Courtney Johns

Courtney Johns is an Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League. Wearing the number 21 Guernsey, he plays full-forward and occasional back, seen as a power forward due to his strong build, height, ability to take a strong mark and inflict damage.

Early career and injuries

Johns was recruited by Essendon from East Fremantle (WAFL) playing in the colts, State U18s & reserves, until a career threatening fractured labrum in his draft year (2002 rookie draft) which kept him from the playing field for over two years. The injury left doubts that he would ever run again, let alone play football.

He had several surgeries to remove floating bone fragments from his distraught left hip, prolonged rehabilitation and a modified training regime to make an apparent full recovery. He was elevated to senior level in 2005, and ranked as the second fastest Bomber over 20m in pre-season testing.

2006 season

Was easily spotted on the field by his trademark blonde dreadlocks, which he shaved off mid-season and now sports short back and sides.

He suffered an injury (ribs) after the Round 14 game against Fremantle Football Club, where he showed good signs in his best game for the club until that stage - booting 3 goals and taking 7 marks.

When he made his return in Round 19, he continued to show good signs with another 3 goal haul against Collingwood, helping to result in Essendon's third win for the season.

Round 20 against Hawthorn saw him kick no goals and have little impact as in previous games that season. He made up for it to some extent by kicking a goal against Richmond in Round 21. The Bombers last game for the season was against the Western Bulldogs, though they had nothing to play for except a win, Essendon fought hard and Johns kicked his last goal for the season.

2007 season

In Round 4 Johns' first match for the season he did not make much of an impact but in his second on Anzac Day he booted two crucial goals, one from the boundary and on the edge of the fifty metre arc, the other straight in front beyond fifty.

2008 season

2008 was Johns' final season with Essendon, during which he played in just 2 games. During the season he injured his ACL (Knee) in a VFL match for the Bendigo Bombers against Port Melbourne at TEAC Oval, ending his season. He played 21 games, and Essendon won just 3 of those games. At the end of the 2008 season he was delisted by the Essendon Football Club.

After the AFL

Johns returned to East Fremantle Football Club in a full-forward role in 2009, and later played in country Victoria.

At the end of the 2009 season, Johns was involved in a dispute with the East Fremantle Football Club due to his not turning up for training or club functions. Subsequently, Johns was released to Heywood in the Western Border Football League (based on the Victorian/South Australian border) alongside other former AFL footballers Mal Michael, Brad Smith and Brad Fuller. In Round 2, against Hamilton Imperials, he kicked 11 goals, helping to end the club's 42-game losing streak.

In 2011, Courtney Johns signed with the Aberfeldie Football Club in the Essendon District Football League along with other former Bomber's Hayden Skipworth and Damien Peverill but had to bow out due to injury before the season even began. He assisted the coaching staff for the year and remains contracted to play as a senior player.

Awards and honours

• Lindsay Griffith Rising Star Award 2006.

External links

• Courtney Johns's profile on the official website of the Essendon Football Club
• Courtney Johns's statistics from AFL Tables