TRAVIS Johnstone's life has been built on several certainties: he would live among friends in and around Chelsea, he would play his football at Melbourne and he would be the first tagged player every week.

All these thing changed yesterday.

Johnstone will now move to Brisbane in weeks, play his football with the Lions and attract the attention of jumper-tuggers alternatively with Simon Black, Luke Power or Nigel Lappin.

He will enjoy facilities the likes of which he barely knew existed and be coached by a man equal parts terrifying and charismatic. He will also kick the ball to the best forward, if not the best player, in the competition.

"There is no doubt it is a pretty scary move, especially making a move like this when you are 27," Johnstone said.

"I have lived most of my life around Chelsea and, for the first couple of days, I have been pretty blown away by the idea of having to go and live somewhere else.

"There are people at Melbourne who have been like part of my family, so I have been a bit emotional over the last few days. But since I went up there and saw Leigh and saw the facilities they have and he took me through the list and what they have, I am pretty excited.

"I feel my best footy is in front of me and … they said they want me to lead and they expect a lot out of me and I am happy with that kind of pressure."

Accepting the reality that he would not be a one-club player was one of the bigger hurdles for Johnstone when pre-trade whispers eventuated into more than than just speculation.

"My biggest issue was I always wanted to be a one-club player," he said. "When I went to Brisbane and saw Leigh, he asked me what I was thinking and I said I always wanted to be a one-club player. He said if I wanted to come, he wanted to have me."

When a person such as Leigh Matthews says he wants you, it carries some weight. Everyone wants to be wanted, but being wanted by a revered figure such as Matthews is somehow more compelling.

"There is no doubt it is going to help playing alongside Simon Black and Lukey Power and Nigel Lappin. I have been tagged week-in week-out pretty much since I started and it has been pretty tough. I have probably not had the players around me in the midfield, so maybe now they can go to someone else.

"I was looking forward to a whole fresh new start at Melbourne with a new coach and I had spoken to the coach (Dean Bailey) and he was going to play me off a half-back flank and now I am going to Brisbane and I will be getting a fresh start."