From the 22 Collingwood players who took to the field in the Grand Final Replay, only 2 remained from the 02/03 Grand Final defeats. This in itself is a story and a secret behind the Magpies all conquering season. Malthouse sent in a young side, with no comprehension of a ‘collywobble’, no history of failure and completely no fear.
Alan Didak was one of those 2 players who managed to survive from the previous Grand Final failures. Didak is a star, and a player whose number appears on the back of so many young football fans.
Surprisingly, the other surviving member is Ben Johnson. Over the years, fans on football forums have continually questioned his place in the side and his name has seemingly been on the chopping block for many a season now. As the list has been rejuvenated since 2005, Johnson’s career at many times has looked at the crossroads. 2008 was perhaps his lowest point where his attitude waned, along with his fitness. It led to President Eddie McGuire to remark that Ben was overweight. Although McGuire said this in jest, no doubt it was a clear indication that his fitness was below par and his career would finish if he could not get himself back into shape. He was dropped for the finals series and was perhaps very lucky to retain his spot on the list.
Johnson admitted that his passion for football was not there in 2008. However, he put in a terrific 2009 pre-season and looked to be back to his best at the start of the season. His passion for football was re-ignited, he was fit again, and he was back in form.
Then tragedy struck as he broke his leg in the Round 3 match against Geelong
Regardless, Johnson still had his critics. Many still had him outside Collingwood’s best 22 and it seemed the only person who actually believed in him was Malthouse.
It is easy to see why Johnson is often criticised. He has an awkward running and kicking style and is prone to the odd clanger. His reputation suffers in the same way Dane Swan has struggled to become recognised as an elite player….he is an unfashionable footballer.
Nevertheless, Johnson has held his spot because of his versatility. In 2010, Malthouse has put a big premium on players who can play multiple positions and in multiple roles. Often, Johnson has been asked to play as a midfield tagger, or as a defensive back pocket, or as a midfield rotations, or as an attacking defender. His tackling intensity is typically quite good and he is a player who has the capacity to break the lines from defence. Pace has always been his greatest attribute, however he has managed to couple his attacking side with a tight defensive side as well.
Further, despite the fact that he is an awkward kick, he is one of the most reliable shots on goal from distance in the league. This was highlighted by a terrific 55 metre goal in the Grand Final.
It was crunch time for Collingwood mid-way through the first quarter. The Pies were dominating but unable to make inroads on the scoreboard. Already a few opportunities had been wasted. Enter Ben Johnson. He received a pass from Dayne Beams and marked on the 50 metre line. Where most other players had struggled from this range, Jonno went back and hit the ball as sweetly as you could possibly imagine. The Magpies had their 2nd goal of the match and never looked back from this point.
For Malthouse and those who believed in Johnson, it must have been a glorious moment to see their faith repaid. For Johnson, it was icing on the cake of a very solid year. He has done all asked of him in 2010 and has survived a battle that has seen most of the players from his era fall.
He outlasted All Australian hero’s in Davis and Medhurst. He hung in whilst club stalwarts in Lockyer and O’Bree were pushed aside. Where younger models have replaced champions like Simon Prestigiacomo, Johnson has kept those vying for his position playing in the VFL.
Perhaps the most ironic comparison is the fact that Josh Fraser, who was pick 1 in the draft where Johnson went at pick 62, was also pushed aside, whilst Johnson cemented his spot in the side.
The funny thing is that if at the start of the year I was told that Malthouse would drop a number of his favourites, the first player I would’ve thought of was Ben Johnson. Instead, he is realistically the sole survivor.
Despite the fact that Johnson has more than proven his worth to the side now, he still receives very little praise. Perhaps the best form of acknowledgement is the fact that Internet forums are now quiet on the Ben Johnson topic and his detractors have gone in hiding. Perhaps obscurity is the best reward he can hope for. Even in the premiership photo post-match, Ben’s face can only be seen peeking out from behind Nick Maxwell and the cup. A nice metaphor for a player who has been happy to remain hidden in the background through all of Collingwood’s great success in 2010.
However, you still get the suspicion that it will only take 1 bad game for his doubters to re-surface. If this is the case, I expect he will respond in the same way he has done throughout his 208 game career. That is with guts, commitment and dedication to the cause.
It will be interesting to see how Jonno is viewed from now on. No matter what, he will always be Ben Johnson – Collingwood premiership player and club veteran.
By David Natoli
aka DaVe86
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