Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Robert Bruce Johnson Jnr

Known as
Bob Johnson

Nickname
Big Bob

Born
3 June 1935

Died
21 May 2001 (aged 65)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 19y 30d
Last game: 26y 105d

Height and weight
Height: 198 cm
Weight: 96 kg

Senior clubs
Melbourne; East Fremantle; Subiaco; Oakleigh

Jumper numbers
Melbourne: 18, 16

Recruited from
Melbourne (1962); East Fremantle (1967); Subiaco (1970)

State of origin
VIC

Hall of fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame (2012)

Family links
Bob Johnson Snr (Father)

Bob Johnson

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
MelbourneV/AFL1954-19611402671.9176%9.313.6234
East FremantleWANFL1962-19661063593.39
SubiacoWANFL196719341.79
OakleighVFA1970-1973401644.10
V/AFL1954-19611402671.9176%9.313.6234
WANFL1962-19671253933.14
VFA1970-1973401644.10
Total1954-1967, 1970-19733058242.70

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 6,484th player to appear, 1,484th most games played, 249th most goals kickedMelbourne: 756th player to appear, 82nd most games played, 14th most goals kicked

The son of Robert C. Johnson, 'Big Bob' was one of the real characters of 1950s and 1960s football in both Victoria and Western Australia. He was also, at 198cm in height, one of the tallest footballers of his time.

Johnson made his VFL debut with Melbourne as a 19-year-old, in 1954, and went on to play a total of 140 games and boot 267 goals for the club over the course of the next eight seasons. Lanky in build, he was hard to beat in ruck contests as he seemed so readily able to get his angular frame into optimum position against even the strongest of opponents. He was also extremely dangerous near goal when resting in the forward lines, with the Demons often using him as their principal goal kicking option, leaving full forward Athol Webb to act as a decoy. Bob Johnson played in a total of seven VFL Grand Finals for flags in 1955-6-7, 1959 and 1960. He often enraged opposition supporters with his often surprisingly effective penchant for 'staging' for free kicks.

In 1962 he was appointed captain-coach of East Fremantle where he enjoyed considerable success, both individual and team-based, over the next five seasons, with the highlight being a premiership in 1965. He played much of his football with Old Easts at full forward, topping the club's goal kicking list on four occasions, and the league's, with 92 goals (including finals) in 1966. He also topped the century with 105 goals in 1965, and won the club's fairest and best award in his debut season.

Johnson moved to Allan Killigrew's Subiaco in 1967 where he added 19 WANFL games to the 106 he had played with East Fremantle. He later enjoyed success as captain-coach of Oakleigh, steering the Devils to a first division VFA premiership in 1972 when aged 37. Four years later, during his second coaching stint at the club, he experienced the reverse side of the ledger as the team was relegated.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.