Johannisen’s lack of fight disappointing: Lyon

[Bulldog4life]

Garry Lyon has expressed disappointment at Western Bulldogs defender Jason Johannisen’s lack of desire to fight the heavy attention placed on him in their poor 46-point loss to Sydney on Thursday night.

Johannisen managed only nine possessions at the SCG for a dismal 170 metres gained, with Swans tagger George Hewett blanketing the 2016 Norm Smith Medallist.

Sydney’s seemed determined to rustle up the 24-year-old from the outset of the game, and their heavy attention resulted in the normally free-running Dogs defence being halted by the brick wall that was the Swans’ forward press and contested pressure.

Lyon says that if Johannisen continues to fail to stand-up while being targeted, other teams will exploit this weakness to cripple one of the Bulldogs’ core strengths.

“You make your own bed, so guess what’s happening to JJ next week?” he said on SEN Breakfast.

“What would frustrate Bulldogs supporters is the lack of fight and resistance. There seemed to be an acceptance from Johannisen and as the game wore on it seemed to be 'Oh well, they’re into me, I’m not having a great game. Therefore, it is what it is.'

“That’s what disappoints me. You want to see a reaction.”

Another major talking point stemming from the game will be coach Luke Beveridge’s decision to play a tall side in the slippery conditions instead of bringing in inside midfielder Tom Liberatore, who remains stuck in the club’s VFL outfit.

Nearly every single Dogs tall was ineffective against the Swans, with second-game ruckman Tim English and key forwards Travis Cloke and Jake Stringer all providing little to the contest.

While Tim Watson wasn’t critical of Beveridge’s decision not to select Liberatore, he instead wonders just why the club’s leading contested ball winner from 2016 isn’t hitting the side’s expected standards this year.

“If there was ever a game that was set up for player like Tom Liberatore, it was the conditions of the ground last night, the wet and that combative style of football the Swans were playing,” he said.

“You ask yourself the question ‘Why isn’t he out there? Why hasn’t (Beveridge) been able to find the right lever to pull with Tom Liberatore to get him into the right frame of mind to play the way we want him to play?”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/06/08/johannisen-s-lack-of-fight-disappointing-lyon/

[G-Mo77]

Hate the guy but he's spot on. JJ better get ready for it all next week.

[bornadog]

Hate the guy but he's spot on. JJ better get ready for it all next week.

Yes me too. If this doesn't stir up JJ nothing will.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

JJ winning the norm smith was almost the worst thing for him and the club in terms of this season. He is underperforming and asking for a hefty fee as a result. Picken (being humble) or Toyd (having already dealt with draft pick no 1 expectations) perhaps may have worked out better for the club this year. Both were just as (if not more) deserving.

[Ozza]

It was JJ's first real experience with a genuine hard tag - how about we put it down to experience, and see how he responds the next time it happens before we decide whether it is character or career defining.

[Cyberdoggie]

No point picking on one player, they were all awful except for Dahlhaus.

Libba hasn't deserved a game so why float his name for.

I agree that Beveridge also had a bad game and the team selection was poor. English should never of played.
Honeychurch really should of got a game and might of added some fight in that forward line to keep the ball up there. They are also missing Clay Smith's aggression.

We picked too many players that aren't tough enough for that type of clash. ie Bailey Dale, Toby McLean, Caleb Daniel, Tim English, JJ. These guys aren't your physical beasts and don't really thrive in that sort of play. I'm not saying these guys shouldn't play but you need the appropriate balance for the conditions and we didn't do that.

I thought for a player on the fringe, Bailey Dale was woeful in the first half. He really provided no defensive pressure at all. To his credit he tried to improve in that area slightly in the second half and actually laid a couple of tackles but too many weren't up for the contest on the day. Simple as that.

[Flamethrower]

Did JJ spend the bye week visiting Odell Beckham in Miami on his party boat?

Don't believe the hype Jason.

