Along with Luke McPharlin, he helped form the foundations of a Fremantle defence that ranked second in the AFL for fewest points conceded (behind Sydney).
He thrived as a loose man in the backline, winning the second-most marks in the competition in 2012 with 166 grabs. Only McPharlin finished ahead of him with 171.
The majority of Johnson’s marks were uncontested, a category he led the entire AFL in with 149.
He used the ball well, ranking 10th in the AFL for effective kicks (244). Most of these were short kicks, as he finished third overall in the competition for this statistic with 170.
Still well in his prime, Johnson has laid the foundations to go on with it in 2013 and will be a vital cog in Freo’s uncompromising backline again.
