and then it hit me!

[GVGjr]

It was a moving day today. The emotion of one of the finest footballers to ever don the red,white and blue reaching an enormous milestone plus a game the seesawed countless times. As the Crows were turning the screws on us late in the last quarter my mind cast back to the milestone game of West and Smith when the Bulldogs failed to beat the Eagles and I thought these champions of the club really deserve better than this. Just when I was contemplating leaving the ground early, a rarity for me, a glimmer of hope shone through with a goal to Johnson at the 26 minute mark. Even after that I thought we still had our work cut out for us but once again Johnson answered the challenge with goals at the 28 minute mark and then again at 31 minutes. A mad scramble at the end resulted in an outstanding win for the Dogs by anyones standards.

Johnson had basically took it upon himself to carry the team over the line...and it worked.

I didn't think I had ever seen someone impose themselves on a big game at such a critical time but just a few minutes back I started to remember the nightmare of 1985 preliminary final when Lethal Lee Matthews basically single handedly destroyed the Dogs with a goal laden effort in the last quarter. And thats when it hit me, Johnson's effort today was right up there where legends are made. It's always been the ability of Carey, Ablett and Matthews to turn a game around and carry their team towards an unlikely victory and thats exactly what Johnson did today. In my opinion Johnson has now moved from champion player (and bloke for that matter) to one of the games all-time elite.

Well done Brad Johnson, the smiling assassin certainly put a smile on a number of dials today.

[hujsh]

When Welsh thought he had a goal but was called a point i thought of 97

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Great post.

Johnson's an absolute superstar - not enough words to describe his incredible performance for not only today, but his entire career.

Undoubtedly in the same group as Hird & Buckley.

[ledge]

And still i think he is under rated in the media, wake up Sheahen

[alwaysadog]

Johnno was the difference but we also showed the fight that seemed to mysteriously desert us for the last part of 07.
A titanic struggle with the best possible outcome.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

And still i think he is under rated in the media, wake up Sheahen

His Top Fifty is rubbish, though.

I think a few years back, this was the case, but in the last couple of years Johnson has finally been given the recognition he deserves by all AFL Supporters & the media.

Took them a long while, though.

[hujsh]

His Top Fifty is rubbish, though.

I think a few years back, this was the case, but in the last couple of years Johnson has finally been given the recognition he deserves by all AFL Supporters & the media.

Took them a long while, though.

D.Thomas 42
L.Gilbee 43

:confused: for real. What a cop out:mad:

[Crizza]

D.Thomas 42
L.Gilbee 43

:confused: for real. What a cop out:mad:


It just reinforces that if our players were wearing different uniforms, they might be more respected. Grant, Smith, West and Johno have been on the receving end of this most recently! Imagine the excitment around Higgo, Gia, Murp and even Everitt if they wore black and white!

Sadly we dont get the respect or admiration we should!

[hujsh]

It just reinforces that if our players were wearing different uniforms, they might be more respected. Grant, Smith, West and Johno have been on the receving end of this most recently! Imagine the excitment around Higgo, Gia, Murp and even Everitt if they wore black and white!

Sadly we dont get the respect or admiration we should!

ooooo but Thomas is an "excitement machine" and he smiles and he's so cute and flashy :rolleyes:

[Dogs 24/7]

I will try and get this back on track. I think Johnson is underrated and an absolute star of the competition and if anyone had any questions about it then today answered it in a big way.

[Twodogs]

ooooo but Thomas is an "excitement machine" and he smiles and he's so cute and flashy :rolleyes:


I reckon that Daisy Thomas looked a bit like Carmilla Parker-Bowles when he had his hair longer. First time I saw him I thought that Collingwood had drafted Charle's missus!


Anyway back to Johnno. A couple of years ago Sockeye Salmon said to me "If Brad Johnson was 4 inches taller there would be no debate about who is the greatest player of all time". And I reckon he was right.

[ledge]

Hey 2dogs i said exactly the same thing today, can you imagine the amount of goals he would have kicked?