[Bullies]

No point picking on one player, they were all awful except for Dahlhaus.

Libba hasn't deserved a game so why float his name for.

I agree that Beveridge also had a bad game and the team selection was poor. English should never of played.
Honeychurch really should of got a game and might of added some fight in that forward line to keep the ball up there. They are also missing Clay Smith's aggression.

We picked too many players that aren't tough enough for that type of clash. ie Bailey Dale, Toby McLean, Caleb Daniel, Tim English, JJ. These guys aren't your physical beasts and don't really thrive in that sort of play. I'm not saying these guys shouldn't play but you need the appropriate balance for the conditions and we didn't do that.

I thought for a player on the fringe, Bailey Dale was woeful in the first half. He really provided no defensive pressure at all. To his credit he tried to improve in that area slightly in the second half and actually laid a couple of tackles but too many weren't up for the contest on the day. Simple as that.

The worst part is they had over 120mls of rain in the 2 days prior to the game. They knew what the conditions would be so should have picked the side accordingly. Cordy is a tackling beast and has to play. Honeychurch an in and under who fights to keep it in. Whether Libber is ready or not he would have shown a bit more than some of the others. Some people play better in the 1's and he has served his 3 week penalty.

[boydogs]

It was bizarre, they punched him every 5 seconds and neither he nor his team mates put a stop to it

[Rocket Science]

I loathe Lyon - this is precisely the sort of harder-than-thou bullshit he loves to spew - but he's right, every hack that passes within arms reach of JJ for the rest of the year is going to give him some.

He doesn't have to return serve, but if it curbs his game we, and he, have some problems.

[craigsahibee]

Lyon's disappointment in JJ is nothing compared to the disappointment I feel knowing that Lyon has a role in the media again.

[Twodogs]

When I first saw the headline I thought it might have referred to JJ's potential new boss Ross!

[jeemak]

Gary Lyon is probably the most gutless football commentator going around.

He is a man who has taken cheap and then cheaper pot shots from the sidelines at the club he apparently loves, while never standing up and assuming a role of accountability when that club needed his supposed influence and or expertise to steer them through dark periods. He's been a man of inaction for decades, each time he has been called upon in times of crises by the MFC he has refused to put his balls on the line and instead taken the easy road of critical commentator.

Gary Lyon in his time has had nothing to do with a club that has won a Premiership. That's right, he's a hard arse who never assumed responsibility for a club dying, never won a premiership as a player, always avoided any responsibility when his club called for his services (unless cheap seat coordinator is actually a position) - why should we worry about what he says?

[jeemak]

Gary Lyon is probably the most gutless football commentator going around.

He is a man who has taken cheap and then cheaper pot shots from the sidelines at the club he apparently loves, while never standing up and assuming a role of accountability when that club needed his supposed influence and or expertise to steer them through dark periods. He's been a man of inaction for decades, each time he has been called upon in times of crises by the MFC he has refused to put his balls on the line and instead taken the easy road of critical commentator.

Gary Lyon in his time has had nothing to do with a club that has won a Premiership. That's right, he's a hard arse who never assumed responsibility for a club dying, never won a premiership as a player, always avoided any responsibility when his club called for his services (unless cheap seat coordinator is actually a position) - why should we worry about what he says?

I'm annoyed at JJ's game last week just as much as the next guy, but it *!*!*!*!ing irritates me we'd have a Gary Lyon post to call it out.

[ledge]

Umm all players have a bad game, torched him after one and judging his hunger for the ball and contest on that is disgusting.
I would say he made position to run off as in dry weather footy but players fumbled so he never got it more likely, be lucky if he has played 10 games in wet weather footy like that in his life.
I'm sick of journos talking rubbish to make a story.
Just go back to reporting and not judging or making stories.

[Mantis]

Jason meet Tomas, Tomas meet Jason.. If you think George gave JJ a going over wait until Sunday.

Will be watching with interest to how he and we deal with it.

