Johnstone, now in his third season in Lions colours and loving life in the northern state, was optimistic his team could turn things around against the Sydney Swans next week despite his club suffering its first loss of the season.
That loss not only came at the hands of Johnstone’s former club, Melbourne, but to the tune of 50 points at the MCG on Saturday night.
“This brings us back to earth a bit,” the 29-year-old said after the match.
“We weren’t on our game and that’s what happens. This competition is so close that if you’re not on your game or if you’re just that five per cent off, it’s just so hard.
“The boys just absolutely battled to get any run going. It’s hard to pinpoint what went wrong, really.”
Johnstone says his side must continue to stick to its plans and not cast aside all its previous good work on the back of one poor outing.
The Lions were undefeated before last night’s loss and know they will need to be at their best next week against the top-of-the-table Swans.
“We’ve had a plan all pre-season and we’ve done it for the first four rounds,” Johnstone said.
“So we can’t just throw all that out the window. We’ve just got to go back to square one, get our game plan right and execute it. If we don’t do it, you see what happens.”
Johnstone, who next week will play his 200th AFL match should he line-up against the Swans, was hardly to blame for Saturday night’s disappointing showing.
While he was caught one-out at times inside his own defensive arc, he was one of the few Lions who did seem to have some run in his legs.
His 29 touches, five tackles and five rebound 50s made for impressive reading, while his 12 contested possessions led all comers on the ground.
The man who has played almost 100 matches at the MCG admitted he enjoyed returning to his former home ground, despite the occasional boo from red and blue supporters.
But he bears no grudge against the club that traded him north three years ago. And after the Demons’ hard run in recent seasons, he does feel a soft spot for them.
“I’ve got mates there, so I want them to enjoy some success,” he said.
“It’s certainly tough getting beaten every week, so all the best to them. But I’m a Brisbane Lions player now and I love this club.”
