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Key Facts
Full name
Wayne Johnston
Known as
Wayne Johnston
Nickname
The Dominator
Born
19 December 1957 (age 66)
Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 21y 102d
Last game: 32y 229d
Height and weight
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Senior clubs
Prahran; Carlton; Australia; Sturt
Jumper numbers
Carlton: 7
Wayne Johnston
| Club | League | Career span | Games | Goals | Avg | Win % | AKI | AHB | AMK | BV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prahran | VFA | 1975-1978 | 68 | 173 | 2.54 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carlton | V/AFL | 1979-1990 | 209 | 283 | 1.35 | 68% | 15.19 | 4.19 | 2.87 | 42 |
| Australia | IR | 1986 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sturt | SANFL | 1991 | 3 | 2 | 0.67 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 1975-1991 | 283 | 458 | 1.62 | — | — | — | — | — | |
AFL: 9,047th player to appear, 567th most games played, 223rd most goals kickedCarlton: 877th player to appear, 31st most games played, 15th most goals kicked
Wayne Johnston was an outstanding 'big game' player, nicknamed 'The Dominator', who played his football with immense verve, intensity, aggression, pace and flair. In 1975, aged eighteen, he was recruited by VFA club Prahran, and he did enough in his four season, 68 game, 173 goal career with the club to earn selection in its official 'Team of the Century'. His last game for the Two Blues was the victorious first division grand final against Preston in 1978 when he was one of the best players on view. His display interested two VFL clubs in Carlton and Melbourne and Johnston ended up throwing in his lot with the the former. One reason for this might have been that he felt he had a point to prove in that earlier the same year he had tried out with the Blues but been rejected as lacking the desire necessary to succeed at the elite level of the game. Between 1979 and 1990 he would conclusively prove the doubters wrong, in the process stamping himself as one of Carlton's, and indeed football's, all time greats.
Over the course of his 209 game 283 game V/AFL career Wayne Johnston was a key contributor to no fewer than four Blues premiership triumphs, won the club's best and fairest award twice (once jointly), represented Victoria three times, served as club skipper in 1984 and 1985, leading goal kicker with 51 goal in 1980, and was named an All Australian in 1987. More subjectively, his ability to perform at optimum effectiveness whenever the stakes were at their highest afforded an emphatic response to those who, back in 1978, had claimed Johnston "lacked desire".
After leaving Carlton at the end of the 1990 season Wayne Johnston endured a horrific time as captain-coach of Sturt in 1991, playing just 3 games because of injury, and ultimately getting sacked ten rounds from the end of the season. After a stint with Ballarat Football League club Sebastapol Johnston captain-coached Kedron Grange in 1993 before accepting that his body was no longer up to the rigours of league football and retiring.
Hardly surprisingly Wayne Johnston's immense contribution to the Carlton cause has been officially recognised with his inclusion in the club's 'Team of the Century' and induction, as a Legend, into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Author - John Devaney