Past Travis Johnstone (2008-2010)

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Re: Travis Johnstone

He doesn't seem happy to me and when your not happy bad football produces. I think alot of the players didn't like Matthews and we produced bad footy. Love lethal though and was sad to see him go.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

As I am new here and have not have time to read into the past 'post' on Trapper, could someone please tell me why he is dropped from this weeks game. Bearing in mind that any judge of this great game should be aware that past is past and he should be judged on last weeks game, only!
 

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Re: Travis Johnstone

The Strawman said:
As I am new here and have not have time to read into the past 'post' on Trapper, could someone please tell me why he is dropped from this weeks game. Bearing in mind that any judge of this great game should be aware that past is past and he should be judged on last weeks game, only!
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I think it is but at the same time it isn't. Like if you have done something bad well you might say that's in the past I don't want to talk about it. But if it is something good you might continue to bring it up. His past this year hasn't been good in terms of footy form with the exeption of maybe 1 or 2 games. Sure. More possies than Black and kicked a goal just like him against Port but it was only 1 more possie and I think his possies wearnt very useful. He fumbled it alot and 1 of his kicks got smothered.

I don't care if you get 60 possies and neither does any coach in the league, if 59 of them are to the oppisiton, your actually a liability to the team more than an asset. Look he is a great player, however he can't reach his true potential week in week out and I think it is a big shame. Would have to be a massive turn around to have Travis on our lsit next year at this stage. Yes I know it is sad because he would be 1 of the best players not only on the team but in the league if he played like he did round 1 every week!
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

The Strawman said:
Bearing in mind that any judge of this great game should be aware that past is past and he should be judged on last weeks game, only!
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"Last week's game" is always going to be judged in the context of the overall trend of recent and season form.

Johnstone was amongst a group of players who performed equally poorly last week, and based on his overall trend of poor performance this season and in recent weeks, he was always going to be in line to be dropped. The same goes for Harding and Hooper.
 
Re: Jonathan Brown

chopperduck said:
If only someone could kick the ball into space and let our forwards lead onto the ball. We have got too use to just bombing in into the 50 the last few years, its time we really learnt how to kick to a leading forward.
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T.Johnstone is capable of it. That is why it is such a shame that he has not been able to perform to a higher capacity. Surely the idea of him kicking beautifully weighted passes to Brown and Bradshaw 10+ times a game was the idea behind picking him up two years ago.
 
Re: Jonathan Brown

Stocka said:
T.Johnstone is capable of it. That is why it is such a shame that he has not been able to perform to a higher capacity. Surely the idea of him kicking beautifully weighted passes to Brown and Bradshaw 10+ times a game was the idea behind picking him up two years ago.
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And this is the very point- it would be far less disappointing if TJ was a struggler who didn't quite achieve.

Two foot passes I saw him make in his last reserves game [a game we won against very modest opponents] summed him up for me- beautifully pinged over 50m at no more than 2m height, having carefully weighed up the delivery options. Both straight to an opponent.

He didn't deserve to be reinstated last week- you have to think other factors were at play. Having gone down again, unless there is a complete change in attitude, that's it.

The first rule of senior AFL- noone realises just how close they are to their last game at the top.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

Every developing team needs a Travis Johnstone on their list.

What better asset to have than a walking case study of a bloke who has all the talent in the world, yet falls short on committment. Seeing him lining up for the ressies would be a great lesson for our young blokes on what is required.

How's that for positive spin. :thumbsu:
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

Fairley said:
i can deal with a 50/50 good bad ratio. but this season it has become 20% good 80% bad and is no longer accepted.
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i agree Fairley, had a great pre season, started the year well, but seems to have lost the motivation. Perhaps he needs an extended break, not in the 2nds, but away all together.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

chopperduck said:
Perhaps he needs an extended break, not in the 2nds, but away all together.
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My thoughts exactly, as in permanent. Leigh Matthews greatest mistake as a coach. You cannot change the character of a man at 27 - 8 years old. TJ was always an inconsistent seagull. Don't think of the 14 draft pick, think of Wood - because he has hardly set the world on fire. That being said, any ruckman would come in handy now.

With our young group, I worry of his traits rubbing off. Against the Power twice he committed the cardinal sin - not going when it was his turn and waiting for the easy ball from someone else. Offer him the Captain/Coaches job at the Western Magpies or something.

And on the caveman look, if you are sloppy with your apperance every thing else follows. Tell him don't bother till you get a crew cut and shave. If you can't be a hard man, at least look like one.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

TJ certainly knows how to get talked about - 36 pages of supporter angst!