[bornadog]

From Lachie Hunter's Press Conference:


"We'll look to protect JJ more this week and hopefully he can bounce back. He's a resilient guy."

We should have realised last week he needed help.

[Bulldog4life]

From Lachie Hunter's Press Conference:



We should have realised last week he needed help.

Yes especially the team leaders should have realized this during the match.

[Axe Man]

Melbourne Demons set to target Western Bulldog Jason Johannisen (http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/melbourne-demons-set-to-target-western-bulldog-jason-johannisen-20170613-gwqmjp.html)

Melbourne will look to the blueprint adopted by Sydney in a bid to physically unsettle dasher Jason Johannisen when they face the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Johannisen, the Norm Smith medallist in last year's grand final, was held to only nine touches and 170 metres gained against the Swans in the Dogs' 46-point loss at the SCG before their mid-season break. It was arguably the Dogs' worst defeat in the Luke Beveridge era.

Johannisen was targeted before the opening bounce when roughed up by several Swans, including Dan Hannebery, and was then unable to generate his customary run from defence by a blanketing George Hewitt.

As the Demons look to continue their surge up the ladder, coach Simon Goodwin said on Wednesday he would delve into John Longmire's tactics.

"It was certainly interesting. They took away a key running player in their [Bulldogs] game. It's something that we, obviously, will look at. He is a quality player," Goodwin said.

"He gets a lot of metres gained each week. He is someone that, obviously, will be clear in our planning."

Johannisen is averaging 23.8 disposals a game and had enjoyed 29, including 22 uncontested, a week earlier in a win over St Kilda.

Goodwin, who was tagged in his heyday with the Adelaide Crows, said not all players enjoyed being hunted.

"Some players handle it extremely well. Other players take a bit of time to come to grips with it. Certainly, the tagger seems to be back in vogue, whether it's in the midfield or whether it's a half-back flanker. It's a case-by-case scenario," he said.

Such was Johannisen's performance against the Swans that Paul Roos, the former Sydney and Melbourne coach, said he was not worth $800,000 a year. Johannisen is off contract, with the Dogs unwilling to budge on more than $600,000 a season.

The Demons expect the Bulldogs to rebound with a vengeance, having, in Beveridge's view, "stagnated" leading into the bye. The Dogs have dropped four of their past six matches but the manner of their defeat to the Swans when they struggled to win the contested ball and lacked run surprised several rival teams. They were also crunched in hit-outs.

"I think their history suggests over the last two years they play a certain brand of footy consistently. That's what we will expecting this week," Goodwin said.

"Last week was probably the first time that they haven't played that way for a couple of years now. It was probably something that was a bit abnormal to them. We expect a response from them, no doubt."

[bornadog]

But Axe Man then we have:

Dogs launch Operation Protect JJ ahead of Dees
(http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-15/dogs-launch-operation-protect-jj-ahead-of-dees)
THE WESTERN Bulldogs will do more to protect star playmaker Jason Johannisen if he's physically targeted as he was against the Sydney Swans last week.

The Norm Smith medalist finished the game with just nine possessions and little impact after being bumped and harassed from siren to siren by Swan George Hewett and a host of teammates.

The Bulldogs face Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and Demons coach Simon Goodwin has forecast his side could employ similar tactics to negate Johannisen's influence.

Teammate Lachie Hunter said the Dogs would be on guard to protect the 23-year-old.

"Yeah, (we could have helped him more), he obviously copped a fair bit," Hunter said on Thursday.

"We did try and help him, and to a certain extent it drags people out of position.

"It wasn't one of (Jason's) better games, and we'll look to protect him – and anyone else – who that happens to this week."

Hunter says the tactic shook up the out-of-contract West Australian, but it also proved just how much time opposition clubs are putting into curbing his impact.

"(It affected him) to a certain extent, but he's a real dangerous player – it's a feather in his cap that he's targeted by other teams," Hunter said.

