Past Travis Johnstone (2008-2010)

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Re: Travis Johnstone

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Johnstone training at Cooparoo 12/12/2007
 

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Re: Travis Johnstone

Grimreepah said:
For anyone interested Travis was awarded life membership at the Melbourne Football Club on Tuesday.
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Out of mild curiousity, have any of our players ever had life membership for a competitor club while still playing for us? I guess back in the Fitzroy/Bears days it would've been more likely, but it seems like we very much develop our own and picking up an established player from another club is very very rare.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

dlanod said:
Out of mild curiousity, have any of our players ever had life membership for a competitor club while still playing for us? I guess back in the Fitzroy/Bears days it would've been more likely, but it seems like we very much develop our own and picking up an established player from another club is very very rare.
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Yeah, Pikey and TJ are the most two experienced players we've recruited in recent history.

And I don't think Pikey was well behaved enough to crack life membership at his old clubs. ;)

Both Johnstone and Pikey won a club B&F at previous clubs though... Pikey at Fitzroy and TJ at Melbourne.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

Karen Lyon | December 23, 2007



MELBOURNE will continue to pay former midfielder and 1997 No. 1 draft pick Travis Johnstone $200,000 next year, despite the 27-year-old being traded to the Brisbane Lions in October.

The payment is revealed in the club's financial report and is the source of some dispute between the club and its auditors, Ernst and Young.

The Demons had announced a profit of $96,689 for 2007, but the auditors believe the payment to the player, who is never named in the report, should be taken into account this year causing the club to in fact make a loss.

In the report, the auditors representative writes: "The football department costs disclosed in the income statement should reflect an additional $200,000 expense. Accordingly, the trade and other payables balance should be increased by this amount. The impact on this adjustment would be to reduce the result of the year ended 31 October 2007 by $200,000 and increase trade and other payables, and the net asset deficiency by this amount."

The Demons have now recorded profits for the past four years, but this year's smaller profit was put down to its poor season and the long line of injuries which impacted player payments and affected gate takings.
It's not uncommon for clubs to pay their former players at rival clubs and Melbourne's actions are in line with AFL rules, which call for a former club to make up the shortfall in a player's contract if his new club does not meet the terms of his previous club.

In its directors report, the Melbourne board defended its position. "The directors note the auditors comment on our treatment of a termination payment to be made during 2008 in respect of a player traded to another AFL club. Payments to players and rookies listed on the club's primary list are normally brought to account as an expense in the year each contracted payment falls due."
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Source: http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/dees-still-paying-johnstone/2007/12/22/1198175414015.html
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

Obviously Melbourne were desperate to be seen as posting a profit that they wouldn't adjust their financials. Considering the auditors just qualified the accounts anyway, seems a bit stupid, but nothing surprises me with sets of accounts these days.

(bit of offtopic boring accounting speak for you there)

200k, nice little chip in from the demons.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

TheBrownDog said:
Yeah, Pikey and TJ are the most two experienced players we've recruited in recent history.

And I don't think Pikey was well behaved enough to crack life membership at his old clubs. ;)

Both Johnstone and Pikey won a club B&F at previous clubs though... Pikey at Fitzroy and TJ at Melbourne.
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Pikey was amazing, his off field antics must of been pretty bad, because like you said B&F Fitzroy moved on.. starred at Melbourne, moved on.. premiership player North Melbourne, moved on, then 3 flags with you guys.

I got a feeling Trapper is in for a big big year. Cmon, you guys are rich.. why do we have to pay ? :)
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

Article

New targets for Johnstone
9:45 AM Fri 25 January, 2008

By Simon White

for lions.com.au

AFTER 10 years spent putting the ball lace-out on the chest of one of the competition’s best forwards, Travis Johnstone can’t wait to start season No.11.
The catch, of course, that the new Lion's first 10 campaigns were spent at Melbourne, with David Neitz leading towards him.

Season 11 will unfold at the Gabba and the player trying to get on the end of his spearing passes will be the best forward in the game – reigning Coleman Medallist Jonathan Brown.

"I played with some great players in Melbourne but especially 'Neita'," Johnstone said.

"It was always exciting to see him come flying out on the lead and try and put the ball on his chest.

"Now it’s Jonathan Brown and everyone knows how good a player he is – he’s the best forward going around at the moment.

"We’re going to get Daniel Bradshaw back, as well, a couple of games into the season and it’s going to be great to have two huge key forwards to kick the ball to.”

Johnstone, who became a Lion in a three-way trade involving the Demons and Collingwood, arrived at the Gabba with a couple of injury niggles – most notably a wrist that was “wired up” after the completion of the 2007 home-and-away season.

