After the retirement of Scott West, Johnson at 32 is the most senior player on the Bulldogs’ list and the fifth-oldest in the AFL, but that doesn’t mean he has any retirement plans of his own just yet.
“I certainly haven’t put a finish date on things yet. I think I’ve got a few good years left in me ... Hopefully I can contribute this year and that will fall into place for years to come,” Johnson said.
With 324 games to his name, Johnson has proven to be one of the most resilient players in the AFL, having not played fewer than 21 games in a season since his debut year in 1994.
While he might be the oldest Bulldog at Whitten Oval, Johnson says he is not being shielded as he prepares for what will be his 16th season at the elite level.
“I’m doing pretty much everything which has been good. It’s really based on how I’m feeling and I’m feeling pretty good,” he said.
“I’ve been doing pretty much every session so far in the pre-season. There are certain things you get held back with but it’s ... full steam ahead which has been really positive.”
Johnson said training was always a more pleasant experience when the Sherrins came out.
“The hardest bit I think is getting to Christmas. You build your (fitness) base in that period up to Christmas. Now it is more focussed on footy stuff so it is more enjoyable. We’re still working very hard as you need to do to be one of the better teams in the comp.”
Johnson spoke to the media at the Werribee Open Range Zoo where he got the chance to feed the new African wild dogs.
While the Bulldog built an instant rapport with his fellow pooches, he said he was most looking forward to meeting his namesake among the reptiles.
“Apparently there is a snake named after me so I’ll have to check that out later. I don’t know if that’s a compliment. They’ve named a couple of animals after a few of the guys I think so we’ve had a bit of fun out of that,” he said.
