2003
Johnson produced exactly what Essendon supporters have come to expect from him - in and under and winning the hard football. Having said that, Johnson did spend a bit more time playing ""outside"" and running with the football in 2003. This freedom would have done him the world of good both mentally and physically. The added depth to Essendon midfield will ease the burden on him in 2004.
STRENGTHS
Johnson’s aggression at the ball and any opposition player makes him one of the toughest players in the competition. With sheer strength he can burst through tackles and cut open packs. Johnson has greatly improved his endurance over the last few seasons and can easily play an entire game in the centre at a high intensity. Johnson rarely wastes a possession and will always be there to back-up his teammates.
POSITION
Johnson will be used in the mid-field again this season and will have good support from fellow mid-fielders Mark Johnson, Dean Rioli, James Hird and Joe Misiti. The injection of youth into the centre of Marc Bullen and Jason Winderlich and the return of Adam Ramanauskas, will ensure the Bombers mid-field will be healthy in 2004. Johnson will continue to be used in an attacking role and will be looked upon to provide more goal scoring power up forward.
2004
Johnson is one of the premier mid-fielders in the competition and is highly regarded at Essendon. His leadership capabilities were recognised earlier this year when he was appointed deputy vice captain. His ability to win the hard ball out of the centre is critical to the Bombers success this season. At 26-years Johnson still has a lot of football left in him and hopefully he can provide more goal scoring power this season.
WHAT SHEEDY SAYS
Jason is a player that has been really consistent and he is a really dedicated player. He still has areas of his game that he needs to keep working on. He can be a really good goal kicker for us. If you had a good video of Jack Clarke and how he used the ball – then that is Jason’s next step to win another best and fairest and to be put up there with the champions of Essendon. His dedication is going to get him there because his dedication of being a fitness fanatic has already got him to the top. He just needs to fine tune it now. I would love to see him in on-ball rotations with 30 goals in the forward line.
