'Johnno' the spur for Bulldogs: Cross

Fri 10 Sep

Having fought back tears as Brad Johnson announced his impending AFL retirement, midfielder Daniel Cross has no doubt the Western Bulldogs will find an extra edge against Sydney on Saturday night.

The gutsy on-baller said desperation was etched on the Dogs' faces after last weekend's loss to Collingwood, which thrust them into a cut-throat semi-final.

That feeling was magnified after 362-game captain Johnson's announcement on Monday that this would be the last of his 17 seasons.

It means Saturday night's match will be the end for one AFL champion, either Johnson or similarly-inspirational Sydney skipper Brett Kirk, who has also announced his retirement.

While Johnson said his announcement was not meant to spur the team, Cross was certain it would.

"It has to be an extra incentive," Cross told AAP.

"Definitely personally, with a guy like Brad who's given his all, not only for the team as a whole, but individually each person in themselves.

"You would think would want to play that extra bit more and get across the line more for a guy like Brad."

Cross said he had an "overwhelming feeling that something bad was going to happen" when players and staff were called together on Monday, and the emotion in the room was obvious.

"It certainly was. I myself was fighting back tears, he didn't even spit out a word before he started getting emotional," he said.

Cross said the resolve not to let it end this weekend was enormous.

"We're desperate to win, we're absolutely desperate to win, you could see it on the guys' faces after the game," he said.- aap