With 293 games, 16 years and countless accolades as a player, Steve Johnson has turned his hand at helping to coach the next generation of stars.
Johnson played junior football for Wangaratta Football Club, eventually being drafted by Geelong in the 2001 National Draft. After several steady years at the Cats, Johnson came close to being traded at the end of the 2006 season after a club-imposed suspension. He used this as fuel to motivate him for 2007, culminating in a Grand Final victory with Geelong where he kicked 4 goals in a Norm Smith Medal winning performance. It was all uphill from there, as Johnson became one of the more mercurial players in the game. A forward who could run through the midfield, Johnson was a reliable goalkicker who claimed Geelong’s Leading Goalkicker Award twice.
However it is his three Premierships and three All-Australian selections which he will be most remembered for, all coming in his 253 games with Geelong. Ahead of the 2016 season Johnson moved north and joined the GWS Giants for the final chapter of his playing career. While the Giants did not have the same Premiership success as the Cats, Johnson played finals in his two seasons at the club, and was an experienced leader amongst a side that was still developing. After retiring as a player, Johnson joined the Sydney Swans as an assistant coach overseeing the forward line for three seasons. In 2021, Johnson returns to the GWS as an assistant coach.