With achilles problems also an issue last year, his first preseason as a Lion has been carefully planned - he did not start full-scale training until just before Christmas.

"I’ve been pretty much doing everything for the last month or so and it’s felt pretty good," Johnstone said.

"But every now and then I’ll have a freshen-up just to lighten the load.

"I had Monday night off this week which was enjoyable because I was probably feeling a little tired and I feel a lot fresher having not trained.

"Because I’ve been playing for 10 years pretty solidly, it doesn’t take too much to tap into that [fitness] base that you build up."

The 27-year-old has plenty of big-game experience, having played in 14 finals at Melbourne, including the 2000 Grand Final loss to Essendon.

Johnstone says he can see some similarities between the current Lions squad and that Melbourne side in 2000, which featured a mix of older, more experienced players and youngsters finding their niche at AFL level.

"I think the key is experience," Johnstone said.

"This team has got a lot of younger guys, who, over the last couple of years, have got that little bit of experience – up around the 50 games mark or so.

"It’s an exciting time to be at the club because last season the team got so close to the finals and this year we’re in a good spot to have a real crack at actually getting there.

"I’m just excited to be part of this group."
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No looking back: Johnstone
08 February 2008 Herald Sun
Andrew Hamilton

WHEN Travis Johnstone found out his club was shopping him around and the Brisbane Lions were interested, he didn't have the benefit of hindsight to help him make his decision.
So if Melbourne had never considered trading him, but Brisbane had made an approach, would his decision to go have been the same?
Johnstone lets out a slow whistle and, after a long pause, says: "Yes, I think so."
It is a tough question, because Johnstone loved the Demons and always wanted to be a one-club player.
It's a question he's thought about a lot since arriving in Brisbane at the end of last season via a three-way trade that saw Lions ruckman Cameron Wood go to Collingwood.
"I've even found myself wondering how would things have panned out if I had gone earlier," Johnstone said.
The answer is he would probably have been a premiership player by now, given that of the handful of clubs to chase him over the years, Sydney was the club he came closest to joining.
But you won't catch Johnstone looking back.
Not even when he's sitting on a rocky outcrop at Castle Hill, high above Townsville - as far away from the football hub of Melbourne as you can get.
The change so far has been better than any holiday.
The 27-year-old is now playing under one of the game's most successful coaches, Leigh Matthews. And he predicts it will be the making of him as a footballer.
"I think I will play the best football of my career here at Brisbane," he said.
"I just think there's a lot more in me to come out, and it just feels like this is the right place for me, here at the Lions."
Johnstone has played 160 games and was the Demons' best-and-fairest in 2005.
After 10 years in the AFL system, why does he think he can suddenly take his game to another level?
First, he will no longer be the prime target for opposition taggers.
"I got the heaviest tag every week, even when I wasn't playing well," he said of his time at the Demons.
"That won't happen here. I might get tagged sometimes, but I won't always be the focus.
"As Leigh said, 'we've got a lot of options now'."
Second, he believes the resources and expertise at Brisbane's football department will make a difference, something the cash-strapped Demons didn't enjoy at the Junction Oval.
"They can say that the weights weigh the same and things like that, but facilities do make a difference," he said. "Spending money on a football department does make a difference and Melbourne never had that."
Johnstone doesn't shy from the fact that leaving his former club was hard.
It was not just the physical act of packing up and leaving friends and family to head to a new city, but coping with the shock of discovering the Demons had shopped him around.
"Yeah that was it, it took a while to get over," he said.
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Re: Travis Johnstone

I wish he's stop talking about this 'heaviest tag' stuff. Brock McClean got more attention last year, and Bruce and Green get tagged because hard tagging on them works -- the difference between letting those two do what they like, and handcuffing a hard-nosed bugger to them is huge. Aaron Davey struggled last year precisely because opposition sides spent a long time studying him and planning to limit his influence.

I'm not saying TJ was ignored, but I don't think he's going to find things twice as easy as the were, which is the impression you get reading his media.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

xplo said:
I wish he's stop talking about this 'heaviest tag' stuff. Brock McClean got more attention last year, and Bruce and Green get tagged because hard tagging on them works -- the difference between letting those two do what they like, and handcuffing a hard-nosed bugger to them is huge. Aaron Davey struggled last year precisely because opposition sides spent a long time studying him and planning to limit his influence.

