Brad Johnson (Australian footballer)
| Brad Johnson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Johnson working for Fox Footy at a pre-season match in March 2017
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Bradley Johnson | ||
| Nickname(s) | Smiling Assassin | ||
| Date of birth | 18 July 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Hoppers Crossing, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | Williamstown / Western Jets | ||
| Draft | 11th overall, 1993 Western Bulldogs |
||
| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Full-forward | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1994–2010 | Footscray/Western Bulldogs | 364 (558) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2010.
|
|||
| Career highlights | |||
|
|||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Brad Johnson (born 18 July 1976 in Hoppers Crossing, Victoria) is a former Australian rules footballer who was the captain of Australian Football League team Western Bulldogs. Despite his small size for his position, he was considered to be one of the best forwards in the game because of his overhead marking ability, and he also had the ability to play across half forward or in the midfield.
Recruited from Williamstown, Johnson made his debut in the 1994 season, and has been known as either a damaging forward or midfielder. Known as the "Smiling Assassin" due to the constant smile on his face, he is a popular figure around the club and has won three best and fairest awards – in 1999, 2002 and 2006.
In 1996, Johnson along with the entire Footscray football club was filmed for the documentary Year of the Dogs, which was released in 1997. The documentary followed the turbulent 1996 season where the Dogs finished second last on the ladder.
In 1997, Johnson and the Dogs had a good season. They finished third on the ladder and made it all the way to the preliminary final. In the preliminary final the Dogs faced the Adelaide Crows and led at the final break by five goals. Unfortunately for the Dogs, in the fourth quarter the Crows made a stirring come back to win the game by just 2 points. Johnson would play in several other preliminary finals in his career, but never managed to compete in a Grand Final.
In 2000, Johnson was a part of the Bulldogs side that ended Essendon's winning streak of 20 games in the classic round 21 clash. The Dogs defeated the Bombers in a fierce contest by just 2 goals. Right on half-time Essendon player John Barnes turfed Johnson and left him concussed. This led to a vicious brawl between the teams. At the end of the game Johnson ran on the field and confronted Barnes, giving him the last word. The Dogs were the only team to beat Essendon that year, who would later go on to win the premiership.
...
Wikipedia