The coaches at the Cattery are pretty chuffed with him as well.
So happy that Cats football supremo Neil Balme giggles in the coaches’ box when watching Johnson perform his party tricks in the Geelong forward line, according to coach Mark Thompson.
Thompson is just as proud of Johnson’s off-field contentment as he is with his on-field heroics.
“He is in awesome form, he has just been a pleasure to watch,” Thompson said after Johnson’s six-goal, 21-possession performance in the 64-point win over Essendon at Docklands on Sunday.
“His path and how sort of mad he was off the field and how he has curbed all that and how professional he has become now has just been an amazing turnaround and a good story.
“He has probably never been in better form and never been happier with who he is and what he does and how he lives; so congratulations to him.”
Johnson may have dropped the ratbag out of his personality but he hasn’t got rid of all the fun from his football.
“I don’t think anyone has got a licence to lairise but I try to play with a bit of flair,” Johnson told gfc.com.au after the match.
“A couple of years ago people used to get into me a little bit but the coaches have never said; ‘we want to take that away from the way you play’.
“They’ve always been pretty happy, more happy when things come off, but I just try to do the right thing at the right time and now I think I’ve just become a better player and am able to do them more consistently.”
Johnson’s six goals against Essendon equalled his career-high tally and took him to 32 for the season.
He booted 53 goals in 25 games last season but says kicking a bucketful isn’t always the plan.
“Today I thought I had a little bit of a height advantage on my opponent so I thought I’d play him deep and close to goals,” Johnson said.
“Sometimes if I get a taller defender I might take him up the ground.”
Johnson’s childhood hero was Peter Daicos and the Collingwood marvel’s spirit lives on in his inventive play close to goal.
“Like any kid, I think, I used to go to the boundary line at the local footy club and have shots from there,’ he said.
“Any spare time I’d just practice and that’s where those snaps come from. Normally I am pretty confident kicking a snap, more confident than any other kick.”
Thompson knows that Johnson is a trump card and didn’t mind reminding opponents of the challenge they face.
“He can do miraculous things and you’d want to be a pretty skilled up player to play on him,” Thompson said.
“He is good mark, has great anticipation if the ball hits the ground, sometimes he lets the ball hit the ground because he is good at ground level and can obviously kick the ball backwards, sideways, over his head and make the football talk.
“So he is hard to play against.”
