Essendon coaching great Kevin Sheedy isn’t surprised discarded Geelong veteran Steve Johnson is attracting interest from other AFL clubs.

The triple premiership star has made no secret of his desire to play on next year but will wait until the dust settles on his 253-game career with the Cats before making a decision.

Johnson, 32, is keen to help another team win a flag before he hangs up the boots for good and Sheedy said a player of his quality could prove the missing ingredient for the right club.

“If I was coaching Essendon in my day, I wouldn’t hesitate,” Sheedy told SEN on Friday.

“I never worry about the birth date of a person. I’d just need to know that he wanted to play.

“Just imagine if he was in the Richmond team right now … with the Kangaroos and Richmond final Stevie J could be the person that, when it’s in the balance, could win that game.”

Johnson, along with premiership teammates James Kelly and Mathew Stokes, were casualties of Chris Scott’s plan to revitalise his playing list after missing the finals for the first time since 2006.

But while he doesn’t agree with the club’s decision to move him on, a desire to prove the Cats wrong isn’t behind Johnson’s bid to extend his career.

“I would be going for the right reasons, if I felt I may be able to help a club,” Johnson told the Nine Network’s The Footy Show.

“I probably wouldn’t be welcome back at Geelong if I was to go to a Hawthorn but I’m not going to say no to anything.

“I really do need the emotion to be taken out of what has been a pretty big 10 days and I will be in a clearer frame of mind to go on and see what is ahead.”