In a series focusing on Richmond’s trade/draft history, we look at Kane Johnson’s transition from Crows’ premiership star to esteemed Tigers’ leader.
Kane Johnson had already played in two premiership sides with the Adelaide Crows before he’d turned 21.
Despite Johnson’s tender football years, he’d been a key member of a star-studded midfield group, in Adelaide’s back-to-back flag triumphs of 1997-98, due to his ball-getting ability and hard running.
He’d had the second most disposals for the Crows in both of their premiership wins and was regarded as their second best player (behind Andrew McLeod) in the ’98 Grand Final victory over North Melbourne.
After seven prosperous seasons at Adelaide, Johnson fulfilled his wish of returning to his home state of Victoria, joining Richmond during the 2002 trade period, in a complicated deal involving Tiger defender Jason Torney, and an exchange of National Draft picks.
Johnson was particularly pleased to finally get the opportunity to play for Richmond, as he’d barracked for the Tigers while growing up.
“My boyhood dream was to one day play for the mighty Tigers. I must admit that even when I was playing for Adelaide, I always kept an eye on how Richmond was going. Although I made Adelaide my home while I was there, deep down I loved Richmond,” Johnson said.
He had, in fact, expected to get to Richmond a year earlier, in a swap for Tiger big man Ben Holland.
“At the end of the 2001 season, it looked like my dream of playing with the Tigers was about to come true. I was set to be traded by the Crows in exchange for Ben Holland, and had actually signed my end of the deal. Big ‘Dutchy’, however, ‘burnt’ me by pulling out at the last minute and staying at Punt Road,” Johnson said.
“A year later, and the opportunity to return to Victoria came up again. This time I didn’t get my hopes up too much, given what had happened previously.
“There were a couple of Melbourne clubs who expressed a bit of interest initially, and at that stage, I was keen to keep my options open. But once Richmond really entered the picture again, I told my manager to make sure the Tigers were No. 1 priority.
“As it turned out, Richmond showed the most interest and did the most to get me, which was very pleasing . . .”
From the time Johnson arrived at Tigerland, he had a strong influence on the playing group due to his leadership, professionalism, work ethic, football ‘smarts’, and successful AFL career background.
In Johnson’s 2003 debut season with the Club, he averaged 21.8 disposals per game in his 20 appearances, and finished runner-up to Mark Coughlan in the Jack Dyer Medal.
He was second in the Best and Fairest again the following year, after his 19 games yielded him a highly-impressive average of 24.8 disposals per match.
Such was Johnson’s all-round impact in his first couple of years at Richmond that, at the end of the 2004 season, when Wayne Campbell stood down as captain, the Club had no hesitation in turning to him as the replacement skipper.
The added responsibility of the captaincy did not faze Johnson, and he produced another typically consistent season of league football in 2005, finishing seventh in the Best and Fairest.
Then, in season 2006, Johnson added another string to his bow, when he took on a run-with role in the Tigers’ line-up. Each week, he was assigned the job of nullifying the opposition’s best midfielders – and he carried it out superbly.
Not only was Johnson so defensively effective, he still managed to win plenty of ball himself, averaging 17.3 disposals per game.
At the end of that season, Johnson was rewarded for his fine, disciplined, on-field feats, with the Jack Dyer Medal.
Johnson had another couple of productive years with the Tigers, averaging 20 disposals per game in 2007 and 23.9 disposals per game in 2008, before on-going knee problems prompted his retirement as a league player during the 2009 season.
He had provided Richmond with substantial value, through his all-round playing ability and strong leadership qualities, during a six-year career at the Club.
