“As a junior I knew I probably wasn’t big enough,” Johnson says. “I was a pretty late developer. I was really small but I went through a growth spurt when I was about 16-17. I gave up footy in year 10 and came back in year 12 when I’d grown that little bit more.”
This seems a far cry from the Johnson that Bomber supporters know and love today. Admired for his hardness at the ball, Johnson is considered one of the best midfielders going around, and he now has the physical build and fitness to test any opponent. However, Johnson admits that not being in the spotlight as a junior is something that worked to his advantage.
“Growing up I was never the guy that stood out. I couldn’t think of anything worse than people saying that you’re going to get drafted and then missing out – it would be the biggest letdown. I never had any of that pressure.”
Johnson was 17 when he began playing for under 18’s team the Calder Cannons – a virtual breeding ground for future AFL stars. But while remaining hopeful, Johnson says he was never overly confident of making the AFL draft.
“I didn’t start playing at Calder thinking I’d get drafted. It was never like that, it just kind of happened. I didn’t know that a lot of the AFL draft is taken from Calder under 18’s. I wasn’t aware of that until I actually got there. I probably didn’t realise what opportunities playing for Calder would give me.”
But Johnson’s dreams of playing AFL football would soon come true. In 1996, within a year of playing at Calder, Johnson was drafted to Essendon. He admits he was lucky to be drafted so quickly, as for many aspiring footballers the drafting process can be lengthy and ultimately unsuccessful.
Johnson played his first senior game in 1997. At the time many of Essendon’s senior players were injured, leaving Kevin Sheedy little choice but to give some of his young recruits a spot in the side. Johnson can still recall the atmosphere and excitement of his first senior match.
“It was pretty daunting. We were in the Northern stand rooms and we ran out onto the ground through the banner with the club song playing. You had the Great Southern stand in front of you. The atmosphere was amazing. I had the biggest smile on my face, I couldn’t believe it. Peter Somerville looked at me and said, ‘we’ll look after you mate’. I was stoked, I was rapt, it was pretty overwhelming.”
“My first game was against North Melbourne. They were a pretty powerful side, they’d won the Premiership in 96’. I was playing on Wayne Schwass – yeah he got three Brownlow votes that day. In my first three games I think I played on guys that got Brownlow Medal votes.”
From 1997 to 1999 Johnson was plagued by injuries and struggled to complete a pre-season. He had neck and knee problems, and in late 1998 broke a toe. Although these injuries lasted only four to six weeks, Johnson says he was constantly behind his teammates, making the step from the reserves to seniors that little bit more difficult. In 1999 he managed just four senior games.
But the 2000 pre-season would be the turning point. Sheedy gave Johnson the opportunity to showcase his talent in the pre-season warm-up competition, the Ansett Cup. Since then he has never looked back.
“Sheeds put me in the Ansett Cup and I played the entire season. He gave me the opportunity and left me there. We had a couple of older blokes who were quite capable of playing that position but Sheeds decided to go with a bit more youth I suppose. I was just lucky enough to be one of those guys.”
With a full pre-season under his belt Johnson was fit enough to play the Bomber’s 25 matches in 2000, which included the Grand Final victory against Melbourne. Johnson’s good form continued into 2001. He was selected in the ‘All Australian’ team, and took out Essendon’s best and fairest award, the Crichton Medal.
So what has been the key to his success? Johnson says it’s all about establishing a routine and sticking to it.
“I like to get into a routine where I do things that work for me. When I play a good game I like to look back and ask myself why I played well. Was it because I had this much sleep on that night or because of what I ate? Some players don’t even worry about that type of thing, but I’m the sort of person that likes to stick to a routine. I’ll eat at the same café the day of a game and eat the same food…I suppose it’s more of a superstition, but it helps me feel good about myself.”
While many people have helped Johnson become the successful player his is today, he says he would not have made it without the strong support of his parents.
“My parents weren’t pushy…whatever I wanted to do they’d let me do it. I was lucky because some parents can be pretty overbearing. They’d drive my brother and me wherever we needed to go whether that was for footy or cricket. They’d drive us, they’d support us and they’d watch. They never told me what to do, they just let me go.”
Johnson’s family has always been heavily involved in sport, his mother and father keen hockey and tennis players respectively. Johnson’s younger brother also plays senior level football and cricket, although Johnson says his brother is probably the more academic of the two. There is also a history of football in the family, with Johnson’s grandfather, Michael Higgins, playing five senior games for Footscray.
Johnson says he enjoys his midfield role at Essendon but would like to try other positions, particularly with his long-term career in mind.
“I like playing were I do play but I’d definitely like to learn how to play different positions. There comes a time in a midfielder’s career, when they’re about 30, because of the amount of running they have to do, that they just don’t last. I wouldn’t mind being a defender or a wing defender.”
So, all those forwards in the league should consider themselves warned. If Johnson’s reputation as a midfield ace is anything to go by, then they’d best start preparing for some future competition up forward.
