I found this article on TJ on AFL.com, and thought these last couple of paragraphs confirmed what we always thought about the culture of our club under ND's reign.

Since moving to the Sunshine state after parting ways with Melbourne at the end of last season, Johnstone has appeared to have a tumultuous relationship with veteran coach Leigh Matthews, but said the atmosphere was designed to bring the best out of each player.

"I think they draw it out of you to perform. Like all clubs, you've got set team rules, and I think some clubs might be a bit lenient on it sometimes, but up there, if you're not pulling your weight, and you're not doing the right things, you get pulled into line pretty quickly.

I was at this presser, and he was more critical about our facilities etc.

I found this article on TJ on AFL.com, and thought these last couple of paragraphs confirmed what we always thought about the culture of our club under ND's reign.

Since moving to the Sunshine state after parting ways with Melbourne at the end of last season, Johnstone has appeared to have a tumultuous relationship with veteran coach Leigh Matthews, but said the atmosphere was designed to bring the best out of each player.

"I think they draw it out of you to perform. Like all clubs, you've got set team rules, and I think some clubs might be a bit lenient on it sometimes, but up there, if you're not pulling your weight, and you're not doing the right things, you get pulled into line pretty quickly.

I think he makes a valid point about MFC last year. However TJ was part of the culture stain at MFC.

Exactly right Rhino, there was no way ND could come out in the press and say what Leigh Mathews said and get a good result from it, Mathews could at least point to Black, Power etc and say that is where you should be.

Exactly right Rhino, there was no way ND could come out in the press and say what Leigh Mathews said and get a good result from it, Mathews could at least point to Black, Power etc and say that is where you should be.

Why couldn't ND have done that? I reckon he needed to do it not only to TJ but to a few other players.

I think he makes a valid point about MFC last year. However TJ was part of the culture stain at MFC.

100% spot on

I was at this presser, and he was more critical about our facilities etc.

Fwiw, he's previously been critical of our facilities - said it did/might have cost us a flag - and those comments have been discussed on here.

Why couldn't ND have done that? I reckon he needed to do it not only to TJ but to a few other players.

Cos I'm quite sure TJ would have told him to shove it. And it would not have had any affect upon TJ.

[censored] off Johnstone you pathetic lazy [censored].

it is an indictment on the MFC that you were name in our best 150.

You are the softest laziest footballer I have ever seen. Nice job wasting a chance to be one of the greats of the game. Lazy [censored].

"I think they draw it out of you to perform. Like all clubs, you've got set team rules, and I think some clubs might be a bit lenient on it sometimes, but up there, if you're not pulling your weight, and you're not doing the right things, you get pulled into line pretty quickly.

And the funny thing is that as a number 1 draft pick and a man who was on a big paypacket and had played 150 games for the MFC , it was Johnstone who should have led from the front and laid down the law to other players not pulling their weight.

Johnstone is a hypocrite.

And the funny thing is that as a number 1 draft pick and a man who was on a big paypacket and had played 150 games for the MFC , it was Johnstone who should have led from the front and laid down the law to other players not pulling their weight.

Johnstone is a hypocrite.

Well TJ, I wonder is you are pulled into line after todays game. He was tagged out of it and became the umpire whingeing pathetic soft front runner he has has been for 10 years.

Fair dinkum, watching todays game, he is next to useless unless left to run 20 metres in the clear. Lethal is a good coach but we know something he didn't and they will pay.

You f*cking morons. Travis hurt his hamstring in the 3rd minute of the game today and thus played only around 65% gametime.

Last week, as with a number of times this year, he raped the opposition. 2 weeks ago he had 32 disposals, 14 of those contested, 9 clearances, 2 goals and 8 tackles. He's single handedly dragged the Lions over the line in 3-4 tight games this year. His season thus far is possibly the best of his career, and he puts pretty much all Melbourne players bar Mclean to shame. I really hate seeing him get badmouthed on here. Do you all hate Thompson, Jolly, Woe, Walshy etc as well?

Ridiculous thread.

P.S Yze_Magic, if Buckley is where amazing happens then we are utterly [censored]. Let's hope we can ship him off to Freo for pick 150.

You f*cking morons. Travis hurt his hamstring in the 3rd minute of the game today and thus played only around 65% gametime.

Last week, as with a number of times this year, he raped the opposition. 2 weeks ago he had 32 disposals, 14 of those contested, 9 clearances, 2 goals and 8 tackles. He's single handedly dragged the Lions over the line in 3-4 tight games this year. His season thus far is possibly the best of his career, and he puts pretty much all Melbourne players bar Mclean to shame. I really hate seeing him get badmouthed on here. Do you all hate Thompson, Jolly, Woe, Walshy etc as well?

Ridiculous thread.

P.S Yze_Magic, if Buckley is where amazing happens then we are utterly [censored]. Let's hope we can ship him off to Freo for pick 150.

This season sums up TJ perfectly, sets the world on fire, probably racked up some brownlow votes, so they start tagging him and he turns to water.

