In recent weeks the Bombers have suffered a run of injuries that would have devastated most sides. The mid-field and small forward departments have been ravaged by injury. But the Bombers have managed to cover the recent battle with injury with seemingly little or no fuss. Damien Peverill, Cory McGrath, Rob Foster-Knight and Mark Bolton have been some of the names to step in and take up the slack. The common thread with each of these players is that they have had a solid grounding in reserve grade football before stepping into senior ranks. Reserves football can be a tough and frustrating school but it is a necessary and useful one judging by the performances of these players in recent weeks. Star Essendon mid-fielder Jason Johnson is another player reaping the rewards of getting to senior football the hard way.

This Saturday night at the Gabba, Jason Johnson will run out to play his 50th senior game for the Bombers. It isn't a major milestone but nonetheless a significant one for Johnson who did a long apprenticeship in the Essendon reserves. Johnson made his senior debut in 1997 but it wasn't until last season that he firmly established himself as a regular senior player. He had a brilliant season and his improvement was one of the keys to the club's premiership victory.

""It took me a while to really establish myself and I must have played in excess of 50 games in the reserves,"" Johnson said. ""That can be frustrating and I suppose anyone who spends that long in the reserves can start to wonder if they are on the right track but the coaches just kept encouraging me and finally things fell into place.""

""Looking back on it, it might not have been a bad thing to spend a bit of time in the reserves,"" Johnson said. ""Some players can just walk straight into AFL football but I wasn't one of those. I learned a lot in the reserves and you know you have to keep doing the right things to get a game in the seniors. I suppose you are continually re-inforcing things so that when you play senior football they come naturally.""

Johnson has been sensational for the Bombers since establishing himself in the senior side. He has given the side some real hardness around the football and his fearless style has created chances for those around him. With Joe Misiti and some other senior on-ballers missing he has taken it upon himself to set the tone in the middle and he has done it well. Last weekend against Hawthorn, Johnson hit the first centre bounce running, collected the ball, drove it deep into the forward line and a goal resulted. It has been typical Johnson of the past season and a half.

""You learn where to run after rucking to someone for a while and Barnesy (John Barnes) and I have a pretty good understanding. Joey (Joe Misiti) has helped a lot as well - he just knows how to find the footy and has helped me with that as well,"" Johnson said. ""It can be a bit harder when you don't have the regular mid-fielders around and I think that was the case in the pre-season. But we are working okay at the moment - Pev (Damien Peverill) has been doing a great job, it's like he is a 100-game player.""

Johnson is still young in terms of AFL football and at 23 years of age still has a lot of football ahead of him. But he has worked too hard to get where he has to think he can just turn up and play each week. ""The minute you drop off someone else will come along and take your spot - especially at Essendon right now. There are a lot of players to come back and those who have come into the side are playing well. It keeps those who have been in the side for a while pretty honest,"" Johnson said.

They don't come more honest than Jason Johnson. What you see is what you get. A player who loves it hard and tough, a player who happily puts his body where others might think twice. ""I'm really enjoying footy at the moment and it is a really challenging time for the club at the moment,"" Johnson said. ""I'll just keep trying to do my bit - if everyone can contribute we will keep making it hard for other sides.""