I suppose we'll all keep hoping for a miracle turnaround from him but surely his senior career at the Lions must be just about finished - how truly disappointing.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

You guys are having the same discussion about the same player that Melbourne fans were having for years. I just want to say thank-you from the bottom of my heart for taking him off our hands. I don't want to rub it in too much but it must already hurt you to see how good Jack Grimes is for the Demons. If you don't already know Jack Grimes was the player we acquired in the trade that saw Travis go to Brisbane and Cam Wood go to Collingwood.

Suck it up boys Grimes is here to stay and Trav will probably be delisted at years end. You have just lost a premiership winning captain instead you took a washed up down hill skiing 27 year old hack.
 

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Re: Travis Johnstone

I know Melbourne supporters get very excited to finally win something (anything) but sledbomber you are getting a bit ahead of yourself there.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

sledbomber said:
You guys are having the same discussion about the same player that Melbourne fans were having for years. I just want to say thank-you from the bottom of my heart for taking him off our hands. I don't want to rub it in too much but it must already hurt you to see how good Jack Grimes is for the Demons. If you don't already know Jack Grimes was the player we acquired in the trade that saw Travis go to Brisbane and Cam Wood go to Collingwood. How much is it going to hurt when Jack wins the NAB rising star in front of the little butter ball Daniel Rich?

Suck it up boys Grimes is here to stay and Trav will probably be delisted at years end. You have just lost a premiership winning captain instead you took a washed up down hill skiing 27 year old hack.
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Sorry to turn your own logic on you but how did it feel to take Travis Johnstone at pick 1 in the same draft that we recruited Simon Black and Luke Power. Cheers. Throwing you a bone was the least we could do. If Jack Grimes goes on to have 1/10th of the success those two players have had, you'll have done well.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

While I doubt that any of you really want to hear yet another Melbourne supporter's opinion on TJ, I think hes always been a confidence player and at the moment (from what little I've seen of him this year) he's completely lost that air of defiant superiority that he's always had when he's been at his best. Voss is obviously well within his right to demand a certain level of performance from all his players, but TJ seems to have been singled out for some fairly public humiliations this season, and that just isn't the best way to get results out of him. While it may be a sign of mental weakness on TJs behalf, excoriating him for not winning his own ball is about as productive as excoriating Franklin for missing so many shots at goal: both are confidence players and both need to believe in their own ability to perform at anything like their best. Some players respond well to public criticism, others go into their shell. Such mental fragility is hardly to be commended, but you've got to play the hand you're dealt: light a fire under TJ and you'll give him 3rd degree burns, that's just how it works.

A lot of people here have criticised his defensive work-rate, and while I can sympathise with that to an extent (I think all Melbourne supporters can), I also think it's a little unfair. He does seem to have a very casual attitude on the field at times, but that's not to say he isn't running hard to position (as someone brought up earlier in the thread, at Melbourne he'd frequently be amongst the highest kms covered in a game, regardless of how he well he'd played). As for things like shepherding / winning the hard-ball etc., he's never had the body shape to do that so he's never really been required to do so consistently during his time in the game. Negligence on behalf of the Melbourne development coaches? Lack of application on TJ's behalf? Both true, perhaps, but no use crying about it now. He's never been a hard-at-it midfielder and no amount of public remonstrations from Michael Voss is going to change that now. Again, you play the hand you're dealt.

Even champion players have their limitations, afterall, and the key is to play to those strengths rather than focus unremittingly on their drawbacks. Greg Williams' inability to kick reliably at distances longer thanabout 20 meters never stopped him from being a champion player. Matthew Lloyd's inabality to win his own ball never stopped him from being a champion player. Simon Black's lack of pace never stopped him from being a champion player. While TJ's inability to impose himself on a contest is a significant drawback (accentuated by his almost lethargic demeanour on the field) he has enough positives when he's at his best to render that drawback irrelevent. When he's confident, there are few players in the league better at making decisions, executing those decisions, and reading (and directing) play on the field. If you have someone with those qualities on your list, you'd be stupid to leave him in the reserves just to prove a point, or because you don't believe that he is living up to some (hopelessly inflated) potential, especially come finals time, where he typically plays his best football.

Anyway, considering we're not really competitors atm, here's hoping he's capable of sparking up soon and providing you guys with some of the excitement he's provided the Melbourne faithful with over the years. Cheers.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

The reality is TJ showed no committment to the team. He doesn't look like he is willing to bleed for the team so he is out. He is the sort of player who distracts his own team mates with his form fluctuations. I was all for getting TJ up here, i dare say the annonymous nature of Brisbane doesn't suit him and there aren't a heap of people willing to pump his tyres up.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

JP2 said:
TJ seems to have been singled out for some fairly public humiliations this season, and that just isn't the best way to get results out of him. While it may be a sign of mental weakness on TJs behalf

... light a fire under TJ and you'll give him 3rd degree burns, that's just how it works.

