Johnson started the 2011 season injured, spent sometime playing for Box Hill and was upgraded to the final home and away game (round 24) against Gold Coast.

His only game of senior football for Hawthornfc.

Stats: 7 kicks, 2 marks, 5 handballs, 1 goal, 28 Hitouts, 2 Frees For and 4 against.

[Messenger]

2011 Player Review

Paul Johnson

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h373/Messenger74/Hawkerblog%20Player%20Photos/Paul_Johnson.jpg

Number: 50
Height: 199cm
Weight: 105kg
DOB: 26/6/84
Games: 65


2011 stats
Games: 1
Goals: 1
Behinds: 0
Kicks: 7
Handballs: 5
Marks: 2
Hitouts: 28


Best & Fairest: 3 votes (34th)

The cult of PeeJay

A statistical irregularity to begin with if I may:

Johnson's 65 games are composed of 63 games as a Demon with a single game bookending each end of his career to date; his 2003 debut as an Eagle and his single game as a Hawk in round 24's half hearted effort at Metricon Stadium.

Johnson won a three way battle for the final rookie spot during the 2011 preseason, overcoming the troubled Travis Tuck and Nathan Ahmat-Watkins. PJ was insurance for a ruck division that looked so thin as to be transparent at the start of the year, with Brent Renouf hoping to gain some support from Max Bailey and David Hale with only the project players Lowden and Grimley waiting in the wings.

As it turned out, the sub rule almost eliminated the second specialist ruck as a viable option. Bailey began to repay the club's faith at the expense of the limited but valiant Renouf and Jarryd Roughead earned a substantial reputation as a pinch hitting ruckman before injury ended his season. Johnson was perhaps one further injury from seeing substantial game time in brown and gold this season.

Alas, the cult of PeeJay may be over at Waverley. Johnson was not offered a rookie spot for 2012 but will train on with the squad this preseason. With question marks over Johnson's ability to stay fit throughout the year, I'd expect the neat symmetry of his games record to remain.