[Bulldog Revolution]

It was a moving day today. The emotion of one of the finest footballers to ever don the red,white and blue reaching an enormous milestone plus a game the seesawed countless times. As the Crows were turning the screws on us late in the last quarter my mind cast back back to the milestone game of West and Smith when the Bulldogs failed to beat the Eagles and I thought these champions of the club really deserve better than this. Just when I was contemplating leaving the ground early, a rarity for me, a glimmer of hope shone through with a goal to Johnson at the 26 minute mark. Even after that I thought we still had our work cut out for us but once again Johnson answered the challenge with goals at the 28 minute mark and then again at 31 minutes. A mad scramble at the end resulted in an outstanding win for the Dogs by anyones standards.

Johnson had basically took it upon himself to carry the team over the line...and it worked.

I didn't think I had ever seen someone impose themselves on a big game at such a critical time but just a few minutes back I started to remember the nightmare of 1985 preliminary final when Lethal Lee Matthews basically single handedly destroyed the Dogs with a goal laden effort in the last quarter. And thats when it hit me, Johnson's effort today was right up there where legends are made. It's always been the ability of Carey, Ablett and Matthews to turn a game around and carry their team towards an unlikely victory and thats exactly what Johnson did today. In my opinion Johnson has now moved from champion player (and bloke for that matter) to one of the games all-time elite.

Well done Brad Johnson, the smiling assassin certainly put a smile on a number of dials today.

A great post GVGjr, I need to analyse the tape to re-live it, but Johnnos ability to be exactly where he needed to be, when he needed to be, was incredible. In some ways two of the three goals were cheap, but he read them superbly and would just not let us lose today, but that said Aka and JHill dragged us back into the game in the 3rd, Aka kicked a clutch goal in the 4th, Welsh kicked a clutch goal in the 4th, and many players did things all day today that we didn't see enough of in 2007. Gia played with a decisiveness in the first half that displayed his class.

Johnno is a rare footballer, one who has seemingly improved almost every year of his career - its a very rare feet in the AFL, a brutal game, and one in which players strengths and weaknesses are dissected and analysed.

I really enjoyed the celebration of our champion 300 game players today before the game and hope like many others that we are closer to celebrating a premiership team. I felt the depth of contributions from the whole team today was far more even than at any stage for a while.

[LostDoggy]

It was up there for the most exciting first round game that I can remember and a great start for the year. The ability of the side to stick at it under the pressure was superb, with the old hands providing the composure needed. The ability of Johnno to put himself at the fall of the ball with the two opportunistic gaols and the power of the hands to take the grab on the hard lead exemplifies his quality. Great to see that Hill played so well.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Anyway back to Johnno. A couple of years ago Sockeye Salmon said to me "If Brad Johnson was 4 inches taller there would be no debate about who is the greatest player of all time". And I reckon he was right.

No disputing that, I reckon I've heard my father say that a hundred times.

Still, he's an elite player and right up there.

[hujsh]

Anyway back to Johnno. A couple of years ago Sockeye Salmon said to me "If Brad Johnson was 4 inches taller there would be no debate about who is the greatest player of all time". And I reckon he was right.

Why? So he is rated as a better forward?

[aker39]

Anyway back to Johnno. A couple of years ago Sockeye Salmon said to me "If Brad Johnson was 4 inches taller there would be no debate about who is the greatest player of all time". And I reckon he was right.


The fact that he is NOT 4 inches taller is the reason he is one of the greatest players of all time.

[Twodogs]

Why? So he is rated as a better forward?


If he was taller he'd never be beaten in the air, although I'm having trouble remembering when he has been beaten in a marking contest, and he could play in all the key positions. Also a 6' 4" bloke who played like Johnno would be unstoppable in the midfield.

[hujsh]

If he was taller he'd never be beaten in the air, although I'm having trouble remembering when he has been beaten in a marking contest, and he could play in all the key positions. Also a 6' 4" bloke who played like Johnno would be unstoppable in the midfield.

Give him 4 inches and you take away some of his other skills though