Morning Glory
SEN OPINION
Johnson one of the greats
9.32AM  7-9-2010

By Kevin Bartlett


Brad Johnson has been one of the great modern-day players.

The 'Smiling Assassin' for many season was the best at what he does, playing as that mid-sized forward, having sporadic runs in the midfield.

He had no fear.

Quick, strong marking, tough and a great goal sense made him a champion.

His durability is legendary, with 362 games for the Bulldogs.

Now, injury and age has wearied Johnson, but he has to play against the Swans this week.

He was poor against Collingwood, but he has great pride.

We should never underestimate a champion's quality.

It was so disappointing last week to hear the crowd heckling and jeering one of the game's greats.

He deserved better. His bad games can be counted on one hand.

The Australian Sporting Public should be much better than that.

Johnson will leave the game as a much-loved player, with not an enemy in the world - except for Aker.

 
Comments
Posted by tony at 10.16PM  8-9-2010
As nice as he is unfortunately retired a year too late. Hopefully he can go out with some pride this weekend. The Akermanis thing also did not bode so well, they could have used a small crumbing 3 time premiership forward.
Posted by Damian White at 8.52PM  7-9-2010
He was copping it firstly because he was playing angry and elbowing and niggling Shaw and others, even when they were running off to be interchanged. Not particularly weird you might say but out of character for Johnson and not something he has done once in his previous 361 games. Secondly because of the Aker saga. Public opinion is against him because he is seen to have ended a teammates career that the general public loved. Thirdly because of the other two factors and because it was a final and he wasn't playing well and I suppose the fans thought getting into his head by booing him would further put him off his game.
Posted by PT at 3.43PM  7-9-2010
Great player, we only didn't like him (or the rest of his team) when he was playing against us (Swans). Should be in the hall of fame, fair and honest performer.
Posted by BigSaint at 1.27PM  7-9-2010
I was sitting around a sea of doggies supporters on Saturday night and to my amazement, they had nothing nice to say to him. It certainly wasn't just the opposition supporters. If you are a dogs supporter and you were one of them..... you should be ashamed! Robert Harvey had a few stinkers in his time and I've never heard a bad word spoken about him at a game.
Posted by Jennie Good at 10.04AM  7-9-2010
I've been listening to you and Patrick whining on about Johnson being heckled. You guys are so sanctimonious. He was giving Heath Shaw those silly punches, the game was still to be won. I went to many games where Buckley was booed, heckled, ridiculed by opposition supporters. All players, greats included, get this treatment. Supporters know they could turn on a blinder so you want to do anything to put them off their game. That you are saying we take the heckling out of our game you're in dream world. I booed you, KB every time you went near the ball; I knew how good you were. If it had been Johnson's last game he certainly would have been applauded at the end of the game. This holier than thou stuff you and Patrick bleat about gets very tedious. Get real.
Posted by Matt at 9.48AM  7-9-2010
Perhaps Rocket and Co should have considered his pride and not played him lame?
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