BEN Johnson thought an invite to try out with Geelong's VFL side over the summer would at least give him a good grounding for another season in the GFL.
The 22-year-old Bell Park forward was surprised to be offered an opportunity to make the Cats' VFL list, having missed out at his previous attempt in 2006.
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"I thought my chance was all done and dusted, but when I got the letter in the mail, I thought 'well they've asked me to go down and give it a crack, I may as well have one more shot'," Johnson said.
"I just wanted to get as much out of myself over the pre-season as I could. If I missed the cut, well at least it was a good chance to use it to get myself fit and ready for a season of local footy."
Johnson, who also played in the TAC Cup with the Geelong Falcons, not only made Geelong's VFL list, but he's played every game and his eight-goal performance helped inspire the Cats' to a come-from-behind win over Sandringham on Sunday.
Johnson said he's only kicked eight goals in a game once before his heroics against the Zebras - for the Dragons against Lara last year. It was the best return by a Geelong VFL-listed player in the club's VFL history.
He booted three of those goals in the final 10 minutes of the game to help the Cats score an upset three-point win.
"I was lucky. I got a few lucky decisions go my way and it was more the other guys getting the footy to me," a modest Johnson said.
"I was just happy to finish off their work. They (Sandringham) were a pretty good opponent so I'm rapt to have kicked eight. I was just happy to take a few marks and slot a few goals through."
Johnson's eighth goal was a brilliant effort from the boundary line which put Geelong nine points ahead.
"I was about 35 metres out and I had no real options to pass it off," Johnson said. "I should have kicked a drop punt, but I ended up snapping it and it curved back through the goals.
"We were gone a couple of times during the game and in that last quarter, but we kept coming back at them and it was great to get over the line."
Johnson said he was enjoying the challenges presented at VFL level on a weekly basis.
"Every week it keeps getting harder and harder. There's no easy games," he said.
"It's a whole lot different to the GFL. You know every game that you're going to be playing on a good player and that you've got to be on your game all the time, but I'm loving it."
He credited captain James Podsiadly and injured AFL defender Matthew Egan for helping him settle into VFL level.
Amazingly, Johnson had spent the majority of the first five games of the season playing in the Cats' defence.
"I made the team as a backman but I've progressed up forward," he said.
"I'm happy to play anywhere as long as I can get a game."
