CJ has struggled to break into a Melbourne side depleted by injury and heading for a bottom 3 finish. He's got into the side because TJ, Bruce, Green, Whelan & Bell are all out injured and Riley wants to play the youth. Playing for his career, he played a game Brent Grgic wouyld have been embarressed by. People have said he doesn't like Daniher and he's going to ask to be traded to West Coast. Well Daniher isn't around anymore and I doubt West Coast would even rookie list him. He'll play out the rest of the year purely because we have so many injuries, I hope he turns it around more than anyone but I am very doubtful.

Well if you saw him against the toiges in that prac match, you would have faith...

who are the people that said he didn't like daniher? and wanted to be traded to west coast

Had some shocking kicks yesterday and had some great ones.

Seemed to me to be nervous about playing his first game in ages. If left in the team for a couple of weeks I think he will show us how good he can be.

So every other footballer on the list gets weeks, months, years to prove themselves, but CJ doesn't?

I wonder what people would say about Buckley if his stats read 11 kicks, 2 handballs, 3 marks and 2 tackles? He actually had as much of the ball as McLean!

If he is still doing very little by the end of the season, then we can talk about trading/delisting him.

Until then, why don't we just wait and see what he can produce with a meaningful stretch of games under his belt.

who are the people that said he didn't like daniher? and wanted to be traded to west coast

I've read it repeatedly on Demonland & Demonology by posters claiming to be in the know.

CJ has struggled to break into a Melbourne side depleted by injury and heading for a bottom 3 finish. He's got into the side because TJ, Bruce, Green, Whelan & Bell are all out injured and Riley wants to play the youth. Playing for his career, he played a game Brent Grgic wouyld have been embarressed by. People have said he doesn't like Daniher and he's going to ask to be traded to West Coast. Well Daniher isn't around anymore and I doubt West Coast would even rookie list him. He'll play out the rest of the year purely because we have so many injuries, I hope he turns it around more than anyone but I am very doubtful.

One of CJ's best attributes is his kicking ability. Too many of our players, Ward, Brown, Godfrey, Holland etc, are shocking with their disposal. This alone should get him a run of games, something that Daniher did not give him. Confidence is hard to build, and almost impossible to construct when you are the first one out of the side. I remember seeing a Daniher interview just before the start of the season in which he was asked which Melbourne player was going to have a breakout year; he replied, without hesitation, Chris Johnson. Obviously the club think a lot of him; with our current situation we must play him for the rest of the year.

So every other footballer on the list gets weeks, months, years to prove themselves, but CJ doesn't?

I wonder what people would say about Buckley if his stats read 11 kicks, 2 handballs, 3 marks and 2 tackles? He actually had as much of the ball as McLean!

If he is still doing very little by the end of the season, then we can talk about trading/delisting him.

Until then, why don't we just wait and see what he can produce with a meaningful stretch of games under his belt.

I wrote he'll play out the year and hope more than anyone he comes good.

I'm not sure what this thread has to do with Buckly?

I wrote he'll play out the year and hope more than anyone he comes good.

I'm not sure what this thread has to do with Buckly?

The comparison with Buckley and McLean goes to show that we see what we want to see.

CJ was on par with both of these for possession, but he gets flamed.

His disposal yesterday was ordinary, which was disappointing because he is generally a very good kick. I'd like to see what he can produce with more game time and some confidence under his belt because I join the bashing

He was alright yesterday and grew a bit as the game went on, hopefully with more game time he'll continue to improve. But he deserves more of a chance that a lot of people are willing to see him get.

I went down the rooms after the match and noticed cj was sitting by himself, while the rest of the players were in several groups chatting amongst themselves. Felt a bit sorry for the kid all on his lonsome, until rivers came up and gave him someone to talk to.

The comparison with Buckley and McLean goes to show that we see what we want to see.

CJ was on par with both of these for possession, but he gets flamed.

His disposal yesterday was ordinary, which was disappointing because he is generally a very good kick. I'd like to see what he can produce with more game time and some confidence under his belt because I join the bashing

McLean already has alot of runs on the board and Buckley was playing his first game.

Kicking is the feature of Johnsons game. His foot skills were ordinary on Sunday. When someone does poorly at the main thing they are reputed to be good at their value to the team should be questioned.

But he deserves more of a chance that a lot of people are willing to see him get.

I completely agree with this......

He has been in and out of the side for a long while now but has never been given a extended run to try and gain form or confidence, which honestly must be shot given the amount of times he has been dropped (some would say scapegoated) after a loss or a slightly sub-par personal performance.

