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Live sport on SN this weekend"Wicks dominated him" | Brad Johnson's "Worried Ladder" after Opening Round
Sam Watson • March 10th, 2025 11:55 pm
Brad Johnson has revealed his second edition of the “Worried Ladder” after Opening Round and he’s got a few concerns about some of the game’s biggest names.
The first name on his list was Hawthorn small forward Nick Watson, who was held to just four touches by Sydney’s Sam Wicks in the Hawks’ 20-point win on Friday night.
This guy can be a genuine star of the competition… But he's run to the back of the contest more often than not. And he did in the preseason game, and he did again on the weekend,” Johnson said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“He's just got to now adjust his positioning a little bit as a small forward. And I think you'll see him start to be actively more involved in the game.
“Wicks dominated him, and I think he'd love that opportunity again later on in the year… I can't see Wicks beating him again because I hope he learns a fair bit from the weekend.”
Staying with the Friday night encounter, Johnson also shared his fears for Swans veteran Taylor Adams, who suffered a hamstring injury in the last quarter at the SCG.
“It's another hammy, and it's the first round. And I’ve loved his career, and I loved the way he's played. But ultimately, he's just starting to string now together these soft tissue injuries regularly,” he said.
“I hope he gets on top of them. I really do, but ultimately, there's just that worry aspect now to whether he's going to be able to overcome the soft tissues to be able to play 15 to 16 games this year.”
Sportsday host Gerard Healy was also left disappointed from young Swan Angus Sheldrick’s game but opted from leaving him off Johnson’s “Worried Ladder”.
“He got an opportunity… he just fumbled and bumbled and just didn't have an impact on the weekend,” Healy said.
“He'll be lucky to hold his spot - I hope he does and gets another opportunity, because he's a high draft pick, but he's got to make his mark now.
“You don't get continually get spots… there's others on the outside that will be looking for his spot. So, he'll be nervous until selection, I reckon.”
And lastly, Johnson had the AFL’s ‘Opening Round’ fixture among his key worries from the weekend.
“I didn't like it last year, to be honest, and I didn't like the second bye aspect to it last year. I think that's where the real advantage sort of comes in,” Johnson said.
You can listen to the “Worried Ladder” with Brad Johnson below.
