Bert Johnson
North Melbourne
AFL career
31 games5 goals
- Debut
- R1 1965 v SME19 Apr 1965
- Most recent
- R5 1968 v STK11 May 1968
Stats
Bio
A trailblazing Indigenous talent from South Australia, Bert Johnson established himself as a premier wingman with West Adelaide, where he famously became the first Indigenous footballer to play in a SANFL premiership side in 1961. Lured across the border to North Melbourne in 1965 by Alan Killigrew, Johnson made an immediate impact at Arden Street, producing a best-on-ground performance on debut that instantly won over the supporters. Standing just 170cm, he was an electrifying ball-carrier whose pace and skill saw him crowned the club's Best First Year Player and recognised by the media as the VFL recruit of the year. However, his time in the VFL was brief and volatile; often physically targeted by opponents and prone to retaliating, he struggled with consistency and suspensions over four seasons before finishing his career in the VFA with Williamstown and Dandenong.
Profile
- Born
- 08 June 1939
- Died
- 24 Sept 2026 (aged 87y 108d)
- Height
- 170 cm
- Weight
- 71 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionA trailblazing Indigenous talent from South Australia, Bert Johnson established himself as a premier wingman with West Adelaide, where he famously became the first Indigenous footballer to play in a SANFL premiership side in 1961. Lured across the border to North Melbourne in 1965 by Alan Killigrew, Johnson made an immediate impact at Arden Street, producing a best-on-ground performance on debut that instantly won over the supporters. Standing just 170cm, he was an electrifying ball-carrier whose pace and skill saw him crowned the club's Best First Year Player and recognised by the media as the VFL recruit of the year. However, his time in the VFL was brief and volatile; often physically targeted by opponents and prone to retaliating, he struggled with consistency and suspensions over four seasons before finishing his career in the VFA with Williamstown and Dandenong.