The pain and the popping sensational were all too familiar for the young defender, who only 12 months before tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the NAB Cup campaign.
Nearly a month after learning he would require another knee reconstruction, Johnson spoke to SwansTV about the moment he realised another season may be over before it began.
“I think it was eight minutes into the first reserves practice match and I just went up for a regular spoil and I came down and landed awkwardly,” Johnson said.
“I pretty much knew straight away.
“I heard a ‘pop’ in my knee and it was a similar feeling to the first time I did it last pre-season, so I knew straight away what had happened.
“At that moment it was just utter disappointment, obviously.”
Last month’s injury came after a horror year for Johnson in 2013.
After initial tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, the traditional knee reconstruction he first had did not take.
The defender then underwent a hybrid-LARS procedure in August, but battled ongoing chronic inflammation throughout his rehabilitation process.
Following Johnson’s latest setback, the club has taken a precautionary approach, starting with arthroscopic surgery to clear out his knee, which Johnson underwent a fortnight ago.
“We pretty much wanted to get my knee back to square one, so we had everything taken out including what was left of the ACL and all the screws,” Johnson said.
“They had my knee really cleaned up and the surgeon was really happy with how my knee is looking and the structure of the knee, which I was pleased with.
“Now I’ve just got to wait a few weeks or a few months to have another reco.”
With time to kill between now and his next reconstruction, Johnson said he planned to get away from the club, which he hopes will help clear his head after the last 18 months he has endured.
“I’m planning on going over to the States this year for a few weeks, which I’m looking forward to,” he said.
“It’s a good chance to get away from footy and to experience something different, because I’ve never been over to America.
“I’m going with a good school mate of mine, so I’m really looking forward to it and it should be good fun.”
Johnson admitted it was difficult to again be left to watch from the sidelines as his team mates returned to the field for another season.
“I do love watching footy but it has been pretty hard watching the boys play every week when you can’t do anything about it and you know you’re not going to be there for the rest of the year,” he said.
“It will be three or four weeks overseas, which means getting out of Sydney and getting out of the routine of being at the club.
“I’m looking to getting away and then I can come back and hopefully I can get my new reconstruction and then look forward to next year.”
Johnson said he and the club medical staff were yet to make a decision on what type of reconstruction he would undergo this year, but said he just wanted to return to the field as soon as he could.
“I think I’m leaning towards a hybrid-LARS again just for the time-factor really so I can be back for the start of pre-season, which was the aim last year,” he said.
“Hopefully I can get that done in a couple of months and then go from there.”
