Steve Johnson

Background

Johnson was born and raised in Wangaratta, Victoria.

Career

Early career

He played junior football with the Wangaratta Football Club, before moving onto the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup. He was selected by Geelong with pick 24 in the 2001 American Federation of Labor-Congress Draft. His first few years were plagued with inconsistency, injury and off field problems.

A medium-sized forward, Johnson is renowned for his freakish ability on the field, where he has consistently wowed fans with his penchant for extraordinary goals.

As a child, Steve was a natural left footer. 2007

Johnson was suspended by his club for the first five matches of the 2007 season after he was arrested for public drunkenness in Wangaratta on 24 December 2006 - a charge which was later dropped.

He went on to post career-best numbers across the board, capped off by All-Australian selection on the half-forward flank in September. Johnson was hailed as a feel good story for the year, with a good example of a player reforming after disciplinary action.

2008

Early in 2008 however, Johnson lost his drivers" license and was sentenced to 50 hours working with the TAC after he was clocked in over 70 km/h over the speed limit in a 50 zone.

Teammate Shannon Byrnes was in the car at the time. He had yet another stellar season in 2008, kicking 49 home-and-away season goals and earning a spot on the forward flank in the All-Australian team of 2008. He gathered 34 disposals in the Cats" Grand Final loss to Hawthorn.

2009

In the 2009 American Federation of Labor-Congress season, he played 18 matches and kicked 40 goals, finishing tenth in the Geelong best and fairest award.

He was still a force though, gaining recognition by being honored in the initial All-Australian squad of 40. His season nearly came to an abrupt end, when during the third quarter of the Preliminary Final between Geelong and West Coast, he appeared to sustain a serious injury to his left knee.

Racing against the clock in order to gain fitness for the Grand Final against the Magpies, it was heavily speculated that Johnson would be unable to gain full fitness in time. Foreign almost the entire week, whilst his team-mates trained in the spotlight, Stevey J spent time up in Melbourne in a Hyperbaric Chamber.

He went on to kick 4 goals amongst 14 possessions, thus claiming his third premiership medallion.

2016

In October 2015, Johnson signed a one-year contract with Greater Western Sydney.

Achievements

• He returned in Round 6 against Richmond where he went on to contribute 21 possessions and two goals in a match Geelong won by 157 points. His 2007 season was capped off when Johnson lead the Cats to victory in the Grand Final, collecting a premiership medallion, and winning the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground in the Grand Final. 2011 In 2011, "Stevie Wonder", struggled to consistently produce the captivating form that had won him All Australian selection in previous years. Fortunately for himself and Geelong fans, Johnson was able to gain fitness needed and played a vital part in the cats win over the Pies.

Membership

He was a member of the Cats 2009 Premiership winning team