Paul Johnson

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Thread starter #1
how come no1 has mentioned this bloke???
how has his preseason gone?
Has he bulked up?

I watched him play wizrd cup last year and he is a tank!! He will be a great player for MFC.
Did he play in the intra club???
 

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puddingfactor

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#2
I was at the intra club match on Friday morning and he looked pretty good.

Seems to have bulked up a bit more in the pre-season, even though he was already a big unit.

Will probably take Ben Holland's spot in the team on first impressions. Is more agile and provides more of a contest. If he can keep fit and perform well in the up coming practice matches he could become a regular member of the seniors.
 

Poopa

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#3
deestroyerz said:
how come no1 has mentioned this bloke???
how has his preseason gone?
Has he bulked up?

I watched him play wizrd cup last year and he is a tank!! He will be a great player for MFC.
Did he play in the intra club???
Yeh, he is looking good. Played in the the intra club match, played up forward for the first qtr then sort of played across half forward for the remainder of the game, where he played mainly up the ground, bit of rucking etc.

He hasn't done anything spectacular as yet, but shows a lot of potential. Plays mainly on Ferg and Carroll when up forward and easily beats both 1 on 1, a little suspect in a pack situation, but given some time he can hopefully improve there. Is good when the ball is on the ground, very clean hands and a booming left foot kick, he really is one to watch for the future.
 

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#4
puddingfactor said:
Will probably take Ben Holland's spot in the team on first impressions. Is more agile and provides more of a contest. If he can keep fit and perform well in the up coming practice matches he could become a regular member of the seniors.
For sure, i would still say Ben Holland is in front of him atm, but if he gets a run in the WC i think he will turn so heads and may get a spot for Rd 1 against the bombers.

Also Benny Holland looks like he is over his groin and moved a lot better then when he played in the elim final against Ess, he didn't do a bad job either in the Intra club, but P J looks the better player for sure
 

Black JuJu

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#5
Poopa said:
Yeh, he is looking good. Played in the the intra club match, played up forward for the first qtr then sort of played across half forward for the remainder of the game, where he played mainly up the ground, bit of rucking etc.

He hasn't done anything spectacular as yet, but shows a lot of potential. Plays mainly on Ferg and Carroll when up forward and easily beats both 1 on 1, a little suspect in a pack situation, but given some time he can hopefully improve there. Is good when the ball is on the ground, very clean hands and a booming left foot kick, he really is one to watch for the future.
A bit of history on him - He looked pretty good last pre season at the Eagles and played a good Wizard cup game when we smashed the Pies. Generally he's pretty good in space but yeah pack situations, and against a close checking defender he has always struggled, even in the WAFL where I believe he was even dropped down to the reserves at one point. For a bloke his size, the key to cracking it is sorting out contested marking. He's huge but doesn't use his size well (Neitz could probably teach him a thing or 2!) and was taken out of games pretty easily, as you can imagine if he's not making an impact in contests he'd just be a big guy looking to run into space, something he didn't often get in the WAFL, so he'd probably get even less room in the AFL.

To be fair on the big lad, he's been unlucky with injuries and apparently was pretty home sick at times - but his effort seriously dropped away after being overlooked for the start of the season, and if you'd seen him in the WAFL he was very disappointing - looked a bit of a lost cause and never close to AFL selection.

Best of luck to him though, perhaps back in Melbourne he'll be a bit happier and the chance to play along side a guy like Neita should help his development. We've got a lot of young talls at the Eagles, most around his height and a few around his weight that seemed hungrier in 2004, perhaps he just needs to be given a good run and a bit more luck with the injuries. So yeah, he's got the size, a pretty good kick but a big question mark on his ability in contests, especially at AFL level.
 

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#6
Black JuJu said:
A bit of history on him - He looked pretty good last pre season at the Eagles and played a good Wizard cup game when we smashed the Pies. Generally he's pretty good in space but yeah pack situations, and against a close checking defender he has always struggled, even in the WAFL where I believe he was even dropped down to the reserves at one point. For a bloke his size, the key to cracking it is sorting out contested marking. He's huge but doesn't use his size well (Neitz could probably teach him a thing or 2!) and was taken out of games pretty easily, as you can imagine if he's not making an impact in contests he'd just be a big guy looking to run into space, something he didn't often get in the WAFL, so he'd probably get even less room in the AFL.

