""We probably have the best depth in the midfield that we have had since 2000. With guys like Murphy and Alvey in the team, we are looking forward to them taking a big part in the midfield. Murphy hasn't missed a beat in the pre-season and Alvey has just come into the side after his knee construction last season,"" Johnson said.
Similar to Murphy, Johnson also hasn't missed a beat this pre-season. He has hit the track hard and with four games under his belt, is starting to run into some match fitness. ""I have put together a pretty good pre-season, so hopefully it holds me in good stead for the rest of the year,"" he said.
""Once you get to March you realise it is only one month away. I would like to get straight into the season this week, but I suppose it is good to be able to kick back for the weekend. It is the only weekend we will get off for the rest of the season. I will be relaxing and waiting to head across the Adelaide,"" Johnson said.
It is no secret the Bombers interstate record in recent years hasn’t been good. Johnson believes after recent wins on the road against Fremantle, the team is assured of their ability to perform interstate. ""We take a lot of confidence out of the Fremantle game this year and last year’s final. We went up to Darwin and beat a pretty good Fremantle side. We are pretty confident we have got things right at the moment with our travelling.""
""The more times you travel the more times you get used to it. Especially for the younger guys who haven't been around for that long and they need to know what it is like to travel and get out of their comfort zone,"" he said.
The injury list at Essendon has grown in recent weeks and although it is not ideal, Johnson said it is not as bad as it looks. ""The injury list is not great, but they are only two to three week injuries. None of them are long term injuries. We are actually in a lot better position than we have been in recent years - we have probably done our best pre-season in three or four years. We are quite confident that we can win the first two games and then get everyone back from there.""
In the absence of James Hird and Matthew Lloyd last Saturday in the practice match and joint deputy vice-captain Mark Johnson also remaining in Melbourne, Johnson captained the side for the first time. Despite the game only being a practice match, it was a good opportunity for Johnson to put his leadership skills into full force, considering the squad was practically an under-23 side.
""We took a lot of young kids up to Newcastle, which gave them some extra experience. We were happy with the endeavor of some of the guys and it will hold them in good stead if they get an opportunity this year."" Johnson has been particularly impressed with the form of draftees Kepler Bradley and Brent Stanton. Both the youngsters have contributed well in the pre-season matches.
""Kepler has looked pretty promising in the Wizard Cup and also Brent Stanton is a good chance for Round 1 as well. Hopefully one of those guys can step up this year because we do need a couple of young guys to play well to go that bit further than last year,"" Johnson said.
