Past Chris Johnson (1994-2007)

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Johnson: Heart-to-heart with Leigh ended my career
September 2, 2007 - 3:33PM

An honesty session with coach Leigh Matthews prompted Brisbane Lions triple premiership player Chris Johnson to draw the curtain on his glittering AFL career and usher in the end of an era.
Johnson, 31, was toying with going around one more year for the revitalised Lions - but a heart-to-heart with the master mentor quickly put an end to that.
Barely 24 hours after receiving a frank assessment of his 2008 prospects, a choked up Johnson surprised teammates last Friday afternoon when he delivered the news - the round 22 clash against Geelong would be his last.
While Geelong crashed the party by sealing a 42-point win last night, it did not make it any less emotional when dual All Australian Johnson was chaired off with fellow retiree Chris Scott in front of a 34,107-strong Gabba faithful - the Lions' biggest crowd this season.
And it didn't lessen the impact either - Johnson, Fitzroy's last remaining player in the AFL, had hung up his boots.
Fitzroy merged with Brisbane in 1996 - and the fiercely loyal Johnson said he could not, and simply wound not, play for any other team after receiving the sobering news from Matthews.
"I made the final decision about midday on Friday, probably 24 hours after Leigh and I had a discussion," Johnson, a veteran of 264 games in 14 years.
"There wasn't a real opportunity for me next year. I didn't want to play for another club. I couldn't bare to put another jumper on.
"Only going for yearly contracts it was going to come sooner or later and it has come sooner.
"There was no guarantee (of playing 2008) and I just didn't want to put my family or myself through that again, going away not knowing what the future holds - there's no point."
Johnson may be the last of the Roy Boys but he believed their spirit would live on at the Lions - especially if this year's use of the Fitzroy guernsey as an away jumper continued.
"It's an era gone. There's no Fitzroy players going around, but there is still a lot of history in this club that is Fitzroy's," he said.
"And it's a great initiative to wear that (Fitzroy) jumper.
"You can get emotional (about retiring as the last Fitzroy player). There were a few lumpy throats and a couple of tears when I summoned the boys together (last Friday).
"But I am happy. It's time for me to celebrate my career."
Johnson believed he had left the Lions in good hands despite Brisbane narrowly failing to make the finals for the first time in three seasons.
"I leave behind a team that is improving each week, they are not far off it. If they get a good pre-season under their belts they will certainly be a force to be reckoned with next year in the finals campaign," he said.
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Johnson’s timing is perfect – as always

9:54 PM Sun 2 September, 2007
By Simon White

IN FOOTBALL, timing is everything. Which is why Brisbane Lions co-captain Chris Johnson is happy that he chose to make Saturday night’s Gabba clash with Geelong his last AFL game.
Johnson was saddened to end his glittering 264-game career but heartened to go out on his own terms, with his family watching on.
“It was either going to be this year or next year and it was great to be able to do it right,” Johnson said on Saturday.
“There wasn’t going to be a real opportunity for me next year. And I didn’t want to play for another club – I couldn’t bear to put on another jumper.
“This was the right way to do it, with my kids, my wife, my mum and dad and my brother and sister, all there to live the moment with me.”
It is fitting that Johnson got the timing of his retirement right, because he so often chose the right option at the right time – both on the field with his sublime skills and off the field with his leadership.
After starting out his career as a goal-sneak with Fitzroy, Johnson became the best creative defender in the business after moving to the Gabba following the 1996 merger with the Brisbane Bears.
“When he played that quarterback out of defence, his ability to pinpoint the ball and find the right option was fantastic,” Lions coach Leigh Matthews reflected.
“The back group in our premiership years was a great group and Chris was an All-Australian and an integral part of it.
“He has been very influential within the [playing] group. He’s one of those people who isn’t that heavy with the words, so when he says something, people take notice.”
Johnson exits the game with a long list of honours – three premierships, two All-Australian guernseys, captaincy of Australia in the 2005 International Rules series, second placing in the Lions’ 2005 fairest-and-best count and the last former Fitzroy player active in the competition.
He also says he’ll take with him skills he might not otherwise have acquired. The 31-year-old father of Lachlan, Preston, Aiden and Charlee has already started part-time work at AFL SportsReady with former Lions player development manager Shane Johnson.
“It is a bit emotional – but I’m happy and grateful for the opportunities I’ve had,” Johnson said.
“It’s time to celebrate my career. It’s an era gone, with no more Fitzroy players any more, but there is still a lot of history in this club that is Fitzroy.
“Wearing the Fitzroy jumper is a great initiative of the club and hopefully down the track they can keep doing it.
“This club has given me great opportunities and some great life skills that I probably wouldn’t have learnt outside of football. It’s a great club to play for and I’m very proud to have played here.
“For any mother in Victoria or South Australia or anywhere and their son is coming up to play here, [I can tell you] they will be in good hands.”
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Lethal keeps his Lions close

