GWS co-captain Phil Davis has taken a swipe at Steve Johnson’s critics, defending the veteran recruit after he was labelled “selfish” by football commentators.

Davis hit back on Monday morning, saying Johnson’s talent entitled him to take shots other players would only dream about.

“One thing about Stevie is that he’s a special player, one in a million in terms of his ability,” Davis told Fox Sports News 500.

“You’ve got to give a certain amount of license, but at the same time if there’s the possibility to give the ball to someone in a better position you’ve got to do it.

Round 18

“But I think the great thing about Stevie is the ability to do something that no one else can. I don’t think you want to take that away from him.”

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Davis’ comments came after dual North Melbourne premiership player David King said the GWS forward line was becoming too egotistical.

“I think the GWS Giants have the most selfish forward line in the competition,” King told On the Couch.

“It starts at the top and Stevie J has been taken up there to show these guys how to win — not necessarily to kick 50 goals.

“They have to get back to the drawing board and say the team kicks the goal, not the individual.”

King focused specifically on GWS’ two-point loss to Melbourne on Saturday, in which the veteran booted two goals and two behinds among 23 disposals.

Not that Johnson was any more culpable than his young teammates, according to King — only that as the eldest statesman, he should be setting a better example.

“It was borderline arrogant on the weekend with some of the opportunities they took and burnt their teammates,” he said.

“It cost them in the end. They kicked 10 goals and 18 behinds. Two of them were rushed so they missed 16 opportunities. There were some set shots in there.”

Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy echoed King’s stinging criticism, indicating the Giants’ problems have reverberated from a poor 2015 season.

“I think it’s an issue from last year,” Healy said.

“I don’t think they addressed it well enough last year. It’s an issue for Leon Cameron and their group.

“These are kids that have been doing this without making solid rules. It’s haunted them and (on the weekend) it cost them four points.”

Steve Johnson. (AAP Image/Julian Smith). Source: AAP

Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall agreed with his Fox Footy colleagues.

“To me this (selfishness) reflects the way they play the game,” Dunstall said.

“There are a lot of talented players and I really like a lot of them, but they don’t want to do the hard things to get the job done. They want to play pretty footy. They want to play the fast, free-flowing (style) and get on the end of it.

“They don’t want to tackle. They are a poor tackling and pressuring team.”

Later on Monday night, Essendon great Matthew Lloyd weighed into Johnson’s performance, while Footy Classified host Craig Hutchison even queried his position in the side.

Speaking over footage of the veteran kicked a ball out on the full, Lloyd was direct in his criticism of Johnson.

“These are young kids that are trying to be taught the right way,” Lloyd told Footy Classified.

“Stevie wants to coach this mob. Look at Scully out the back — that (should be) a give to someone in space.

“Players were throwing their hands up in the air saying ‘c’mon Steve, you have to give those handballs. It will be a concern if he continues to go down that track.”

The Age journalist Caroline Wilson said Johnson’s teammates weren’t much better.

“There were a couple of instances where young teammates were selfish around goal,” Wilson told Footy Classified.

“This is a bloke (Johnson) who has been brought in to be the mature one and teach them. I’d be really disappointed with him.”

On the Couch

HAWTHORN great Jason Dunstall says the AFL deserves credit for bringing excitement and goals back to football.

“To be brutally honest, We’ve got to take our hats off to the AFL,” Dunstall said.

“The rules they’ve implemented have definitely worked.

“You see a natural copying of what the best teams are doing, which has been assisted by the ten metre protected area. It’s allowed teams to play the Hawthorn style.”

From a nine game sample size, already the stats indicate a clear shift towards attacking football, explained Jonathan Brown.

In Round 1 2016, there were more inside 50s, less stoppages and more goals than the 2015 average.

The 1748 points scored from Thursday to Monday is 19th on the list of highest scoring rounds, with Round 3, 2013 the record (1904 points).

“The game has delivered,” Brown said.

“There was some growing excitement over the pre season with the new rules — that it was going to lead to this high scoring nature and less congestion. It looks like it will continue looking at the numbers.”

BROWN was also complimentary of Bulldogs forward Jake Stringer, who the former Lions great suggested has the potential to kick 100 goals in a season.

“There are Kennedy, Franklin and probably Jake Stringer,” Brown said.

“They are three guys that can make 100.”

Dunstall went as far as comparing Stringer to Gary Ablett Snr.

EARLIER in the episode, injured Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead was asked about the AFL’s illicit drugs policy.

“We have to understand that it is a new policy and we are getting used to it,” Roughead said,

“We are the only code that releases our stats with what goes on with this. No other code in the country is releasing what is going on. We need to remember that.

“The code probably needed to be changed and it has been. Things still need to be ironed out but it is new.”

AFL 360: BUCKS, SCOTT DEFEND AFL CLUBS ON ILLICIT DRUG POLICY

AFL 360 (Fox Footy)

AT the top of the agenda was Geelong’s win over Hawthorn.

