Brad Johnson Biography

Brad Johnson will work with Geelong's forwards in a specialist coaching role at the Cats until the middle of January.

The short-term appointment will see Johnson assist in goalkicking and forward play with the club's young forward line.

Besides developing the country's best young talent, Brad Johnson hopes his role as coach of the AIS-AFL Academy will hone his skills for an eventual tilt at coaching at the highest level.

"I enjoy that aspect of it … they both work hand in hand and hopefully they can help me to achieve what I'm hoping to do post-playing," Johnson said.

Brad Johnson is the new AIS-AFL Academy coach, with the Western Bulldogs great taking the reins of the prestigious development program.

"Being involved in the program over the last couple of years, you get a real passion for trying to help these young men achieve their dream of getting on an AFL list," Johnson said.

"And then from there it's about giving them the right stepping stones to reach AFL level. All of the staff and coaches involved are about seeing that occur.

"That's the main motivation why we're in this position and why we're working to help them achieve that as much as possible."

Brad Johnson is back working with best mate Rohan Smith after accepting a role as a part-time assistant coach with the Bulldogs.

"He's a great friend of a lot of us and it's good to have his smiling face back," midfielder Daniel Cross said.

"He'll be working with younger players that are transitioning into senior footy and need to know what it takes to become a professional league player.

"Brad did it brilliantly for 16 or 17 years, so he knows exactly what it takes."

Former Bulldogs champion Brad Johnson is on a panel advising St Kilda on the selection of its new coach.

Retiring Western Bulldog captain Brad Johnson said he left the MCG in his last game for the club against St Kilda satisfied that he had given everything for his club.

"It's been an up and down year with my body but certainly I probably felt the best I have the last couple of weeks," Johnson said.

"I can walk away knowing I've given everything I possibly could with my body. I was lucky enough to play so many games for this great club."

Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson is expected to announce his retirement on Monday afternoon following a poor performance in a qualifying final against Collingwood.

"He's a victim of his own standards and standing in the game. He didn't play well but everyone has a bad game at some stage. Brad will be playing next week," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

Bulldog Brad Johnson announces his retirement and says he will play his last game in a semi final against Sydney.

"I'd made my decision quite a while ago that this would be it. I played poorly on Saturday night. My last month of footy has been up and down. Hopefully with that run under my belt (against Collingwood) I can bounce back," Johnson said.

Rodney Eade says Brad Johnson has been behind the side's climb up the AFL ladder, rather than the burden Jason Akermanis makes him out to be.

"The facts are, in the six-week period from round 14 to 19, not counting the Geelong game, Brad was No.1 in the competition for score assists," Eade said.

"He was No.4 in the competition for the number of marks, seventh in the competition for marks on the lead. He's averaging 19 disposals, eight marks, four inside 50s and three goal assists a game with 80 per cent efficiency with his disposals.

"They're enormous stats, and I think the media as well hasn't seen how well Brad has been playing, and all those stats back up what we know - that's he's been in very good form."

Sacked Bulldog Jason Akermanis says former teammate and captain Brad Johnson is hurting the team by playing injured following a 101-point demolition at the hands of Geelong.

"I know he's been injured all bloody year, he's been hobbling around," Akermanis said on MTR radio.

"But you talk about team, don't tell me that it's not being selfish when this guy keeps going out there when he's costing his team, because he clearly can't do anything on defence."

Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson says Jason Akermanis' sacking was entirely the latter's fault despite Akermanis claiming that Johnson was responsible a player revolt that led to the termination of his contract.

"We've got our trademarks that we live by on a day-to-day basis and we will not go outside of that as a team," Johnson told radio station Mix 101.1.

"If someone does we will sit them down and we will give them a chance and in Jason's case get the trust back within the football playing group.

"It was decided we get a few more players in just to get their thoughts on whether or not he had regained the trust within the playing group. There was 100 per cent consensus that that hadn't been achieved."

Sacked Bulldog Jason Akermanis says his former skipper Brad Johnson played a large role in bringing about the end of his career.

"Brad said in a meeting to the group, 'Now, if you were to play with a player and this player was going to write negative stuff about you, would you want to play with him?'" Akermanis said.

"That's the most loaded question I've ever seen. Of course, 100 per cent said, 'Of course, I wouldn't want to play with him'. He's made an assumption about ... something I've had no chance to even talk to him about."

The Western Bulldogs plan to celebrate Brad Johnson's 17-year contribution to the club in round 20 when they meet Geelong but say it will not be a farewell match.

"He's having a run of injuries at the moment but who knows, that might actually prolong his longevity in the game," club general manager of football James Fantasia said.

"He's missed nearly half the season getting the other part of his body right. Obviously we'll make a decision at the end of the year as he will, but [retirement] is not a fait accompli."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade is confident veteran captain Brad Johnson can still return from an achilles injury.

"What we're concerned about is the continuity to be able to play four or five in a row," Eade said.

"He'll be able to play again. We just have to get to a stage where there's continuity, and there's plenty of time in the season to be able to do that."

Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson says he felt like he had been on the sidelines for seven or eight games ahead of Friday night's win over Adelaide.

"I've only played two games for the season [but] it feels like I've been on the sidelines for more than seven or eight games," Johnson said.

"It was great to get back out there and now just really looking to build on the rest of the season."

Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson is expected to miss Sunday's clash with the Hawks as he recovers from a virus.

"On Sunday he got really crook. He has been crook for a couple of days and he's just a little bit better now," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"He was vomiting a lot and really had a high fever."

Brad Johnson is coping well with the knowledge he will not play in this weekend's NAB Cup grand final, according to coach Rodney Eade.

"He's a fairly upbeat sort of guy and a pragmatic sort of person," Eade said.

"He's disappointed underneath that he is not playing but he's got the whole season ahead of him and he knows that.

"He had a little bit of a setback for a few days but he's not too bad. He's in a positive frame of mind. He's the sort of guy who gets on with it and doesn't really dwell too much."

Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson will miss the season opener against the Pies and may not play until round three due to calf tightness.

"He trained yesterday and when he came in this morning it was just a bit tight," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"There was no real pain with it, but it was always going to be right on the edge whether he played on it or not so we're just going to err on the side of caution."

Despite the fact he still hasn't returned to full training, Brad Johnson insists he'll be ready for the season opener against Collingwood.

"I didn't miss a beat until a couple of weeks ago so I've got enough of a fitness base behind me and it shouldn't be an issue leading into the first game," he said.

"The week after [the final NAB Cup/Challenge match], the decision will be made in regards to what part they want me to play, possibly at Williamstown, or do a hard session at the footy club."

Western Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson remains hopeful of playing in the 2010 NAB Cup despite recent shoulder surgery restricting his pre-season.

"It's coming along quite well," he said.

"I haven't been restricted in any of the running and I've been able to do most of the skill drills.

"It's really not an issue. With the competitive side of things, we really don't do much before Christmas anyway".

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says he believes Brad Johnson can play for at least two more seasons with the addition of Barry Hall helping to prolong his career.

"Barry Hall will not just add to us, but take pressure off Johnson and Mitch Hahn and Robert Murphy," he said.

"Johnno might be able to prolong his career by 12 months. He won't have to play the contested football. He might be able to play more of a high forward or running role, which he still has in him."

Rodney Eade says Brad Johnson took his leadership to another level in 2009 and supports him keeping the role in 2010.

"He finished fourth in the best and fairest after a very good year. In the previous year, he had a few little injuries that held him back a bit, but I thought his leadership was outstanding," Eade said.

"His ability to delegate at the right time and develop some younger people in the leadership group was fantastic. Over the last two or three years, he's taken that part of his football to another level and he's been quite outstanding."

Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson has committed to the club for yet another season.

"I am obviously rapt to be playing on next year. The fact that Brian (Lake) has recommitted to the club and with the inclusion of Barry for the 2010 season, it's a fantastic time to be at the Western Bulldogs," Johnson said.

The Western Bulldogs have confirmed that Brad Johnson will be asked to play on in 2010, but a decision is yet to be made on Jason Akermanis and Nathan Eagleton.

As two top-four teams in the Bulldogs and Geelong face each other, veteran Bulldog Brad Johnson says he would love the chance to have another shot at goal after the siren to make up for his missed opportunity earlier in the year.

"I have missed two in two years, but I am not going to shy away from that situation, that is for sure," Johnson said.

"Hopefully if I get in that position on Friday night, I can turn the tables. I will certainly put myself up there to win that contested ball at the crunch time and continue to back myself in that situation."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade reckons there is plenty of life left in Brad Johnson who is due to become the club's games record holder by playing in his 342nd game for the Bulldogs.

''He's probably going to end up with 370, 380 and hopefully 400,'' Eade said.

Brad Johnson will play his 342nd senior game for the Bulldogs against Fremantle, taking him past former teammate Chris Grant as the club's games record holder.

"By the very facts and figures that he has achieved for the Western Bulldogs, he takes over in my view as the pre-eminent Bulldog of all time," Bulldogs president David Smorgon said.

Drew Petrie and Trent Cotchin have escaped with reprimands for striking offences on the weekend.

Petrie was cited for striking Brad Johnson, while Cotchin was fingered for striking Jarryn Geary.

The Bulldogs coach refuses to blame his skipper for the missed shot at goal that could have won the game against Geelong on Friday night.

"He was beating himself up a bit," Eade said.

"He takes that personally but it is not just one act that wins or loses you a game.

"That sort of kick he practises a lot, we practise goalkicking and different situations and different angles.

"I think he just rushed it a little bit. It is all ifs, buts, maybes after it has gone but after he heard the siren maybe he could have gone back; I don't know.

"Anyway, it was certainly a tight angle but he didn't kick it."

Western Bulldog Brad Johnson and Essendon's Mark McVeigh have made an emotional plea to footy fans to dig deep for bushfire victims.

Brad Johnson may be the oldest player at his club, but the captain has no thoughts about retirement.