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Dion Johnstone

Red and Blue Flame
Red and Blue Flame
in Melbourne Demons

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Posted

Would be interested to know from someone who has watched Casey this year as to how he is going.

Hard to crack into the side with so many good pressure players.

With minimum of 4 list changes, he is in the firing line. But highly rated small forward when drafted to us. Would be prepared to give him another year over people like JKH. 

 

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    7 minutes ago, Red and Blue Flame said:

    Would be interested to know from someone who has watched Casey this year as to how he is going.

    Hard to crack into the side with so many good pressure players.

    With minimum of 4 list changes, he is in the firing line. But highly rated small forward when drafted to us. Would be prepared to give him another year over people like JKH. 

     

    Not sure if he was a "highly rated small forward" didn't make any of the vic squads nor was he in many experts phantom drafts. Bit of a smoky really.

    Played small forward all year last year and kicked something like 3 goals. Pretty dismal effort.. wasn't getting a touch earlier on the year and then was moved down back and has been handy without starring.

    Personally i dont rate him at all and would delist. If we're looking for a lock down running defender then Jay Lockart goes alright. 

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    He’s now playing as a back pocket and has been going ok.  Hes hard at it and kicks well off both sides.  The query is is he nimble enough to control good AFL small forwards and nimble enough to break away from traffic to distribute the ball.  

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    He is playing well in the back pocket and starting to be more attacking. Could see a rookie list position (maybe), but he is behind Lever, Hunt, Smith and Wagner to come into the backline - so possibly he might also look elsewhere for opporuntities as well? What I do love is every time someone got selected for their first game this year he was always in the video hugging them. Seems like a great team man. 

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    Be honest re Johnstone (and the same applies for King & Filipovic as well) - if he wasn't on our list already, there is nobody on the planet who would be advocating that he be recruited based on his performances over the past two years. If he is not good enough to be drafted in November, why would you offer him a new contract? Time to cut our losses and give someone else a go.

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    I want his to stay. he has pace skills and agility but lack self belief.   thats growing now in def3ence.

    To me, his ticket isn't ending, but is just beginning.  Self belief is a maker or breaker and you cannot judge someones ability until after they felt that self belief.  Only then can you see a true image of ability.

     

    He has, what we are short of.  Keeper, for at least another year.

     

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    Have been to several Casey games over the past 2 years and given his form in the 2nd half of the year since being shifted to defence, he's a retain for me on a 1 year extension.

    We've got Balic & Vince already retired with Pedersen likely to follow suit. Filipovic & King are in the delist basket ahead of Dion, plus throw in Bugg who will likely seek opportunities elsewhere and Garlett who may get traded out, I see value in an extra year for Dion.

    Lets not forget we're coming into this draft late. Keep for me, with a huge 2019 required.

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    24 minutes ago, poita said:

    Be honest re Johnstone (and the same applies for King & Filipovic as well) - if he wasn't on our list already, there is nobody on the planet who would be advocating that he be recruited based on his performances over the past two years. If he is not good enough to be drafted in November, why would you offer him a new contract? Time to cut our losses and give someone else a go.

    I think that would be fair based on what his performances were as a pressure forward, but since moving to defence he has become a more interesting prospect and definitely not as automatic a delist option as he once was.

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    It took 3 years for Weideman to come of age. Cut Dion some slack!

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    The only time I have really noticed him were the last couple of games against Willy and Geelong. Won't be a problem if they let him go.

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    13 minutes ago, Thehardtackler said:

    It took 3 years for Weideman to come of age. Cut Dion some slack!

    This is like when Jamar was pox for six years, came good for a couple of seasons and now we can never write ruckmen off until they're about 27.

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    De-list for mine from what i've seen of him at Casey this year

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    Hasn't done a lot at Casey but lock down back pockets who have clean skills so don't turn the ball over aren't easy to find.

    I really like Lockhart from Casey but I think he's more of a rebounding flanker. I'd love to get him in the 3rd round of the draft but I don't think that means much for Dion.

    I think it comes down to the coaches evaluations about whether DJ can be a Jetta like player in a couple of years. Nev seems to be teaching him. He has neat skills, he has decent athleticism. I assume he's coachable and professional. If that's the case I'd probably give him another year. 

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    1 hour ago, Thehardtackler said:

    It took 3 years for Weideman to come of age. Cut Dion some slack!

    It took Spargo none.

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    Maturity is not consistent! 

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    Based purely on his playing record he would appear to be a definite delist.

    BUT

    Nev seems to have taken him under his wing hoping that, like Nev himself, a failed small forward can become a top small defender.  It sounds as if he is a work in progress in the role, so if there is no pressing need for list places, given our draft numbers, and if the footy department genuinely feel that he could have a resurrection like the once delisted Nev had, then will probably be retained in some capacity.

    Edited by monoccular

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    5 hours ago, jnrmac said:

    It took Spargo none.

    Different players, different size etc. Guys like Weidemann will always take longer...

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    31 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    Delist then re-rookie imo

    This makes sense.

    No risk of another team picking him up.

    Two years of development invested and groomed to play the specialist small defender role where you can’t afford to just rest a midfielder.

    Nev Jetta only has a few years left.

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    I think he's a definite keep. His second half of the year has seen him come along really well.

    He will take over from Nev in two years.

    Anyway I would think we will only want to pick up two or three kids and maybe one or two rookies this trade period. Our list is in great shape.

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    1 hour ago, Mach5 said:

    Relevance?

     

    1 hour ago, dieter said:

    Different players, different size etc. Guys like Weidemann will always take longer...

    I wasn't comparing DJ to Weideman. Spargo is a simlar size to DJ if you need it spelled out. Spargo has impacted in his first year DJ looks nowhere near it and coming to the end of his first contract.

    Its not that hard.

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    5 hours ago, monoccular said:

    Based purely on his playing record he would appear to be a definite delist.

    BUT

    Nev seems to have taken him under his wing hoping that, like Nev himself, a failed small forward can become a top small defender.  It sounds as if he is a work in progress in the role, so if there is no pressing need for list places, given our draft numbers, and if the footy department genuinely feel that he could have a resurrection like the once delisted Nev had, then will probably be retained in some capacity.

    Don't right him off as a forward just yet Mono.  Self-belief & confidence  do wonders for kids, and especially small Indig' kids.

    Lets let him grow and develop, then we will work out where he can play.

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