Saint Stevie...

[cats2rise]

So in the wash up of the 8 WCE players admitting to taking drugs (and one nearly dead), along with players from other clubs being found guilty of drug use, as well as contacting dealers, one young fella comes out pretty clean, Steve Johnson...

Yet he has one of the biggest punishments placed upon him. In the bigger picture, what the ferk has Steve actually done aside from get a bit drunk a few times, usually during off season. As I have read on the Scarlo thread, people are saying 'I'd rather him headbutt someone than do a line', well how about we apply this logic to Johnson. Just about every single player in the club would over indulge in drinking on a regular basis, hell, I saw 4 players out until 4am on Thursday night, ****!! Suspend the dogs!

What I'm getting at here, is that some people, the club included, were way too OTT in their actions/words against Johnson, when in hindsight he's hardly done anything wrong. The club realised it and have loosened off. I just hope it doesn't hurt us too much in the long run.

 

[jess_555]

Saint Stevie... AS IF!
I don't like seeing any players having to be suspended by their own club but the fact is that Geelong gave Steve plenty of chances to fix up his act and he blew it... several times. I don't know why you're (C2R) comparing Steve's punishment to WCE players because its got nothing to do with them. I mean look at what's happening over in Perth... it's totally screwed up probably because the club didn't use enough discipline when it counted.
If anything the WCE saga should show the GFC that it's important to stop problems whether it be drug/alcohol abuse or whatever. It's good to see the GFC has finally put there foot down. If you don't stop this behaviour at the small things it will only build up into something bigger.

I bet some GFC players do/have done drugs. It's only the IDIOTS who are still doing it and I hope they are all caught even if it is GFC players. I don't think some of these AFL players realise how much they are looked upon as role models.

 

[cat in sydney]

Problem with dog is that he's 'hardly done anything wrong' too many times!
If he went out one or two nights drinking, and got home safely each time, then the club wouldn't care two hoots.
But seeing he's already gone out on the grog several times, and because of an alcohol-related incident that has cost him and the club a great deal with his stuffed ankles, the club has said 'enough'.
Sure, Steve got more than WCE has given their players for far worse... but that's why WCE have such a problem at the moment, complete lack of discipline.
If we don't want players stupidly going out and putting one night of fun ahead of club and career, then we need to be strong in our punishments.

Your logic says that if a murderer gets 10 years in prison from one judge, then another judge should give a rapist only two years because it is a far less crime. but just because one judge gives a minimal sentence (WCE), doesn't mean we give a lesser sentence ourselves just for comparisons sake.

 

[Bulldog4life]

So in the wash up of the 8 WCE players admitting to taking drugs (and one nearly dead), along with players from other clubs being found guilty of drug use, as well as contacting dealers, one young fella comes out pretty clean, Steve Johnson...

Yet he has one of the biggest punishments placed upon him. In the bigger picture, what the ferk has Steve actually done aside from get a bit drunk a few times, usually during off season. As I have read on the Scarlo thread, people are saying 'I'd rather him headbutt someone than do a line', well how about we apply this logic to Johnson. Just about every single player in the club would over indulge in drinking on a regular basis, hell, I saw 4 players out until 4am on Thursday night, ****!! Suspend the dogs!

What I'm getting at here, is that some people, the club included, were way too OTT in their actions/words against Johnson, when in hindsight he's hardly done anything wrong. The club realised it and have loosened off. I just hope it doesn't hurt us too much in the long run.

The big difference is that the Players of Geelong represented by their leadership group suspended Steve Johnson while at West Coast the Board suspended Cousins.

 

[Seb]

Chalk and cheese.

Steve Johnson is a serial offender. His lack of discipline was clearly hindering his performances and the team.

Suspension was required.

 

[cats2rise]

but that's why WCE have such a problem at the moment, complete lack of discipline.

They also win premierships.

Your logic says that if a murderer gets 10 years in prison from one judge, then another judge should give a rapist only two years because it is a far less crime. but just because one judge gives a minimal sentence (WCE), doesn't mean we give a lesser sentence ourselves just for comparisons sake.

Not what I'm saying at all. I've been of the view all along (and clearly still am), that the punishment was WAY too harsh, and he was unfairly treated on this board. My previous view had nothing to do with the WCE business at all.

 

[cats2rise]

Chalk and cheese.

Steve Johnson is a serial offender. His lack of discipline was clearly hindering his performances and the team.

Suspension was required.

They only release names of drug users after a 3rd offence. 3 times not enough?

 

[jess_555]

WCE have such a problem at the moment, complete lack of discipline.

They also win premierships.

It's a shame how that worked out in the end (as much as I like WCE heaps more than Sydney)... it sends the total wrong message out to those up-and-coming footy players in big league and lil league that illegal drugs are ok when really they are not.

 

[CF]

so heading down the the road of becoming an alcoholic is better than becoming a drug addict?

