Raised in Western Australia where he captained the state Under 18 team, he moved to Victoria when he got drafted into the AFL.
He was recruited to Hawthorn where he spent four seasons from 2000 to 2003 before being traded to Carlton for pick No.
He spent a lot of time at the Hawks playing for its VFL-affiliate, the Box Hill Hawks, but Carlton's willingness to give recycled players another chance to resurrect their careers saw Johnson join the Blues.
[2] As captain, Johnson led the Seagulls to victory in the inaugural Foxtel Cup competition in 2011.
[5] Johnson retired from the VFL at the end of 2011 to focus on his full-time job at the AFL Players Association.