Mark Robinson spoke of his love for Patrick Dangerfield and the Cats’ new-found hardness.

“Geelong is more ruthless already than they were last year,” Robinson said.

“If they want to win the flag, they have to toughen up.”

Dangerfield’s 43 disposal performance also drew praise from Robinson, who revealed his meeting with the Geelong star’s grandfather at the MCG before the first bounce on Monday.

“I spoke to his grandfather who was hovering around the corporate boxes,” he said.

“He sends him a text before every game saying ‘good luck young fella.’ He was in no doubt that Paddy was going to impose himself on the game.”

If that’s the level that Dangerfield will supply to Geelong this year, they will have a pretty prosperous season.

“He’s such a joyous character.”

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley shared Robinson’s optimism, labelling Dangerfield “Gavin Brown-like” and praising his ability in tight confines.

“Most of the great players have unique traits,” Buckley said.

“He’s Gavin Brown-like in the way the Browny used to basically get down on his guts, drag it out, and then do something with it.

“It’s just that desperation in the shoebox. In tight he’s just so strong and he’s got such belief in his own ability.”

Chris Scott also weighed in, comparing his star on-baller with Nat Fyfe and Joel Selwood.

STAR RECRUITS: CATS’ OFF-SEASON RECRUITING PAYS OFF QUICKLY

Talking Footy

ST KILDA skipper Nick Riewoldt has aired his views on the illicit drugs policy, disagreeing with Nick Maxwell’s assertion that players laugh at the off-season testing program.

“I don’t think it (Maxwell’s views) are representative of the whole playing community,” Riewoldt told 7mate’s Talking Footy.

“It’s a really big issue that needs to be treated seriously. With any large group of people you bring together, you are always going to have different beliefs, backgrounds and behavioural trends.

“I think the overwhelming sense of responsibility among the playing group — particularly those who represent the AFLPA — is that we need to do this in the interests of people’s wellbeing.”

The 299-gamer strongly advocated for the players to stand united behind the current illicit drugs system.

“I don’t think we should walk away at all,” he said.

“I think that would be a disastrous move. The policy has been brought in because illicit drugs are an issue in society — particularly the demographic of young males aged 18-35.

“The policy that is in at the moment is designed around helping us improve as people. The ink is only just dry on the new policy so I think we need to give it some time to play out. Hopefully from there, players will become more educated and will make better decisions so we’ll see better results.”

Riewoldt also said a potential move to Collingwood — or any other club for that matter — was “never a really huge consideration” a few years ago.

“I’m a St Kilda person,” he said.

“I was pretty comfortable with the role I needed to play at the club moving forward, and that’s the role I’m playing now.”

Nick Riewoldt. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Footy Classified

Hawthorn veteran has refused to be drawn into whether Jobe Watson should be stripped of his 2012 Brownlow Medal.

Mitchell and Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin finished equal second in the count, but there have been calls in recent months for the duo to be awarded the coveted medal following Essendon’s drug saga in 2012.

Despite Craig Hutchison, Caroline Wilson and Damian Barrett’s best efforts, Mitchell remained noncommittal on the issue.

“I’m not the right person to have an answer,” Mitchell said.

“I don’t have any idea what happened at Essendon in 2012. Only a handful of people do know and even some of those seem like they don’t know or don’t want to say. It’s really not my area.

“It’s not my position to say what the AFL commission should do.”

When asked by Matthew Lloyd whether he harbours ambitions to be a senior AFL coach, Mitchell confirmed it’s a career path that interests him.

“I have got my tickets in the coaching game and have tried to develop that area for the future,” he said.

“I’ve also got some University going on at the moment. I have a few options. I’ll play for another 10 years!”

Jake Stringer. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

AFL Tonight

WESTERN Bulldogs star Jake Stringer has conceded his team played better than even they thought was possible against Fremantle on Sunday.

The Dogs leapt out of the blocks, booting seven majors to just two behinds in an electric opening term, before running away winners by 65 points.

“We probably didn’t expect to win by that much,” Stringer told AFL Tonight on Monday.

“It was that first quarter that really set us up and to go on with it for the four quarters is a real credit to the boys.”

Stringer, who was the only multiple goalkicker on the ground with five majors in the season opener, said his team plays its best footy at Etihad Stadium.

The Dogs play a total of 14 matches at the venue in 2016, one more than they did last year.

“We love playing at Etihad and to have our first seven (matches) there is probably scary for a lot of other clubs,” he said.

“It is our home and we do play some pretty good footy there.”

Stringer was just one of many impressive Dogs on Sunday, with returning midfielder Tom Liberatore also excellent after missing 12 months with a torn ACL.

The left-footer had 25 disposals, four clearances and a team-high seven inside 50s.

“It was absolutely terrific to see Libba,” Stringer said.

“He went through a lot over the last 12 months with his knee. For his first game in Round 1, to come back and do what he did … he’s just a true champion.”

The writer is on Twitter: @tommorris32