The difference here is that Steves friends and the Club loved him enough to take a hard stance with him to get him to sort out his life. I think Steve is the lucky one here.

The club could have treated him Cousins style and turned a blind eye until a bad situation turned into a crisis. The WCE need to take a good hard look at themselves for that.

 

[cats2rise]

Cousins had been on drugs since he first arrived at the club.

Steve was not becoming an alcoholic, he just had a few freakin drinks and end up in the wrong place, what he thought was his mates house. And falling down the stair while pissed can happen to the best of us.

 

[chapmanmagic35]

Getting locked up one more than one occasion (probably much more) hurt his chances of gaining some sort of sympathy.

But as CatmanForever said, at least we are dealing with the problem. If his situation gets worse, it is hardly our fault.

 

[cats2rise]

He hasn't been locked up more than twice, and the things that are told in the media are hugely beat up anyway. You think they'd miss a chance to report a story about an AFL footballer? No freakin way.

 

[catswhiskers]

Johnson needed the message. Get serious or play twos. Thats all. Some West Coaters may have been bad boys but they did not let that interfere with their onfield performance. If the main players at West Coast had been underachieving on the park / not realising their talent they would have been in trouble with their club long before this.

 

[chapmanmagic35]

He hasn't been locked up more than twice, and the things that are told in the media are hugely beat up anyway. You think they'd miss a chance to report a story about an AFL footballer? No freakin way.

Haha, I know where you are coming from. My money is on Johnno being locked up more than twice, though.

 

[cats2rise]

Once in Wang, once with Andrew Mackie ("Have a shot at the title").

 

[Conan Troutman]

I pretty much agree with what you're saying C2R, but I still think Geelong has done the right thing, especially without the hindsight of what's happened with WC. I think it's more that WC need to be harsher, not Geelong lightening up on Johnson. The problems at WC, are much greater, but at the same time I guess it would also be difficult to suspend 6-8 players. I reckon it's going to differ too depending on the situation and the club - as others have said, Johnson's a serial offender, and for what he did, it was a big deal for the Geelong club/players with where they are at. I think making comparisons to WC is probably not a good comparison - though I guess there's probably not a much better comparison to use at the moment.

 

[RememberMe]

As much as I think Johnson's punishment was a bit on the harsh side, it had to happen. If Geelong had won the premiership last year, then a few nights out drinking would be tolerated - even if he had been locked up. Coming off our worst season in years though, and one where we went from premiership favourites to 10th at the end of the year, he was always going to get the book thrown at him. Last year, leadership was mentioned in more than a few football circles as one of Geelong's major downfalls. The club had to stand up strong and send a clear message to its players that they're at the club to play football, not to play up.

 

[Copernicus]

The punishment meted out to Cousins is irrelevent to Dog's case. He has still been stupid and irresponsible (which has led directly to a chronic injury which impacts the team) and deserves punishment. It's not our problem if the Eagles turned a blind eye to Cousins' wrongdoings - that doesn't mean that we ought to do the same for our players if they're out acting stupidly.

Sure, he's a young bloke and would expect to be able to have a few drinks every now and again, but getting plastered and injuring himself directly impacts that which he is employed to do - play football. He deserves sanction if it seems like he is heading down the same irresponsible road again. I don't really care how West Coast's actions compare, we are not West Coast.

 

[Catman]

Steve was not becoming an alcoholic, he just had a few freakin drinks and end up in the wrong place, what he thought was his mates house. And falling down the stair while pissed can happen to the best of us.

You clearly aren't aware of the full situation. These two examples aren't isolated events.

 

[chapmanmagic35]

The thing with SJ - why would he make a fool out of himself after his career thus far, the events that have taken place, taking into account that his career at Geelong was hanging on a thread anyway?

That is why the punishment was just.

 

[chapmanmagic35]

You clearly aren't aware of the full situation. These two examples aren't isolated events.

Yep.

 

[StevieJohnsonComesAlive07]

GO STEVIE! you da man!

 

[grantyc77]

I thin the club made the right decision to suspend Stevie, ALong the same lines as what Jess 555 said, he has done it to many times, hopefully its the kick in the butt he needed to get his head down and pley the consist footy we all know he can.

 

[cat in sydney]

I thin the club made the right decision to suspend Stevie, ALong the same lines as what Jess 555 said, he has done it to many times, hopefully its the kick in the butt he needed to get his head down and pley the consist footy we all know he can.

To be honest, I don't know that he can play consistent footy yet. Yes, he's damn good on his day, but consistent is not a word I would use for his career to date.
Hoepfully 2007 will be a different story!

 

[chapmanmagic35]

To be honest, I don't know that he can play consistent footy yet. Yes, he's damn good on his day, but consistent is not a word I would use for his career to date.
Hoepfully 2007 will be a different story!

Yep, no disgareement there.