The Cats smash the Dees on a record-breaking day (round 19, 2011)
Geelong missed its highest score by just six points but its 37.11 to 7.5 victory was its greatest winning margin. Johnson had a day out as you would expect in a 186-point drubbing, with the star kicking 7.1 from 34 touches and laying off 10 goal assists. You would think that performance would earn him the three Brownlow votes, but that honour went to teammate Joel Selwood, who had 43 disposals, 11 tackles and a goal. It was a fair old fortnight for the Cats, who beat League newcomer Gold Coast by 150 points the following week, when Johnson booted six goals and had 31 possessions.
Fitting farewell for the favourite son (round 23, 2015)
Johnson ran on to Simonds Stadium to face the Crows with his playing future undecided, but he knew he would never wear the hoops again and proceeded to make his last game in Cats colours one to remember. The brilliant forward kicked 2.6, which ruined what could have been a big day, but it mattered little. He even executed a left-foot torpedo from outside 50 in the last term just to change things up, but that also missed. Johnson had 21 touches in the 39-point win and was chaired off alongside premiership teammates James Kelly and Mathew Stokes, who had their career twists to come. It was unfortunate that the September specialist could not go out in a final at the MCG but Johnson gave the Geelong faithful one hell of a finale. "I just really wanted to enjoy the moment," he said this week.
Symbolic changing of the guard for Cats
The Lions' streak is finally tamed (round 13, 2004)
When Fitzroy and the Bears met with their demise at the end of 1996 and the Brisbane Lions were formed, they did not become a powerhouse overnight, but they had the measure of the Cats. The Lions won 10 straight clashes between the clubs and were the three-time premiers when they headed to Geelong to take on the young Cats. Johnson had 12 touches and kicked a couple of goals as the home team finally took the points. The match signalled the Lions' reign over the Cats was over and provided a view of what Geelong had to look forward to in the future, with the likes of Gary Ablett, Jimmy Bartel, Paul Chapman and Johnson emerging as stars of the game.
Steve Johnson (right) celebrates with his fellow Cats in 2004 after beating the Lions. Picture: AFL Media
Half a dozen gems too much for the Eagles (round 22, 2008)
The Cats were flying after ending their premiership drought the season before and their Norm Smith medallist was just about the most exciting player to watch in the competition. Johnson torched West Coast at the Cattery with 28 touches and threaded six straight in the home team's 99-point win, but as dynamic as he was he had trouble receiving any love from the umpires again. Cameron Ling snagged the three votes for his 34 touches. Bartel got the two votes for his 28 touches and nine tackles and Johnson had to settle for the one.
Lights, camera, action (round 10, 2013)
For a man who has always shone under the spotlight of big games, Johnson would have pretty happy when Simonds Stadium finally got the go-ahead to play night games. While the star was goalless in the Cats' first match under lights at home, he managed 22 disposals in a 52-point win over the Suns and was about to enter a rich vein of form. Johnson's next four games netted him 130 touches at an average of 32.5, 26 tackles and four goals, but most impressively the whistleblowers finally gave due recognition to the three-time flag winner and awarded him 11 Brownlow votes.
Johnson with a GWS fan at the Giants' training run in Geelong on Friday. Picture: Tom King, K-Rock
