2013 reviews: Johnson, Murdoch, Duncan
Geelong's assistant coach Dale Amos gives a season review on Johnson, Murdoch and Duncan
Steve Johnson
Despite missing six games for the season Johnson still managed to finish with the seventh highest disposal average in the AFL with a delivery of 28.7 touches per game. The skillful midfielder also completed the season with an average of 5.7 marks and 3.1 stoppages per game plus a total of 25 Brownlow votes. In round 16 against Melbourne Johnson executed a career best performance with 38 disposals and 15 clearances including an impressive number of eight tackles. He also led the way with four goals and 32 touches against the Hawks in the Preliminary Final but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to push the Cats over the line. Overall, the 30-year-old veteran had another outstanding year.
Amos' review:
Stevie's year had a bit of everything. The suspensions were frustrating for him and for everyone else, but his best performances were as good as anyone else in the competition. He played more as a midfielder than he had ever before, and he was very influential in a lot of games. As we saw from his finish in the Brownlow Medal, playing in the midfield has been really good for him. He's become one of the elite midfielders in the competition, and I would think he'll be even better in that role next year. He's physically gifted with his endurance capacity. Later in the season he also went forward a few times and kicked some goals, so that part of his game remains critical to our team.
Jordan Murdoch
The 21-year-old debutant from last year joined the Cats senior list for 11 matches this year, which pushed him to a career total of 19 AFL games. He displayed absolute brilliance in Geelong’s rivalry clash against the Hawks in round 15, after kicking three goals, 17 disposals and four tackles. The young forward also played a pivotal role in Geelong’s VFL side when he wasn’t required in the ones. In the seconds Murdoch averaged 9.8 efficient disposals, 3.9 marks, 4.8 tackles and for the season he delivered 17 goals.
Amos' review:
Finished the year relatively strongly, with a good performance in the preliminary final against Hawthorn. He showed some really good signs, using his speed and running ability. At times he even played as a bit of a marking forward and kicked goals in big games. He certainly wasn't daunted by the big occasions, as he showed when he kicked some crucial goals against Hawthorn in round 15. Played exceptionally well in the VFL late in the season, which gave us no option but to play him in the prelim. He's demonstrated that he's got the ability to play at the highest level, now he needs to start doing it week in week out.
Mitch Duncan
This year Duncan, who played every game for the season including finals, produced another exciting year. The 22-year-old was never far away from the ball, finishing with an impressive average of 21 disposals per game. Duncan also took to the stage with stronger hands and came away with 39 more marks than his last year’s end of season total. In round 6 against Richmond he made a career best of 11 marks and 11 rounds later he set it again after taking 12 marks against St Kilda. He completed the year with 77 inside 50s, 72 tackles and 14 goals.
Amos' review:
Very similar to Allen Christsensen in that he had a good year and was outstanding in patches. He's still working on his consistency week in week out, which he's struggled with at times, but he's really starting to influence games. He played a few different roles this season. He played as an inside midfielder a bit more, and he also played as a defender a little bit later in the year. He is a key part of the evolution of our team, driving the group forward and becoming a leader. He's taken big steps in recent times, and we hope he can take himself to the next level as a midfielder.