Bertram Harold "Bert" Johnson (born 8 June 1939) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played with West Adelaide in the

South Australian National Football League The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport. Originally formed as the ...

(SANFL) and

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL).

Biography

Johnson, an

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

from the

Nepabunna Nepabunna, also spelt Nipapanha, is a small community in the northern Flinders Ranges in north-eastern South Australia, about north of Adelaide. It is located just west of the Gammon Ranges, and the traditional owners are the Adnyamathanha peopl ...

Mission in rural South Australia, has been described as one of the most exciting footballers of his generation. He played mostly on the wing, but was also a capable centreman. After Johnson came to Adelaide he was taken by West Adelaide player Doug Thomas for a trial with the club and made his SANFL debut in the 1957 season. On a wing in West Adelaide's 1961 Grand Final winning team, Johnson was the first indigenous footballer to play in a SANFL premiership. He represented South Australia at interstate football in 1964. Johnson was cleared to North Melbourne just in time for the opening round of the

1965 VFL season The 1965 VFL season was the 69th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 17 April until 25 September, and comprised an ...

and was rated his side's best player in what ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' described as a "brilliant debut". Soon becoming a fan-favourite, Johnson made 16 appearances for North Melbourne in 1965. He won the club's best first-year player award and Channel 9 named him VFL Recruit of the Year. Early in the

1966 VFL season The 1966 VFL season was the 70th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 23 April until 24 September, and comprised an ...

he spoke to the media expressing his unhappiness after being dropped from the team and threatened to request a clearance back to South Australia. In round three he had been omitted from the team to play St Kilda, but was a last minute inclusion when wingman

Laurie Dwyer Laurie Dwyer (6 November 1938 – 17 October 2016) was an Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne. Dwyer came close to winning a Brownlow Medal on a few occasions, finishing second in 1961 and again in 1967 as well as placin ...

had to withdraw with injury. These comments led to him being disciplined and cost him his spot in the side until round seven. He ended up playing 10 games for the season. Johnson made only two senior appearances for North Melbourne in the 1967 season. He was one of North Melbourne's best players in the 1967 reserves grand final win over Richmond. He played three further VFL games in 1968, then finished his career in the

Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

, at Williamstown and later

Dandenong Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainly ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Bert 1939 births Living people Australian rules footballers from South Australia North Melbourne Football Club players West Adelaide Football Club players Williamstown Football Club players Dandenong Football Club players Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football