Steve Johnson sparks a strong response from his Eagles after half time against St Joseph’s

Steve Johnson’s first half in charge of Newtown & Chilwell couldn’t have presented a bigger challenge. We go inside the decisions he made and his coaching style.

Newtown & Chilwell coach Steve Johnson speaks to his charges at a break. Picture: Mark Wilson

Down by 57 points at half time after a first term of wasted opportunities and a shocker of a second, all eyes were on Steve Johnson’s Newtown & Chilwell for a response.

In the first fixture under Johnson’s stewardship after two season with the Yarrawonga Pigeons in the Ovens & Murray, the Eagles had blown midfield dominance in the opening stanza against last year’s minor premiers St Joseph’s.

The Towners were unable to provide the “finishing touches”, the 2007 Norm Smith medallist calmly but firmly put it at quarter time at Elderslie Reserve.

It took until the 12th minute for the home team to register their first score through a behind as their haphazard forward entries resembled Melbourne’s against Geelong on Friday night.

For the visitors, Max McLachlan had pace to burn while Joel Edwards had a presence forward of the ball.

Newtown & Chilwell coach Steve Johnson was extremely communicative with his players. Picture: Mark Wilson

Perhaps looking to have a big impact from the get-go, Johnson was particularly vocal from the elevated coaches box at Elderslie Reserve in the first quarter – an unmistakable thump of a fist on the back of the box emanated after another Eagles error.

The inside 50 count would have been awfully lopsided in Newtown’s favour but it took until the 29th minute for the home team to score their first six-pointer through Liam Nash via a string of handballs.

With the word “communication” underlined on an Eagles assistant’s white board, Johnson lived that ethos to a tee, having a one-on-one with Rory Diamond shortly after the siren sounded to conclude the first term.

Steve Johnson has a chat with Rory Diamond at quarter time. Picture: Mark Wilson

Later, in the huddle, the three-time AFL premiership player demanded better contests from his talls, the Eagles to be smarter with ball in hand and make better decisions and its defensive unit to exit quicker, believing it had looked “vulnerable” at times.

“We’ve dominated play apart from our entries,” Johnson said.

“We just need those final touches.”

Joeys had rarely gone inside 50 in the opening quarter but made each entry count, kicking two majors from fine boundary line set shots from Oscar Morrison and Jack Mullen into the breeze.

It was a bit quieter up in the Towners box in the second quarter, with Johnson preferring to let his actions speak louder; decisively removing forward Jedd Coburn from the ground after being out-marked in the first minute of play.

“Get the kid off,” Johnson barked.

Johnson coached his first game of GFNL footy alongside his former Cats teammate David Wojcinski. Picture: Mark Wilson

Coburn was met on the boundary by his coach for another robust consultation.

Meanwhile, Diamond was also dragged not long after, as Johnson demanded his defence to be “tighter and harder” while routinely probing, or encouraging, his players about their choices on the field and their positioning.

It was a quarter littered with Eagles turnovers in its forward half, often created by some fantastic Joeys pressure, with the visitors pouncing on loose balls to score coast-to-coast majors.

Newtown’s Charlie Byrne shared his coach’s frustrations, pointing to a lack of voice in defence as he came from the field.

“It’s like a library back there, not a squeak,” Byrne said with growing frustration.

Newtown & Chilwell was down 72-15 at the main break and an anticlimactic feeling hung over Elderslie Reserve.

However, the Eagles would eventually show Johnson he had something to work with this season, outscoring Joeys, who went through the 2024 regular season undefeated, 8.4 to 4.6 after half time.

Joel O’Dwyer and Ben Pennisi fight for the ball. Picture: Mark Wilson

Three-goal forward Mitch Dodos stood out for his ability to take a mark in attacking 50 while ruckman Cameron Wilkinson appeared to be hampered by a groin issue late in the game.

At the final break, and kicking into the wind, Johnson refused to retreat and put a spare behind the ball to preserve respectability on the scoreboard.

Instead, he celebrated “the little things”, the one per centers, that had highlighted a spirited third term response from the Eagles.

“(They’re) important to the team,” Johnson said.

Newtown & Chilwell coach Steve Johnson. Picture: Mark Wilson

“It’s been a really good response (after half time) … we’ve got a better contest in the air. “Some really good individual efforts.

“We may not win this game but we’re going to have a crack aren’t we?”

Heading back to the coaches box, Johnson quipped to a sidelined Eagle who appeared desperate to be taking part.

“Do you feel like being out there?” Johnson asked, which brought a grin.

After a disappointing first half, it looks like Johnson is able to provoke a sufficient response in his new team.

The Eagles gathered in the middle after the final siren for a quick debrief — there was plenty to mull over.

Post-match, Eagles assistant and Johnson’s premiership teammate David Wojcinski said Johnson had asked his players for a response at half time.

“It probably could have gone two ways,” Wojcinski said.

“Joeys could have really opened us up and blown us out, or show a bit of character, come back and have a bit of a crack.”

Originally published as Steve Johnson sparks a strong response from his Eagles after half time against St Joseph’s