“I don’t think it was lack of match fitness, I think he’s got a sore foot,” Scott said.
“That foot’s going to be a problem for us.
“The medical staff put a plan in place, they told us he was available and he played.
“But he struggled through the night with that issue … he was sore.”
Scott said Johnson was “in doubt, certainly” for next weekend, adding that it was too early to say whether it was a mistake to play him in week one of the finals.
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Steven Motlop was also limited during the Cats’ 36-point loss, having limped off the field in the second term with a sore ankle.
“I don’t have any information around his availability (for next week’s semi-final against either North Melbourne or Essendon),” Scott said.
“Given that he played out the game, that’s a positive.”