"He'll learn from that … that's probably one of the first times he's got it that hard and hopefully he can bounce back.

"He is a (resilient person). His strengths are his outside run, his speed, but the physical side of the game is something he can work on as well."

While he put down the 46-point loss to the Swans to a "off night", Hunter conceded it was one of the worst performances the side had put in during Luke Beveridge's three-year tenure.

The coach took the blame for the uncharacteristic showing, but Hunter said the players were just as guilty.

"It was really disappointing going up there for a game that was pretty crucial," he said.

"We're the ones out on the field."

[Axe Man]

Both are predictable really. Of course Melbourne are going to try and do what Sydney did and it would be incredibly disappointing if we didn't do more to help JJ out this time.

Or maybe the players have said sign your contract Jason and then we will give you a hand! ;)

[bulldogtragic]

I look at the Roos comment on $600,000 a season as our offer. If we have offered 4 or 5 years at $600,000 and he's not happy then can leave, unfortunately. Whether it's his apparent incompetent manager, or greed, if we've offered that years/coin he should sign or tell us to look for trades over the next few months. No more negotiations, that's our *!*!*!*!ing very generous offer, accept it or take another deal elsewhere. Chris Grant can go back to his core duties.

[GVGjr]

Melbourne tried to target Jong in the VFL final. They'll try their hardest with JJ.

[bulldogtragic]

Melbourne tried to target Jong in the VFL final. They'll try their hardest with JJ.

So tape up his good shoulder?

[Bulldog4life]

I would like to see JJ either start niggling first or even start in the forward line for the first 10 to 15 mins. Bevo likes to mix things up

[westdog54]

Melbourne tried to target Jong in the VFL final. They'll try their hardest with JJ.

We taped up Jongy's good shoulder to outfox them that day.

Do you reckon if Dale Morris got a spray tan and put on a silly wig they'd buy it?

[Hotdog60]

Actually it would quite funny to see the whole team run out with JJ wigs on. They wouldn't know who to target.

[Ozza]

I'm not so sure there is much merit in the position that Roos, and many on here have taken, that after JJ has a bad game he is suddenly not worth a certain dollar figure.

If you're going to talk about the worth of a player to a team - then isn't it an equally relevant measure, that we played so poor when JJ was shut out of the game?

In terms of what we are prepared to pay him - I think the club has committed (post Tom Boyd) to a philosophy around quite an even spread across the senior playing group - so I think we need to stick to that. But this whole knee-jerk and bordering on spiteful response of how is 'isn't worth that money' and 'replaceable' based on a bad game, I can't really cop.

[Twodogs]

Send Libba sr out in #39. That would really throw them.

[Topdog]

I'm not so sure there is much merit in the position that Roos, and many on here have taken, that after JJ has a bad game he is suddenly not worth a certain dollar figure.

Oh Ive just never believed JJ is an 800k a year player. Had nothing to do with this 1 game.

[jeemak]

Oh Ive just never believed JJ is an 800k a year player. Had nothing to do with this 1 game.

Maybe he is, and other players who are better are now worth more.

The market dictates worth, if JJ is going to command $800K you can bet he won't be the last of his ilk to do so. Our perception of worth will have to adjust to the market signals.

[Twodogs]

Maybe he is, and other players who are better are now worth more.

The market dictates worth, if JJ is going to command $800K you can bet he won't be the last of his ilk to do so. Our perception of worth will have to adjust to the market signals.


Good old AFL. It turned to socialism to fix the Oakley/Jackson economic rationalism disaster but now the Dead Hand of the market is going to fix everything again.

[Topdog]

Maybe he is, and other players who are better are now worth more.

The market dictates worth, if JJ is going to command $800K you can bet he won't be the last of his ilk to do so. Our perception of worth will have to adjust to the market signals.

the market does indeed dictate some peoples perception of worth but even him signing a $1m contract will make me think he is worth
more than 600k