I'm not saying TJ was ignored, but I don't think he's going to find things twice as easy as the were, which is the impression you get reading his media.
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TJ didn't seem too worried about that today. :thumbsu:

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Re: Travis Johnstone

xplo said:
I wish he's stop talking about this 'heaviest tag' stuff. Brock McClean got more attention last year, and Bruce and Green get tagged because hard tagging on them works -- the difference between letting those two do what they like, and handcuffing a hard-nosed bugger to them is huge.

I'm not saying TJ was ignored, but I don't think he's going to find things twice as easy as the were, which is the impression you get reading his media.
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McLean & TJ only played 8 games together in 2007.
Bruce & Green clearly averaged more disposals than TJ during 2007, so the tags (if they were) didn't work as well as we may think. Perhaps they just worked a little harder, perhaps they didn't have the heavy tag.

Sidepoint, Melbourne didn't win a game when McLean missed.
I recall debating with someone on our board that he was clearly the most important Demon midfielder. Feel quite vindicated.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

I agree it would be better if Travis was thinking more about making things easier for his team mates rather than his team mates making things easier for him.

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Johnstone ready to unleash at Carrara
Nick Smart
16Feb08

BRISBANE Lions star recruit Travis Johnstone has given the Gold Coast Stadium turf an emphatic thumbs up, hosing down any talk of an unsafe playing surface hurting tonight's NAB Cup clash against Essendon.

Safety concerns due to a lack of grass cover at Carrara dogged this game before the AFL finally gave the ground the green light last week.

"It is hardish but you have to expect that at this time of year with the weather," said Johnstone yesterday.

"Maybe it could be a little bit softer but I think it is in immaculate condition."

After a long and tough pre-season since crossing from Melbourne, Johnstone is looking forward to pulling on a Lions jumper for the first time in a game. But his main wish is to simply get through the contest unscathed.

Johnstone, who played 160 games for the Demons and earned a best and fairest in 2005 before being traded to Brisbane last year, said the move had been positive.

"It's pretty exciting," he said. "Brisbane has been great to me, especially the players."

Both clubs will take young squads into the pre-season match, with Lions stars Jonathan Brown, Simon Black, Daniel Bradshaw, Jamie Charman and Daniel Merrett among those watching from the sidelines through either injury, or simply being rested. For the Bombers, skipper Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Dustin Fletcher are among their top 22 missing.

But Johnstone dismissed any talk the players on the field would not be treating the match seriously.

"It is a pretty serious competition," he said.

"Once you cross the white line, it's hell for leather and you're out there to win ... we'll be giving it a fair nudge."

Last year the Lions had a strong pre-season and ended up making the NAB Cup final, where they lost to Carlton.

However, they had to travel four weeks in a row, and Johnstone said that schedule may have done the Lions more harm than good.

"They did so well in the NAB Cup, but it may have hurt them during the year," he said. "Even though it is important to be out there playing now, I don't think winning the NAB Cup is vital ... You have to have the focus that the season is the main thing."
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Re: Travis Johnstone

Good luck Trav. Hope you know the words to the song.

Johnstone excited by Lions debut

4:36 PM Fri 15 February, 2008
AAP
Link to Original Article

BRISBANE Lions recruit Travis Johnstone has just one wish when he pulls on the Lions guernsey for the first time in Saturday night’s NAB Cup match against Essendon – not to get injured.

The former Melbourne star said the Lions would be playing for a win against the Bombers at the Gold Coast Stadium, but his own expectations were much more selfish.

"Probably just not to get injured," Johnstone said, when asked about taking the field as a Lion for the first time.

Johnstone, who played 160 games for the Demons and earned a best and fairest in 2005 before being traded to the Lions last year, said the move had been positive.

"Brisbane has been great to me, especially the players as well."

His arrival at the club will add strength to the Lions’ midfield which already includes the likes of veteran Nigel Lappin, Simon Black and Luke Power.

The 27-year-old said the Lions were eyeing a winning start to the pre-season in a match where both clubs have named inexperienced squads.

"It doesn’t matter what team you put out on the park, especially the first round NAB Cup, I think everyone is so excited, young players too," he said.

"Once you cross the white line it’s hell for leather and you’re out there to win, so hopefully we’ll be out there, we’ll be giving it a fair nudge."

Assistant coach Justin Leppitsch will take over the reins at Brisbane for the match, while Matthew Knights will coach the Bombers for the first time.
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Re: Travis Johnstone

That first pass into Hendo tonight was exactly what we were looking for. Decisive, accurate and damaging. I thought then that the trade had paid off. Drifted in and out after the first quarter but that may have had something to do with rotations.
 
Re: Travis Johnstone

Interesting to hear Huddo say that he played with a cracked bone in his arm for most of last year, he is going to be very good for us
 

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