He had supported the team since he was young, which left him somewhat familiar with most of his new teammates, but he had also tried out for a spot on the rookie list a year earlier.
Johnson arrived at the club weighing 103kgs. He currently tilts the scales at 88kg.
His only football experience had been with the Belmont Bombers and WAFL club Perth Demons, a route fellow Freo Dockers Chris Mayne and Tendai Mzungu have also gone down.
He was given jumper number 37, because most of the lower numbers had already been taken.
In round four, 2004, Johnson was an emergency for a game against Richmond at the home of football, the MCG.
But after Matthew Carr fell ill, Johnson’s number was called.
“I only found out the morning of the game,” he says. “That was probably good because I got to have a good sleep.
“It happened so quick. I was on the phone to my mum and my old man straight away.”
A nervous Johnson ran onto the hallowed turf, something he’d wanted to do since he was young.
“I was lucky enough to do it in my first game,” he says.
“We didn’t come away with the four points, but to have my first game on the MCG was something I’ll keep close to my heart.”
Johnson has played another 148 games since his debut to sit just one away from 150.
He has rubbed shoulders with many memorable figures in his time at the club, including fellow Indigenous players Troy Cook, Des Headland, Roger Hayden and Antoni Grover, who are all good friends.
He was once given the opportunity to take over Cook’s number 10 jumper after the hard-nut midfielder retired.
But Johnson was happy with his lot.
“I grew with the number 37 and felt really close to it,” he says.
“If I was going to last a few more years, I wanted to keep the number.
“The name is on my locker now and I can’t complain. I will never change.”
Perhaps most memorable of all his teammates was enigmatic forward Jeff Farmer, or ‘the Wiz’ as he was affectionately known.
“Jeff was different,” Johnson says.
“On-field, he’s an angry little ant that gets under the skin of opposition players and supporters.
“But behind closed doors he’s a funny character. He looked after you and he joked around.”
Johnson is grateful of all the older players who took him under their wing during his formative years.
“I needed those senior players for support, they were there to help me along,” he says.
“Hopefully I can pass on what they taught me to the younger players that are coming through the club these days.”
Johnson has had a few nicknames in his time at the club. He’s been called ‘Spanky’ Johnson because of his resemblance to a character from the Eddie Murphy movie, Life.
Zac Clarke and Jesse Crichton call him ‘The Janitor’ and Mzungu has coined him ‘Hall monitor’, because of Johnson’s renowned dislike for bad hygiene habits around the club.
He’s also ‘The Voice’, because of his role as the WA Indigenous advisor to the AFL.
Another name that awaits Johnson is Life Member.
“I’m a bit nervous being round 1 against the Eagles and my 150th,” he says ahead of Saturday’s Carlton Mid Derby.
“But I can’t wait to get out there with the boys and show the AFL community what we’ve got.”
Also within sight for Johnson is Grover’s record of 202 for most games at Freo by an Indigenous player.
“To play one game was something special in my heart. To play 200 would mean the world to me,” Johnson says.
“Antoni Grover is an angry man all the time, so I don’t think he’ll be too happy with it.
“If I do pass it, I don’t think I’ll hold it for too long. Stephen Hill will go straight pass that.”
Johnson may consider himself lucky to have become a Fremantle Docker, but it’s the club that has been lucky to be represented by such a fine player over 149 great games.
Good luck in your 150th, ‘Johnno’ (his best-known nickname).
