AFL Player 40: Zak Johnson

[VelvetSledge]

 

[jdstorm]

Agree after watching last night. Who would he replace and what positions can he play?

Can play mid/wing/hb

Could bring him in for Jones as W3 easily enough. Potentially some HB if injuries or outshines Prior or others

 

[MiguelM]

Can play mid/wing/hb

Could bring him in for Jones as W3 easily enough. Potentially some HB if injuries or outshines Prior or others

He looked very composed last night, a class above.

 

[jdstorm]

He looked very composed last night, a class above.

That was the draft wrap on him. Classy balanced mid. Slipped due to injury his upper age season and loaded draft pool.

 

[ant555]

Agree after watching last night. Who would he replace and what positions can he play?

Put him on the bench and use him in the half back and wing rotations. Replace Jones who basically played wing.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Highlights of his game last night.

VFL Showreel, R5: Zak Johnson highlights

Enjoy Zak Johnson's standout VFL performance for Essendon

www.afl.com.au

 

[faible]

I haven’t watched Zak play. Would it be too much to expect another Archie Roberts level of player

Roberts looks a more competitive sort from what I’ve seen, not that Johnson isn’t but you can see Roberts HATES losing a single contest and has an aggression to him that most of our team don’t.

 

[Vander18]

Highlights of his game last night.

VFL Showreel, R5: Zak Johnson highlights

Enjoy Zak Johnson's standout VFL performance for Essendon

www.afl.com.au

Watched him for first time last night and watching this now….he really is a lovely kick. Can punch it or weight it as needed. Very simple action that will hold up under pressure.

Not sure where he plays. If he has any ability to defend then I probably like his ball use out of defence. Not sure he runs well enough for wing or has enough tricks to play forward. Need to see more of him to better assess.

Just get him in and let’s find out.

 

[naraku]

5 good VFL games. Hoping Scott won't wait on bringing Zak in.

 

[Duckworth]

Watched him for first time last night and watching this now….he really is a lovely kick. Can punch it or weight it as needed. Very simple action that will hold up under pressure.

Not sure where he plays. If he has any ability to defend then I probably like his ball use out of defence. Not sure he runs well enough for wing or has enough tricks to play forward. Need to see more of him to better assess.

Just get him in and let’s find out.

I came in to post something similar, the kid can football. But where?
Does he replace Prior? OR whatever they've got Martin currently doing?

Have we seen midfield craft from him?

 

[Nifft]

Highlights of his game last night.

VFL Showreel, R5: Zak Johnson highlights

Enjoy Zak Johnson's standout VFL performance for Essendon

www.afl.com.au

He looks good, has a nice kick on him. I really like when he did that blind turn in the 4th and then kicked the goal.

 

[FlyingV]

Looks great by foot. Is he quick? Look to have some wheels in that last highlight.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

Looks great by foot. Is he quick? Look to have some wheels in that last highlight.

He's the one you've been waiting for

 

[faible]

I came in to post something similar, the kid can football. But where?
Does he replace Prior? OR whatever they've got Martin currently doing?

Have we seen midfield craft from him?

Prior or Redman hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire either. With Jones going out they could push Prior up to the wing and use Johnson off half-back?

 

[BomberManU]

Surely finding a spot for a performing player ISN'T a problem we have. Take your pick, very few untouchables.

 

[JayJ20]

If they're going to sell us a rebuild, then he plays. Our side is crying for a good kick. It took Scott almost the whole year to play Roberts last year. I'd be pretty frustrated if it took Johnson that long.

 

[Agronomus]

Highlights of his game last night.

VFL Showreel, R5: Zak Johnson highlights

Enjoy Zak Johnson's standout VFL performance for Essendon

www.afl.com.au

Few more years and he should be ready. He, Angus Clarke & Roberts could be the new Heppell, Kelly & McGrath.
No way half our problems were caused by Dodo

 

[Agronomus]

If they're going to sell us a rebuild, then he plays. Our side is crying for a good kick. It took Scott almost the whole year to play Roberts last year. I'd be pretty frustrated if it took Johnson that long.

Yabby Jeans made Jamie 'the freak' Morissy play 100 games of reserves before he was convinced he had the all round game to deserve seniors. What do you millenials actually consider a long time in life?

 

[boncer34]

If they're going to sell us a rebuild, then he plays. Our side is crying for a good kick. It took Scott almost the whole year to play Roberts last year. I'd be pretty frustrated if it took Johnson that long.

Agreed. Its a rebuild, so let's play as many kids as we can and see what we've got in the shed.

 

[cobra land]

No better time for him to get his debut game, he'd be playing against players of similar age & not long in the system.

From what I've seen of him, he has more poise & composure with the ball in hand than quite a few that are already getting a game ahead of him.

 

[quotemokc]

Is it going to be like last year when we made Roberts wait til the end of the season to debut?

 

[BomberManU]

Yabby Jeans made Jamie 'the freak' Morissy play 100 games of reserves before he was convinced he had the all round game to deserve seniors. What do you millenials actually consider a long time in life?

Were Hawthorn rebuilding at the time? No.

 

[ant555]

If they're going to sell us a rebuild, then he plays. Our side is crying for a good kick. It took Scott almost the whole year to play Roberts last year. I'd be pretty frustrated if it took Johnson that long.

Has the club actually come out and said rebuild ? I think their line is we will continue to turn the list over and the draft but Brads job is to win games. Not saying I do not think we need to do a rebuild or they are not doing some sort of rebuild but they are not actually selling rebuild. Semantics maybe but the line "its Brads job to win games" sort of explains why some older heads are getting games. Johnson should be playing this week in my view but he may also suffer the same fate as Roberts while they work on a few of the defensive issues he has.

 

[Nicholas61]

Yabby Jeans made Jamie 'the freak' Morissy play 100 games of reserves before he was convinced he had the all round game to deserve seniors.

That man kicked some very unusual goals, his highlights package worth watching.

 

[JayJ20]

Has the club actually come out and said rebuild ? I think their line is we will continue to turn the list over and the draft but Brads job is to win games. Not saying I do not think we need to do a rebuild or they are not doing some sort of rebuild but they are not actually selling rebuild. Semantics maybe but the line "its Brads job to win games" sort of explains why some older heads are getting games. Johnson should be playing this week in my view but he may also suffer the same fate as Roberts while they work on a few of the defensive issues he has.

I take issue with the idea that Brad's only job is to win when his repeated message was for us to build sustained success rather than sugar hits of playing uncompetitive finals and dropping out the following year. Sustained success requires a lot of development and Brad plays a key role in that.

If we're not rebuilding, then we would have ripped Brad and the players to shreds for their performance on Friday. But we're not because we can read between the lines.

 

[andleanback]

Has the club actually come out and said rebuild ? I think their line is we will continue to turn the list over and the draft but Brads job is to win games. Not saying I do not think we need to do a rebuild or they are not doing some sort of rebuild but they are not actually selling rebuild. Semantics maybe but the line "its Brads job to win games" sort of explains why some older heads are getting games. Johnson should be playing this week in my view but he may also suffer the same fate as Roberts while they work on a few of the defensive issues he has.

Tbh though it’s worked well for Roberts. Should have played earlier last year, absolutely. But holding him back a bit has probably done him the world of good