CALLING IT A DAY

Hanging up the boots can be a difficult task, especially when you’re hanging up a whiteboard as well. Montrose senior playing coach Brett Johnson will put a full stop on both his playing and coaching careers at the end of the Demons’ season. The former Hawthorn and Carlton player was originally drafted by Hawthorn at pick 25 from Swan Districts, and earned himself a Rising Star nomination in his early days at the club. “In terms of my development as a footballer, my time at Hawthorn from that point of view was fantastic,” he said. “I managed to play 38 games and was probably in and out of the side a little bit – it was a pretty good team at the time. I was competing for spots with Sam Mitchell and Nick Ries and other similar sorts of players so that’s why I decided to make the move to Carlton.” Johnson was traded to Carlton after four years spent on the fringes, and played another 32 games before being de-listed at the end of 2005. While his career didn’t blossom as he’d hoped after the move, his time in the AFL system helped set the groundwork for the success that would follow. “Under Denis Pagan at Carlton I had a good opportunity, but obviously things didn’t work out and I only lasted two years there.” Johnson signed with Williamstown where he would go on to captain the club and play some of his best football. “Once you get to the age of 24 or 25 you start getting a bit more perspective on football and I think that’s when you hit your straps,” he said. “I think my form at Williamstown was really consistent and I played in some really good sides. Unfortunately we couldn’t quite win a grand final in my time there. We were in an alliance with Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs which made it tricky at times but we were consistently playing in prelims and grand finals so I had a really good experience.” Johnson twice finished runner up in the VFL league best and fairest award, won the Williamstown best and fairest twice, and captained the Victorian state team before deciding to try his hand at coaching and moving to Montrose in 2012. He says that coaching was a natural progression from his former role as captain of Williamstown. “I’ve always been a student of the game and have been in leadership positions all the way through my junior career and then at Williamstown, where I was captain for five years and on the match committee there,” he said. Johnson believes that lessons learnt in his role as General Manager, Player Development at the AFL Player’s Association taught him some of the skills required by a leader of men. “I’ve got 13 staff so in terms of that leadership and management kind of role I have, it’s a good link to the coaching role I’ve had at Montrose. I’ve been able to get those skills there into my coaching so they complemented each other,” he said. “You need to be able to communicate effectively and be able to teach – it’s not what you know it’s what the players know [that counts].” The two-time Montrose best and fairest winner believes he grew in experience while at the helm, and ranks the club’s 2013 premiership amongst his prouder moments. “It’s certainly a highlight and was fantastic for the club. [We played] three grand finals in three years so it was a real relief I guess. A lot of people had worked really hard to put the club in that position,” he said. “It was great to be able to win it and go up into Division 1 where we’ve been able to really stabalise ourselves and hopefully continue to move forward.” Johnson ranks his overall consistency as one of his most lofty achievements, something that carried over to Montrose where he only missed one game in his five years at the club. “I think along the way I’ve been reasonably consistent in terms of my playing form and I think I’ve played the game in the right manner. I think I’ve always put the team first so I’m pretty proud of that,” he said. “Success is one thing on the field but it’s also about the people you meet along the way and I’ve been very fortunate through Hawthorn, Carlton, Williamstown and Montrose that I’ve made some really good friendships and great experiences along the way.” “I think what you give to the game and your footy clubs is what you get back in return and that’s certainly the experience I’ve had along the whole journey.” The decision to end that journey follows the recent birth of his second child. “I’ve got a young family… so balancing work, family and footy was getting more difficult. It’s about time to take a step back and focus on family and the role I have at the AFL Player’s Association,” he said. “I’m very grateful and privileged for the experience I had at Montrose and to have the opportunity to coach the footy club. The playing group has been fantastic to me in the five years that I was there and I’m confident the club will continue to move forward from here.”