The thing is now should be the time to for him to be given every opportunity so we can see what he is actually capable of, as up until this point I am not convinced that any of us can make a truly informed opinion on what he can and can't achieve in this game given the fact he hasn't played enough to make that call.

He has been dropped and I'll be honest he has not really put his best foot forward, but as Jaded has said there have been plenty of players given a hell of a lot more chances that Chris and I would think that in the very least he deserves the same chance to make the grade as plenty of others have got.

And who knows what he may be able to achieve if he gains some confidence and someone shows some faith in his ability.

And lets not forget he has not played at this grade for quite some time and it would take some time to make that step up. I didn't think he was too bad yesterday. He didn't set the world on fire, but he was hardly useless, and definitely deserves better than some of the comments being thrown at him around here.

McLean already has alot of runs on the board and Buckley was playing his first game.

Kicking is the feature of Johnsons game. His foot skills were ordinary on Sunday. When someone does poorly at the main thing they are reputed to be good at their value to the team should be questioned.

This was CJ's 4th game for the season, and 17th career game.

How much more can we expect from him?

He had an off day with his kicking, probably nerves more than anything.

How many players in our side have played over 100 games and still can't hit a target?

He had an off day with his kicking, probably nerves more than anything.

How many players in our side have played over 100 games and still can't hit a target?

Plenty, the difference is they put their head over the ball and display courage.

I would not write CJ off too soon. We have another seven games for him to be trialled. He needs to perform let give him a chance.

More importantly, it will be one of the projects for the new coach to work with. Barring a good trade deal, he will be persevered with.

Until then, why don't we just wait and see what he can produce with a meaningful stretch of games under his belt.

Unfortunately patience is a very rare virtue.....

Generally, we as supporters don't like it if we have to have to wait and see on a kid.

We seem to always expect immediate results and if someone doesnt come up to our expectations in our time frame we have a horrible tendency to write them off without any thought. The thing that tends not to be factored in here is that everyone is human and therefore different (yep, even footballers), and some need more time, opportunities, confidence, training, age, and experience to develop than others.

That doesn't automatically make them useless now, or a waste in the future, no matter what we seem to unfortunately assume.

He had an off day with his kicking

Unfortunetly thats the same old story with CJ.

Unfortunetly thats the same old story with CJ.

It's a disgrace that the kid hasn't won a Brownlow in his 17 matches!

Unfortunetly thats the same old story with CJ.

"Same old story", good grief........

Seriouly, that must be a very short read, given he has barely played.

Seventeen games seems to be way too soon to dismiss anyone out of hand with any kind of authority IMO).

Lets give him the year to try to make an impact before we completely beat him up, shall we :angry: !!!

This was CJ's 4th game for the season, and 17th career game.

This is also his 4th season. should've consolidated his position by now.

i haven't written him off but It's sHT or bust.

Well if you saw him against the toiges in that prac match, you would have faith...

I saw him that day.

He was awesome.

I don't have much faith in him.

So your point is?

He should have done more with his time so far. Not giving up yet, but he's been trying my patience.

Look, I hope CJ makes it

I really do

I have chatted to him out on the town (the night of Sandringhams 3peat), he is a top bloke

But right now, you would have to say he is struggling at AFL level and may not make it

I met CJ in his first or second season at the club and he was a great guy and have been following his footy career fairly closely since then and i have to say he was very disappointing Sunday. His kicking is supposed to be a strength of his game but yesterday it was terrible - he would have been lucky to have hit the side of a barn with a couple of his kicks.

He's been at the club 4 years now and you'd have to say that this would be his last season if he doesn't show something more. Hopefully, he comes on in leaps and bounds in the remaining 8 games and secures a spot and can add something to the side, but at the moment i think its bye bye Chris at the end of the year

Although im not convinced about CJ, i think we need to play him for the rest of the year. Allow him to have a few games on the trot and see if he can deliver in some. I personally see no point in delisting him at years end, just give him 1 more year and after that decide. Hes not worth anything thats for sure so keep him till end of 2008

according to this website these players will be delisted at end of season

Chris Johnson, Daniel Ward, Nathan Brown, Paul Wheatley, Ben Holland, Clint Bizzell, Ryan Ferguson, Heath Neville, Byron Pickett.

And Miller, Green, Jamar, Bruce will all be traded.

Thats 13 players.

People here need to get realistic. We will need to Delist 4 players to compete in the draft.

Chris Johnson will not be one of the ones to go.