I am now glad another club owns the mantle of having the softest frontrunner in the league. Said it before he left and say it now.

his good is really good and his bad is pathetic. one thing is always consistent though, soft is soft.

You f*cking morons. Travis hurt his hamstring in the 3rd minute of the game today and thus played only around 65% gametime.

Last week, as with a number of times this year, he raped the opposition. 2 weeks ago he had 32 disposals, 14 of those contested, 9 clearances, 2 goals and 8 tackles. He's single handedly dragged the Lions over the line in 3-4 tight games this year. His season thus far is possibly the best of his career, and he puts pretty much all Melbourne players bar Mclean to shame. I really hate seeing him get badmouthed on here. Do you all hate Thompson, Jolly, Woe, Walshy etc as well?

Ridiculous thread.

P.S Yze_Magic, if Buckley is where amazing happens then we are utterly [censored]. Let's hope we can ship him off to Freo for pick 150.

you obviously didn't read the first post acknowledging his talent. And the argument about having to be pressured to perform which is spot on. It is not a ridiculous thread. Melbourne needs a culture change and studying what happens to players like him after they leave can help us elucidate the type of changes needed.

It is a culture problem at the club that lead to inconsistency from supremely talented players. The thing that gets me is all of you calling him a soft front runner, despite the fact he is getting more contested possessions and clearances than players like Jones!

And also, he had his worst game of the year today, but it was due to injury. You're all saying 'blah blah gets tagged and turns to sh*t', but fact is he copped an injury today and struggled to move properly all game. I actually went today, so if you didnt bother watching the game and are just assuming he got tagged and performed poorly, then you're a moron and part of the reason this place has turned to drivel this year.

Stop slagging him off, and start pointing the finger at someone who is actually performing poorly like Bruce or Bell etc.

It is a culture problem at the club that lead to inconsistency from supremely talented players. The thing that gets me is all of you calling him a soft front runner, despite the fact he is getting more contested possessions and clearances than players like Jones!

people slag him because he was part of that culture problem. Trav would play well on the days that he felt like it and would win contested possessions. And when he had a bad day he would not get a contested possession, lay a tackle etc etc.

Comparing Jones and Trav is ridiculous.

One uses limited gifts but plays AFL footy through willpower and determination, Trav is exactly the opposite.

The fact that Whelan, clearly at his best our best small defender, has not been able to break into the side again this week suggests that DB is intent on breaking that soft culture in his first year.

Chris Johnson has evidently played four blinders at Sandy before he could get back and it looks like Wheels will have to do likewise.

Two items on DB's KPI chart that might be marked done at year's end: Kids Blooded and New Culture Installed.

It's going to cost us now but it will be worth it.

Chris Johnson has evidently played four blinders at Sandy before he could get back and it looks like Wheels will have to do likewise.

How do you explain Dunn getting a game?

Cos I'm quite sure TJ would have told him to shove it. And it would not have had any affect upon TJ.

So Matthews has the respect that Daniher doesn't?

I don't know about that, as a coach you have to set the tone, and Daniher never really made an example of anyone when he definately needed to. Matthews didn't inherit a team with a good culture but he enforced it on the Lions. I reckon Daniher had the respect of the players enough to be strong with guys who needed a kick in the arse.

Travis is doing this year what he could have always been doing with us. Unfortunately he got to a point around 2003/2004 where he'd had his one good season with us and that bought him enough credits to get by with some poor performances by his standard.

Heard on 3AW yesterday that he's something like fourth in tackles, first in contested possessions (!) and second in total possessions or something like that. After round 1 or 2 he had a good/average game and Matthews threatened to drop him. Look at the results since.

I think a lot of people really underrate how good TJ was for us. He wasn't traded because of what he did on the field, but what he did off. Having said that, I do believe he under achieved with us.

He is NO BETTER at Brisbane. I don't know where this belief is coming from but TJ has had some good games, some match winning games, and some bad games this year...exactly what he did with us. There is no majical 'mathews factor'.

It is a culture problem at the club that lead to inconsistency from supremely talented players. The thing that gets me is all of you calling him a soft front runner, despite the fact he is getting more contested possessions and clearances than players like Jones!

And also, he had his worst game of the year today, but it was due to injury. You're all saying 'blah blah gets tagged and turns to sh*t', but fact is he copped an injury today and struggled to move properly all game. I actually went today, so if you didnt bother watching the game and are just assuming he got tagged and performed poorly, then you're a moron and part of the reason this place has turned to drivel this year.

Stop slagging him off, and start pointing the finger at someone who is actually performing poorly like Bruce or Bell etc.

If it was due to injury then why was playing at all? I think if Brisbane are using the injury as an excuse for poor form on the part of TJ then it really does confirm what we thought all along!

It was obvious he was injured. Kicked off his left when it usually wouldn't be necessary. I don't know why he was out there in the last quarter, he couldn't use his main weapon, I'd rather have a couple of younger kids run round.