14 September 2007 Herald Sun
Andrew Hamilton

BRISBANE Lions coach Leigh Matthews has employed another loyal lieutenant, with former premiership star Chris Johnson joining the club's coaching ranks.
Johnson will fill the position left vacant by Shaun Rehn, who left the club last week.
Johnson's primary role will be in development, but he will also fulfil the team runner duties on match days.
Lions CEO Michael Bowers said Johnson's appointment would greatly assist the club's younger players.
"We saw an opportunity for Chris to play a role with our young, developing list of players," Bowers said.
"They have the utmost respect for one of this year's co-captains.
"He knows a lot about playing footy and we expect his knowledge will help fast track the development of youngsters such as Rhan Hooper."
Rehn quit his post suddenly last week. A source close to the club said he made the call after hearing his contract would not be renewed.
Rehn purchased a property in northern New South Wales midway through the season, and it is believed he has opted to trade football for a life on the land. Johnson played the last of his 264 games against Geelong in Round 22.
His departure will leave a massive hole of experience in the club's playing stocks. He won three premierships and All-Australian and International Rules selection.
Matthews has always preferred assistants who he has coached or been involved with at other clubs, and in Johnson, he gets an offsider who knows better than most the way he likes to do things.
Johnson joins former teammates Justin Leppitsch and Craig Lambert as assistant coaches, leaving only forward coach Paul Hudson as the only assistant to not play under Matthews.
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New role: Chris Johnson will be an assistant coach with the Lions.
 
Re: Chris Johnson

“There wasn’t going to be a real opportunity for me next year. And I didn’t want to play for another club – I couldn’t bear to put on another jumper."

This is the most honorable line a footballer has said in many years. This is what makes you so proud to follow a club that produces players like Johnson - how many players these days say that they couldn't bear to put on another jumper? Is even more special since Johno overcame initial homesickness. I recall in his first couple of years at Brisbane when he had to fight for his spot in the team how i hoped every week he was named just so it didn't influence any desire to leave. Glad to see he will remain in Brisbane and help mature the up-and-coming players.
 
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Scott, Johnson depart with heads held high
10:21 AM Fri 12 October, 2007 By Simon White
for lions.com.au

The retirement speeches of the two 200-plus gamers provided for some of the more emotional scenes at last weekend’s Merrett-Murray Medal presentation.
In typically modest fashion, the two-time All-Australian Johnson widely regarded as the best running defender at his peak downplayed his own contributions to the Lions’ hat-trick of premierships between 2001 and 2003.
“I was very lucky to be put in a group where something good was going to happen and I was just chucked in the mix,” Johnson said.“ I was very privileged to play with some great players. Chris Scott mentioned Vossy and Lynchy and two other guys who it was very special for me to play alongside, Michael McLean and Darryl White.””
An earlier anecdote during his retirement speech gave the crowd a chance to read between the lines - and understand the true level of Johnson’s talent and value to the Lions - just in case they hadn’t already guessed!
“ I got up here for a year and decided I didn’t like it and tried to jump ship,” Johnson recalled.
“(Then recruiting manager) Scott Clayton and the recruiting guys told me they were going to trade me told me that they’d get me back to Melbourne no worries. Then they told everyone in Melbourne that they weren’t going to be trading me.
“So, I’ve got to thank them for that.””
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Re: Chris Johnson

End of Season Player Review

The post Voss era began for Johnson with the honour of being named one of five captains for the Lions in 2007. This was a testament to how far he had come after reluctantly arriving at Brisbane as a knock-about kid 11 years ago.

After playing forward last year, Leigh stated Johnno would be returning to the back half to give some experience and leadership to the young cubs. But with the defensive unit playing well during the NAB Cup and Adcock being able to general the troops, Johnno found himself playing as a leading forward.

Throughout the year Johnson made a consistent contribution, being able to bob up with a touch of class at important times. But with the game’s rapidly increasing importance on athleticism, it was hard for him to influence a game as much as in the past, and it was clear his best days were behind him.

Johnson had another injury interrupted season, missing 10 games in the middle of the year with a foot condition (plantar fasciitis). He missed out on the round 14 game when the Lions pulled off a massive upset against West Coast in the Fitzroy strip, but he was able to wear the guernsey one last time in round 19 against the Hawks.

