MJ leaves with class

swoodley · Post by **swoodley** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:36 pm

Good article from the hun....MJ could teach Kouta a few things about how to leave with class

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/ ... 42,00.html

Bomber Mark Johnson fit as fiddle
27 October 2007 Herald Sun
Scott Gullan

THERE is no bitterness, no anger and not even a bad word to say about his old club. Instead, Mark Johnson is focusing all his energies on the future.

"I have always lived my life, that when one door shuts another window opens," Johnson said.

Speaking for the first time since his shock axing from Essendon, Johnson said he believes he has two quality years of AFL football left in him.

"I thought personally I had more to give to Essendon as a player and as a person. But it's not to be so I'm hoping someone else is out there, another coach who believes that I have got something more to give and I am more than willing to give it," he said.

Johnson reels off a series of statistics to prove that while he may be 29 and played 194 games, he is physically at the peak of his career.

His fitness times this year included a 15.2 beep test, 10min 53sec for a 3.2km time trial and 2.89sec for a 20m sprint which placed him in the elite group at Windy Hill.

"This year I had my best testing results ever, I was the fittest I have ever been," he said. "The year we had at the club was just a nothing sort of a year.

"And it just happened to be my last year of contract which didn't work in my favour, but fitness-wise I have got all these personal bests so hopefully people can see into that."

Johnson admits he didn't see the axe coming his way and was actually looking forward to working with new coach Matthew Knights.

Knights went around to Johnson's house just after his appointment to explain face-to-face how the rugged defender wasn't in his plans.

"As soon as I heard it, I just started thinking what can I do now," he said. "There was no point getting upset, they had made up their mind and I respected their decision, I didn't agree with it but I shook his hand because he had done it the right way."

Johnson was in Croatia on holiday with his brother, David, who plays for Geelong, visiting family when he got the call from Knights to confirm that he was gone and that the Bombers had been unable to organise a trade.

"I have had a lot of time to think about it which was probably a good thing about being overseas," he said.

"I really can't be angry at the club because at the end of the day I've got 200-odd games where no-one really thought I was going to get that.

"They gave me a chance, a premiership, a best-and-fairest and a runner-up. At the end of the day I know I am a better person leaving the place than I was when I first got there.

"It would have been nice leaving on better terms, but I am better for the journey."

He admitted to being overwhelmed by the number of text messages and phone calls he received while overseas when the news of his axing became public.

"The messages I was getting from my friends and family, some of the text messages I didn't even know what to say, and for me that is something," Johnson said.

"Some of the messages were just amazing. It's only until these sorts of things happen that you find out what people really think about you.

"So out of a negative thing, some positive things have really been happening. It's nice to hear that but I wish it didn't have to be at this expense."

Johnson then breaks out in a big smile and continues: "But that's the way the Urban Deli cookie crumbles."

Urban Deli, on the corner of Exhibition and Bourke St, is where Johnson has spent most of the past 48 hours since he returned from overseas.

He is a part-owner of the business and has been required due to a staff shortage to man the coffee machine.

"It's been busy which has been good, but I'm now ready to get out there and talk to anyone," he said.

keri · Post by **keri** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:53 pm

Nice one MJ.

gringo · Post by **gringo** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:08 pm

Yes, good article. He has certainly mellowed over the years. I'm not entirely happy he's going. We are going to miss his hardness.

In regards to Kouta, it's purely a publicity stunt to sell his book. It's a well rehearsed formula – a retiring sports star writes their biography, and a few days prior to the book being released, they highlight some explosive claims that have been made in the book and send a media release to anyone that will take one. It's just free advertising.

robrulz5 · Post by **robrulz5** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:47 pm

Well done MJ.

sash · Post by **sash** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:04 pm

great work there MJ, champion response.

billyduckworth · Post by **billyduckworth** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:48 pm

The man has style.

swoodley · Post by **swoodley** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:59 pm

gringo wrote:Yes, good article. He has certainly mellowed over the years. I'm not entirely happy he's going. We are going to miss his hardness.

In regards to Kouta, it's purely a publicity stunt to sell his book. It's a well rehearsed formula – a retiring sports star writes their biography, and a few days prior to the book being released, they highlight some explosive claims that have been made in the book and send a media release to anyone that will take one. It's just free advertising.

I agree with the idea of it being a publicity stunt but it still shows a lack of class and the response in the media has generally been quite negative towards him.

His quote about not being able to approach Pagan even though he was captain...what sort of leader is that?

jimmyc1985 · Post by **jimmyc1985** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:47 pm

swoodley wrote:His quote about not being able to approach Pagan even though he was captain...what sort of leader is that?

A leader with the brain capacity of Anthony Koutoufides. As Rosso said, the guy now spends his time putting meat, garlic sauce and a few garden vegetables in a piece of bread.

Every time a guy like Kouta opens his mouth, it makes you realise how lucky we were to have Hird as the spokesperson for the playing group for the best part of a decade.

Post by **Megan** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:04 pm

Champion effort by MJ. Respect.

We do manage to send most guys off the right way.

Post by **Jazz_84** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:45 pm

good to hear, glad he is taking the positives away from all this, and i hope to see him at another team next year

Windy_Hill · Post by **Windy_Hill** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 3:47 am

I think you may well see him back in red and black after the PSD

BenDoolan · Post by **BenDoolan** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:11 am

Windy_Hill wrote:I think you may well see him back in red and black after the PSD

Yeah, there's a good possibility.

keri · Post by **keri** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:12 am

Really? Interesting...

Post by **Jazz_84** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:05 am

oh yeah i never thought of that........ would play a fair bit of footy for Bendigo you'd think

Madden · Post by **Madden** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:00 pm

BenDoolan wrote:
Windy_Hill wrote:I think you may well see him back in red and black after the PSD
Yeah, there's a good possibility.

Not after the VFL elimination final there isn't. Don't think Knights is his biggest fan.

BenDoolan · Post by **BenDoolan** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:15 pm

Staggy wrote:
BenDoolan wrote:
Windy_Hill wrote:I think you may well see him back in red and black after the PSD
Yeah, there's a good possibility.
Not after the VFL elimination final there isn't. Don't think Knights is his biggest fan.

If there's nothing worthwhile in the PSD, he is likely to be picked up again.

Madden · Post by **Madden** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:21 pm

Wanna bet on it?

I like MJ, wouldn't be opposed to picking him up again. But Knights was disgusted with his dummy-spitting performance in that final.

Would have thought we would be more likely to pick up some kid in the PSD than MJ. Knights is focused on youth, wouldn't have thought he would change that focus at the first available opportunity...

rama_fan · Post by **rama_fan** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:24 pm

Also I'd think that Knights would hate to be seen as publicly making a mistake or even changing his mind before he has even coached a game.

As Staggy said there's always an untried youngster that can be taken instead either in the National Draft or later on in the pre-season draftr.