Edward Johnson
1923-1931
136 games
385 goals
Leading Goalkicker 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928

In the early days of football, the game was played as a contest between villages. Generally, the players lived in the village they represented, and club officials were also residents. Edward 'Ted' Johnson was born and raised in South Melbourne. He attended the Eastern Road State School and, when he became a League footballer, visited annually to speak with the school's young footballers.

On one such visit in 1928, he told them, "You must play for the good of your teammates, regardless of personal advancement, must take knocks without complaint, and must cultivate the twin qualities of determination and persistence." The Record suggested, "The boys will now do better than ever after this stimulating talk with their old captain."

Johnson learned his football fundamentals at the Leopold Redlegs Football Club, which was affiliated with South Melbourne. After World War I, Leopold became South's junior team. When the VFL introduced its reserves competition—the Victorian Junior Football League— in 1919, the Redlegs operated as South Melbourne's reserves team until 1924.

Playing in the VJFL gave Johnson a solid footing from which to build his game, and he impressed as a utility player, equally adept forward or back. The Sporting Globe said, "Leopold gave him every opportunity of improving his all-round game. When the call from the senior club came, he was in the best of form for the big task."

After being placed on South's training list during the pre-season, that senior call-up arrived in Round Four, 1923. Johnson's father didn't play football, but his two older brothers—John and Cyril—played senior football with Melbourne. When news of young Ted's promotion arrived home, they instantly became South supporters.

On debut, coach Charlie Pannam played Johnson across half-back until he sustained a thigh injury in the Round Six match against Carlton and propped him at full-forward. And, fortuitously, the career of one of the club's great goalkickers began. Johnson converted two goals that day from a forward pocket, and he flourished when moved permanently to full-forward. The team gradually found form and, late in the season, charged into third place, earning a finals spot with a final-round victory over St Kilda in front of a record Lake Oval crowd of 40,441.

In their semi-final against minor premier Essendon, Johnson starred, kicking a then VFL finals record seven goals. South won by 17 points, with Johnson chaired from the ground and later presented with the match ball. Unfortunately, they lost the preliminary final against Fitzroy the following week by two goals, despite again performing admirably. Johnson finished his first season as the club's leading goalkicker with 44.

It had been a memorable first year in red and white. He travelled with a Victorian team to Sydney and returned to the Harbour City later in the year with his South teammates. Johnson told W.S Sharland in The Sporting Globe that he "had a very fine time."

Early in the 1924 season, fellow Swans Hall of Famer Bill Windley coached Johnson in the art of place-kicking. While he was a long kick, they weren't always accurate, and under Windley's tuition, his potency improved. However, after kicking one goal from 13 place-kicks against Melbourne in Round 5, Johnson reverted to his favoured drop-kicking action.

The Southerners played consistently again to finish second on the ladder. Incredibly, the VFL reverted to the round-robin finals system they employed in the inaugural 1897 season, and South didn't fare well. Johnson finished the year with a club record 60 goals and was awarded a 'special prize' at the annual meeting for not missing a training session all year. That dedication contributed to his selection in the Victorian side that played South Australia earlier in the year.

A sturdy player, Johnson covered the ground well and could make position beautifully. In a Sporting Globe feature, journalist 'Victor' said, "Ted Johnson, the popular South Melbourne player, is another man of the nuggety build, who has earned a reputation for his rapid groundwork and good judgment."

"His judgment in getting position to receive the ball and his clever snap-shooting was the admiration of all followers of the game and the delight of the Southerners' supporters."

In 1925, South disappointed in finishing eighth. Johnson again represented Victoria and replicated his club record tally of 60 goals. The following year, Johnson received greater support on the forward line, with Bloods Champion Roy Cazaly featuring prominently across half-forward, forming a dangerous partnership. They kicked a combined 68 goals, but South only missed the finals by percentage.

In a crucial late-season match against Footscray at the Lake Oval, Johnson was the victim of what The Sun News-Pictorial described as a 'low-down ruse' to get him out of the game—a punter claiming to be a 'Dr. Bishop' called the ground at half-time, claiming Johnson's mother was dangerously ill and her son was required home immediately. South secretary Likely McBrien suspected a hoax and personally drove to Mrs. Johnson's house. She answered the door, fit as a fiddle, and Johnson remained on the field, kicking five goals in a 59-point win.

The 1927 season started with a one-point win over Carlton, in which Johnson kicked the winning behind moments before the bell. Ultimately, though, it was another year unfulfilled. Johnson kicked 50 goals from 15 games to claim his fifth successive leading goalkicker award.

Despite the club's unflattering results, Johnson started the 1928 season in fine form. Sharland wrote in The Sporting Globe, "Johnson is very cool and clever and seldom gets rattled. He is a footballer whose ability is not only confined to attack because he has often served South well in defence." He played the last of his seven matches for Victoria that year, again equalling his club record 60 goals.

The final three seasons of his South Melbourne career proved somewhat frustrating. He was dropped from the team in 1929, and when young prodigy Bob Pratt joined South in 1930, Johnson found himself being used more often as a half-back. In the lead-up to the 1932 season, rumours surrounding his imminent departure began circulating.

A month out from the start of the season, The Record announced Johnson had gained a clearance to coach Brighton in the VFA. "Johnson served South well during his nine years at the club. He was particularly anxious to complete his tenth year with the red and whites, but wisely decided to make what he could out of the game while he had the ability. He carries with him the best wishes and a host of admirers."

In 1944, Johnson joined many former teammates playing in an 'Old League Champions' match at the Lake Oval. He broke a bone in his arm, meaning a three-month absence from work. The club reimbursed him for his loss of salary, while a collection from past South greats and the club itself paid for Johnson's treatment. He expressed his appreciation for the generosity that his former club and teammates displayed.

Ted Johnson passed away in 1970 at the age of 68. He is remembered as one of South Melbourne's most prolific goalkickers, and his feat of six consecutive leading goalkicker awards ensured he was highly respected throughout the competition. Johnson dreamed of playing for South, and he did so with distinction.