Harold Johnston
North Melbourne
AFL career
37 games32 goals
- Debut
- R1 1925 v GEE2 May 1925
- Most recent
- R18 1927 v COL10 Sept 1927
Stats
Bio
A tenacious rover who graduated from North Melbourne's VFA side to their inaugural VFL list, Harold Johnston is immortalised at Arden Street as "Shinboner Number 7." Standing just 168cm, he compensated for his light frame with a combative playstyle that often blurred the line between hard football and undue force, a trait that frequently incited jeers from opposition barrackers. He personified the club's gritty spirit in his very first League match against Geelong in 1925, where he broke a rib in the opening term but refused to come off the ground, playing out the match in agony to support his teammates. While the side struggled to compete in those formative years, Johnston provided a memorable spark in 1926, drifting forward to boot four goals in a morale-boosting win over fellow newcomers Hawthorn. Following his playing career, which concluded back in the VFA with Sandringham, he returned to the VFL as an umpire, officiating six senior matches in the early 1930s.
Profile
- Born
- 01 May 1895
- Died
- 03 July 1978 (aged 83y 63d)
- Height
- 168 cm
- Weight
- 65 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionA tenacious rover who graduated from North Melbourne's VFA side to their inaugural VFL list, Harold Johnston is immortalised at Arden Street as "Shinboner Number 7." Standing just 168cm, he compensated for his light frame with a combative playstyle that often blurred the line between hard football and undue force, a trait that frequently incited jeers from opposition barrackers. He personified the club's gritty spirit in his very first League match against Geelong in 1925, where he broke a rib in the opening term but refused to come off the ground, playing out the match in agony to support his teammates. While the side struggled to compete in those formative years, Johnston provided a memorable spark in 1926, drifting forward to boot four goals in a morale-boosting win over fellow newcomers Hawthorn. Following his playing career, which concluded back in the VFA with Sandringham, he returned to the VFL as an umpire, officiating six senior matches in the early 1930s.