To be fair on the big lad, he's been unlucky with injuries and apparently was pretty home sick at times - but his effort seriously dropped away after being overlooked for the start of the season, and if you'd seen him in the WAFL he was very disappointing - looked a bit of a lost cause and never close to AFL selection.

Best of luck to him though, perhaps back in Melbourne he'll be a bit happier and the chance to play along side a guy like Neita should help his development. We've got a lot of young talls at the Eagles, most around his height and a few around his weight that seemed hungrier in 2004, perhaps he just needs to be given a good run and a bit more luck with the injuries. So yeah, he's got the size, a pretty good kick but a big question mark on his ability in contests, especially at AFL level.
Thanks for the feedback. Looks a good player and will get an opportunity now that Smith has been injured.
 

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#7
davey_magik said:
Thanks for the feedback. Looks a good player and will get an opportunity now that Smith has been injured.
And Smith will be back in a couple of weeks - ND comment after intra club.

Very interesting we will have P Johnson, Holland & Smith all competing for the one spot. Best talls depth we have had in a long time.
 

Sylvia Saint

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#8
Poopa said:
And Smith will be back in a couple of weeks - ND comment after intra club.

Very interesting we will have P Johnson, Holland & Smith all competing for the one spot. Best talls depth we have had in a long time.
Smith is so overrated. He won't make it as an AFL player.

But I like the look of PJ.
 

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#9
Sylvia Saint said:
Smith is so overrated. He won't make it as an AFL player.
Yeh nah i ain't ready yet to write of Smith, he has been injured a lot and hasn't really had a chanve to settle in anywhere or develop. I am hoping he has a good 05, but if not it might be curtians for Smith :(

But the good thing is we picked up some good young talent in Bate, Dunn and Newman so all is not lost hehe
 
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Thread starter #10
thanx boys but i got a couple of things to say..
Johnson shoul get in over holland in the forward pocket because as some1 metioned he is much more agile and he has to be a better kick then holland who is incredibley inconsistent with his kicking he will also learn heaps from neitz. If he has had a goo preseason i dont see a problem with him starting in the side for the wizard cup and even getting a chance in the home and away. he has been a great pickup for us and injuries hopefully wont hold him back
 

The Shev

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#11
It seems that Ben Holland, Paul Johnson, Mark Jamar and Nick Smith will all be fighting for the one spot this year. Third tall up forward/back-up ruckman for White. I am not sure whether Daniher will play a third tall, plus jamar on the bench. He didn't do it last year, but that might be because Jolly and Jamar were injured all year. Do you think he will pick a third forward, plus Jamar as a back-up ruckman, or just one player for both positions?
 

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UNIT

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#12
Not sure if your keen for a non Dees person posting on this thread but oh well. I saw Paul Johnson play at least a dozen times for Swan Districts...big lad, strong, but very much a lumberer, not much in the way of second efforts, and has no right foot. I hope it was homesickness that held this kid back, but i have to say dont expect miracles from him.
 

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#13
The Shev said:
I am not sure whether Daniher will play a third tall, plus jamar on the bench. He didn't do it last year, but that might be because Jolly and Jamar were injured all year. Do you think he will pick a third forward, plus Jamar as a back-up ruckman, or just one player for both positions?
Interesting, I personally think Jamar has showed enough through out the pre season to be playing senior footy this year. Where that leaves Holland, Smith & P Johnno i don't know. White/Jamar/Johnson/Holland are all tall forward/ruckmen types which is very handy depth.

I see possibly Jamar on the bech with Holldand/Smith/Johnson starting (or the other way around), not sure it really comes down to who is in form and the game plan.
 