A lot of people here have criticised his defensive work-rate, and while I can sympathise with that to an extent (I think all Melbourne supporters can), I also think it's a little unfair. He does seem to have a very casual attitude on the field at times

As for things like shepherding / winning the hard-ball etc., he's never had the body shape to do that so he's never really been required to do so consistently during his time in the game.

Even champion players have their limitations.

If you have someone with those qualities on your list, you'd be stupid to leave him in the reserves just to prove a point, or because you don't believe that he is living up to some (hopelessly inflated) potential, especially come finals time, where he typically plays his best football
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"Public humiliation"??? Maybe last year when Leigh had a go at him, but that's not true of this year. If anything, Voss has been remarkably tolerant with TJ. If being dropped is "humiliating", well so be it. That's predominantly in TJ's hands, as Voss has said. Personally, I would think that being thrashed by the softest, most inexperienced tag you would ever see IS humiliating.

"... light a fire" under the bugger. We seem to have tried everything else, it's worth a go.

TJ just does not have a "defensive" side to his play. No side aspiring to be top 4 as we do can afford a bloke who resolutely refuses to do his bit. Name one non-defensive Saints or Cats player. They all carry their share of the load.

As to "casual attitude", well I for one have found it hard to ignore his complete lack of interest in the team huddles at game breaks, his lack of encouragement to younger, mostly less-skilled, team members.

Lack of appropriate "body shape" as an excuse not to tackle, lay-off, block etc?? That's a new one and it just doesn't fly. Maybe someone should have told Bobby Skilton [65-70kg's?] he didn't have the right body shape before he won his 3 Brownlows, and a harder in-and-under player there never was.

"Leaving him in the reserves to prove a point"???? This is absolute rubbish. He is in the reserves after repeated public, and no doubt private, warnings about lifting his game, where he needs to improve, and what is unacceptable [working back being one of them, although an improved attitude is probably No.1 item on the agenda]. If he warranted a game he would be getting one.

As for being a "champion", well I've never heard him described this way- skilled but lazy, unprepared, underachieving, wasteful, yes.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

Link

The Lions' Travis Johnstone's 189-game career is at the crossroads after he was dropped for the second time this year by Brisbane
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Re: Travis Johnstone

3KZ is Football said:
It's just not going to happen, so I'm prepared to officially write him off at this stage.

It's impossible to make a compelling case for playing him in the seniors and when Dalziell returns, there will be absolutely no way he should be in the senior side. Medium to long term, the interests of the team will be far better served by getting as many senior games into players like Jack Redden and Matt Austin as possible as soon as possible. These young blokes have to be given every opportunity to learn the game and fulfill their potential, so that they can join Black, Power, Sherman, Rich and Dalziell, forming the midfield nucleus of a side that should be a serious premiership contender within the next three seasons.

Whichever way you look at it, Johnstone is officially "dead wood."
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I have tried to be OPTIMISTIC about Travis Johnstone since I made the above post, but it doesn't seem to be working for me. I believe the club should give him a leadership role with the reserves team for the remainder of his contract and he can contribute to the development of our younger players by demonstrating, through example, what is required of a footballer at the elite level. Then when we inevitably de-list him, we can optimistically claim to have got something of value from him during his time at Brisbane.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

I think just him playing in the reserves shows the younger guys what it takes to make the team. Someone with the ability of TJ running around in the 2nds because he isn't doing that hard stuff would spur me on. Would be hard to keep motivated when all the senior guys seem to be bulletproof, TJ being there shows you dont get selected on your name.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

chopperduck said:
I think just him playing in the reserves shows the younger guys what it takes to make the team. Someone with the ability of TJ running around in the 2nds because he isn't doing that hard stuff would spur me on. Would be hard to keep motivated when all the senior guys seem to be bulletproof, TJ being there shows you dont get selected on your name.
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Spot On
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

chopperduck said:
I think just him playing in the reserves shows the younger guys what it takes to make the team. Someone with the ability of TJ running around in the 2nds because he isn't doing that hard stuff would spur me on. Would be hard to keep motivated when all the senior guys seem to be bulletproof, TJ being there shows you dont get selected on your name.
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Yeah that's a fair call.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

Fairley said:
http://www.lions.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5085/newsid/80529/default.aspx
Quote:
Johnstone was in danger of contracting leather poisoning at halftime and had close to 50 possessions for the day.
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Not surprising really. The guy is far too good for that level of footy. I really hope he gets his head right and can play a part in your finals campaign, as he is probably our best finals player this decade IMO. He always stood up in those big games and would drag the team out of the fire.
 
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