Never write off Stevie J
All of the football pundits were saying Steve Johnson was getting close to retirement and his impact was waning. One bloke who gets Johnson is former Geelong coach Mark Thompson who has seen the genius of Stevie J on several occasions. He clearly said do not write him off in the lead up to this game and right on cue, Johnson delivered with a thrilling crumbed goal. You wouldn’t find a better attempt at crumbing on any Chicken Kiev in Sydney on Saturday! It was simply stunning the pick up and gather by Johnson. He’s the type of player that will win finals games when the scores are locked in a tight contest.
Write off Stevie J (with ball) at your peril. The champ keeps on delivering clutch performances. Photo: Jodie Newell
Collingwood brave under coach Nathan Buckley
I really like the footballing philosophies of Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley. Yes the Pies fans are a demanding lot and expect to win most times. There are many in the AFL industry who think Nathan will be gone either during the season or at the end of the year. I think it would be the wrong decision to do so. Buckley brought a really impressive strategic game to Sydney over the weekend. It was almost a carbon copy of last year’s win over the Giants at the Showgrounds. This time it took an absolute champ to all but nullify coach Buckley’s efforts. Nathan always gives us a good response when we ask him a question. His answer when we asked him about the spirit of Lou Richards was superb. Buckley spoke about Richards the footballer and how his young players needed to think about, as had Richards during his playing career about what they wanted to do as players. They had to make a name for themselves. It was an apt response to my question and made me think more about Lou Richards the footballer. I hope and pray that Nathan sees better days. The game needs guys like him involved at the highest level.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley implores his players to put in and fight for a win. Photo: Jodie Newell
Jonathon Patton the quiet acheiver
JP just keeps on working hard for the Giants. He was asked to help out at the back when needed due to the injuries of Corr and Reid. He still played a vital role up forward. His crucial goal in the forward pocket late in the 4th quarter had class and clutch written all over it. It was such a tight shot, yet Jono slotted it right through the middle. I love this bloke’s heart. Two knee reco’s and he’s as courageous as they get. Some footballers are never the same with bad knee injuries. Thankfully Jonathon Patton is the exception. Opposition defenders are paying a lot of attention to Jeremy Cameron, yet if they ignore Patton it will be a dangerous mistake, as the lad has the ability to turn a game right around. For the record Jonathon had 15 disposals kicked 2 goals and took 6 marks and made 4 tackles.
The quiet achiever Jonathon Patton has been chipping away and contributing with some key plays for the Giants. Photo: Jodie Newell