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#14
UNIT said:
Not sure if your keen for a non Dees person posting on this thread but oh well. I saw Paul Johnson play at least a dozen times for Swan Districts...big lad, strong, but very much a lumberer, not much in the way of second efforts, and has no right foot. I hope it was homesickness that held this kid back, but i have to say dont expect miracles from him.
Nah the feed back is cool (as long as its constructive like yours and not trolling).

I have been to a recent training & the last intra club matches and i can say i haven't seen any of that from Johnno. His secend efforts in the intra were quite good, but i haven't seen to much of him. His right foot is suspect, as well as his pack marking. Hope he gets a game in the WC so we can get a better look at him
 
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Thread starter #15
even tho whites form in the ruck has been outstanding seeing as he as one of the best kicks at melbourne an he is so athletic he should instead of being a specialst ruck resting forward and sorta become like 60%40 but what he is now is about an 80%20
As you guys said there are 2 young semi established ruckmen on the list and we dont know about bate.
so....

also holland is not fit enough to be anytype of ruckman neitz or miller are more then capable of doing it in the forward line
 

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#16
Interesting you say that about his pack marking Poopa. I cant remember him taking one contested mark in all the games i watched him in...and this was at WAFL level, where there are a lot of kids and former AFL journeymen running around; it suprised me as Paul Johnson is an absolute man mountain for his age and shouldnt of been unwilling to commit his body to the contest.
 

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#17
True we have 3 ruckmen who can all play key forward rolls White/Jamar/Johnson. If all these 3 went down (touch wood) Holland would be the obvious 4th choice, other poss: Nicho & Ferg.

But i think Jamar from his form this pre season has earnt a place in the best 22. P Johnson is more a project player, but he has been proforming well in the pre season stuff as well.

Also i think just due to his experience Holland will be the starting 3rd tall agian this season. He does seem over his groin problems and more mobile than 04. Time will tell.
 
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Thread starter #18
Poopa said:
True we have 3 ruckmen who can all play key forward rolls White/Jamar/Johnson. If all these 3 went down (touch wood) Holland would be the obvious 4th choice, other poss: Nicho & Ferg.

But i think Jamar from his form this pre season has earnt a place in the best 22. P Johnson is more a project player, but he has been proforming well in the pre season stuff as well.

Also i think just due to his experience Holland will be the starting 3rd tall agian this season. He does seem over his groin problems and more mobile than 04. Time will tell.
i agree
 

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#19
UNIT said:
Interesting you say that about his pack marking Poopa. I cant remember him taking one contested mark in all the games i watched him in...and this was at WAFL level, where there are a lot of kids and former AFL journeymen running around; it suprised me as Paul Johnson is an absolute man mountain for his age and shouldnt of been unwilling to commit his body to the contest.
Yeh it is odd, 1 on 1 he has done quite well from what i have seen of him, but he was playing on N Carroll (who isn't to flash) and Fergueson (who is tall but isn't very big physically at all). In the intra club he made some top 2nd efforts,

1. was a smother in the FP
2. was a 1 handed pick up and feed to a runner aslo in the FP, which were both in slippery wet conditions

That is all i remember, but i agree for a man of his size you would expect him to impose himself a little more. I haven't seen a lot of him so i can't really say he has turned any corners or anything, but hopefully being young and back in Melbourne he can do some good stuff for the Dees.
 

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#21
deestroyerz said:
all he needs is a half decent right foot because at the moment he has close to nothing
Yeh i think he will improve. He is only 20 y/o and already has some nice assets. We may not see the best of him for a few years though, fingers crossed.
 

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#22
He made a very poor start but he improved a bit in the 2nd half. He doesn't look much of a ruckman to me, but he could be handy as an extra tall at either end. He has a fair way to go I reckon.
 

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#23
BT said:
He made a very poor start but he improved a bit in the 2nd half. He doesn't look much of a ruckman to me, but he could be handy as an extra tall at either end. He has a fair way to go I reckon.
I agree that he didn't make an impact on the game, but i also think he didn't get a chance. In the 1st qtr he didn't get any ball delivery, was taken off and then rotated with Jamar in the ruck, and did some nice things in the final qtr. I dont' think it was his fault at all.
 
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