Johnno retired in the last week of the home and away season. He leaves the game as a decorated player who was a very important component of one of the best sides to ever play the game. His individual achievements are as follows:

264 games
172 goals
19 finals
3 premierships (01, 02, 03)
All Australian (02, 04)
Lions co-captain (07)
Lions club champion runner up (05)
Fitzroy leading goalkicker (95)
Indigenous Team of the Century
Indigenous All Stars captain (05, 06)
Australian International Rules Series co-captain (06)
Lions Life Member.

But perhaps Johnson will best be remembered as the last remaining Fitzroy player, and his retirement brings with it an extra sense of sadness as he represents the end of an era.

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Chris Johnson brings cheer to 13,000 plus hardy fans after scoring a goal against Fremantle in the team's win of 1996 at the Western (Whitten) Oval. It was the final home ground of Fiztroy, from 1993-1996. Photo: Jim Hooper
 
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Former Lions up for AFLPA honour
4:30 PM Thu 29 November, 2007
for lions.com.au

The completion of the 2007 season saw the collective retirement of some of the greatest ever names in football including Brisbane Lions Chris Johnson and Chris Scott.

On Thursday December 13, the AFLPA will host the first ever Madden Medal event. Aimed at celebrating the talent, commitment and effort it takes to play even a single game of AFL football, the AFLPA Madden Medal event farewells 2007 season retiring players whilst acknowledging the achievements of all players leaving the game.

Former Lions Johnson and Scott are among the nominees for the GNC LiveWell Football Achievement Award which will honour one player for their long-term elite level of sporting excellence.

The award’s criteria is based on games played, premierships, awards/medals, style of play, professionalism, leadership, development of the game, advocacy on behalf of the players and legacy to the game.

Johnson and Scott are among a star-studded list of 20 retirees nominated for this prestigious honour together with the likes of Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide), Anthony Koutoufides (Carlton), Nathan Buckley (Collingwood), James Hird (Essendon), Glenn Archer (Kangaroos) and Chris Grant (Western Bulldogs).

Chris Johnson at a glance…

Recruited from: Northern Knights (VIC) / Fitzroy


Draft details: Selection No.7 – 1993 National Draft

AFL debut: Fitzroy vs Essendon (OO), Rd 2, 1994

Last game: Lions vs Geelong (Gabba), Rd 22, 2007

Career games: 264

Career goals: 172

Finals: 19

Player honours:
Lions Premiership Player 2001, 2002, 2003
All Australian 2002, 2004
Lions Co-Captain 2007
Lions Club Champion Runner-Up 2005
Fitzroy Leading Goal Kicker 1995
Indigenous Team of the Century
Indigenous All Stars Captain 2005, 2006
Australian International Rule Series Co-Captain 2005
Lions Life Member
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Retired Lion won't play in NTFL

The Brisbane Lions have poured cold water on rumours its retired defender Chris Johnson could line up for reigning NTFL premier Southern Districts after Christmas.
Johnson is a good friend of Crocodiles captain Shannon Rusca and is also close to coach Michael McLean who was a player and assistant coach at the Lions.
A Brisbane spokesman says Johnson is now employed by the club as a full-time development coach and he won't be pulling on the boots while in that role.
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Ceebee said:
Sincere sympathy to Chris and his family in the loss of his mother. I am sure her courage to fight her illness will be in the thoughts of all the players and coaching staff tonight.Thinking of you at this sad time Chris.
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Sad news. Commisserations CJ. He must have given her plenty to be proud of. Three premierships, co-captain and assistant coach of the Lions, represented his country and also coached the Indigenous All-Stars.
 
TheBrownDog said:
Sad news. Commisserations CJ. He must have given her plenty to be proud of. Three premierships, co-captain and assistant coach of the Lions, represented his country and also coached the Indigenous All-Stars.
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Agree with everyone's senitments. Sad times for Johnno. However, for the record he was Co-Captain of his country as well ;)
 
Legends set to line-up for Lions
1:38 PM Tue 15 Feb, 2011

CHRIS JOHNSON

The last of the ‘Roy Boys’, Chris Johnson started at Fitzroy as a specialist forward and was the Club’s leading goal-kicker in only his second season. He moved to Brisbane as part of the 1997 merger where he transformed himself into one of the most damaging small defenders in the AFL. He was an integral part of the Lions’ hat-trick of premierships and was later named co-captain of the Club. The dual All Australian also captained Australia in the International Rules Series and skippered the Indigenous All-Star team on two occasions. Johnson retired at the end of 2007 after 264 games and 172 goals with the Club.

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