DOB: 25 January 1986
Debut: Round 8, 2005 against Hawthorn at MCG
Last MFC Game: Round 19, 2008 against Geelong at MCG
From: East Fremantle, Selection 36 (father/son), 2003 National Draft
Number: 17 (2005-2008)
Honours:
Best First Year Player - 2005
Games: 31 (46 total)
Goals: 2 (4 total)
Career Statistics
Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
9 | 0 | 22 | 40.90 |
The Demons informed the son of Alan Johnson that they would be drafting him midway through 2003, and he became just the second Melbourne father/son player of the decade (after Michael Clark).
Johnson spent a year with Sandringham before making his AFL debut in 2005. He struggled to win a permanent place in the side, playing just 4, 9 and 8 games in his first three seasons respectively. Johnson played in the 2005 and 2006 Sandringham VFL premiership sides.
After playing two matches early in 2008 he broke back into the side for eight consecutive games from Round 12 to Round 19, but just when it looked as if he had forged a permanent position in the team he was omitted for the last games of the year.
Johnson was involved in a heated confrontation with Dean Bailey when he told him that he was leaving the club. The coach was alleged to have yelled "I want you to tell all your teammates that you no longer want to play for the Melbourne Football Club!" at Johnson on the Junction Oval.
Interviews after the move showed that he was disappointed with his role within the side. Johnson said,
"I was playing the best footy of my career and I was getting emergency and emergency every week. I thought if you're not going to play me now in the position the club's at - being bottom of the ladder - I was thinking my chances aren't too great if I can't show what I've got.
"I was getting a bit nervous and Chris Connolly said the match committee weren't sold on me and Carlton offered me a really good opportunity.
Bailey countered by saying "There are no personal problems between myself and Chris, but we want players on our list who want to play for our jumper, and on this occasion Chris did not fit the bill".
Johnson's father also hit out at the club, claiming they had treated him as a scapegoat.
Carlton offered a very late draft pick as an exchange but the Demons stood firm and initially threatened to re-draft him with selection one in the pre-season draft - later used to select Liam Jurrah - but wiser heads prevailed and he was allowed to cross to the Blues for free.
Johnson played the first five rounds of the 2009 season in the Carlton seniors before being dropped. He returned towards the end of the year for ten matches in total. He played five games in 2010 before being delisted at the end of the season.
He played for Essendon District Football League side Greenvale from 2011 through 2013.
Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
2005 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
2006 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
2007 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
Match | Charge | Sanction | |
Round 8, 2005 | Striking | Not Guilty |
Lists
9 Point Goals
Carlton
Family
Interstate recruits
Media
Age - 03/12/2003
Herald Sun - 04/11/2008
Age - 16/11/2008
Perth Now - 27/12/2008
Links
Australian Rules Football profile
Blueseum profile
Demonwiki image gallery
Draftguru profile
Wikipedia profile