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When Kalgoorlie recruit Mick Johns arrived unheralded at Subiaco in 1977 and won the colts fairest and best that same year, the gangly six foot five ruckman had the club's heirachy in raptures.  Making his league debut against East Perth the following season, he did enough against Ian McCulloch and Bradley Smith to hold his place, and was the winner of the club's best first year player award. A former Mines Rovers ruckman in the Goldfields League, Johns was a nineteen year old when he joined the Lions, and immediately made an impression. Mick was a high leaper, who palmed the ball well from the centre bounce, and with the proliference of top ruckmen at the time, Subiaco coach Peter Burton, a deft hand at the craft himself, took him under his wing. Johns was a mobile player, who could run all day, and was also used in key positions as well as a forward during his career.   After a good second year in 1979, he broke his jaw in the last game, requiring three plates to be attached, which was not only a huge setback in itself, but was to result in him battling for form on resuming. There was also turmoil in the Subiaco camp, with Burton resigning as coach, and the club continuing to struggle. At the end of the first round of the 1983 season, having played six out of seven games, Johns received a surprise call from Swan Districts, floating the possibility of him joining the black and whites due to injuries to their ruckmen, after a recommendation from  their number one big man, Ron Boucher. With his career at Subiaco in doubt, it didn't take much persuasion to join the reigning premiers, and so it was that Mick Johns became a Swanee.  Ironically, it was Boucher who was to cost Johns a place in the Swan Districts premiership side in the 1983 season. Big Ron's fitness was in doubt leading up to the grand final, and Johns was earmarked to play in the event of Boucher being unable to take his place. Fifteen minutes before bouncedown, Boucher was declared fit, so Mick unfortunately missed out. He was an integral part of the side the following year, however, and was one of the best on ground when he led the ruck in Swans thirty six point win over East Fremantle, after being an amazing sixty four points in front at quarter time.   Johns's form in 1984 established him as Swan Districts number one ruckman. Consistency was his forte' at Bassendean, running third in club fairest and best award voting three times, and his form was rewarded at State level in 1987 when he was selected in the State Squad, an honour that he was unfortunately forced to decline, because of injury. His understanding with Gerard Neesham, Barry Kimberley, Don Langsford, and Jon Fogarty was a feature of his game. Mick Johns surprised the Swan Districts club and it's supporters at the end of the 1987 season, when, at the age of twenty nine and having played sixty four games at Subiaco and eighty eight at Swans, he announced his retirement from league football.  “ The Eagles had started, the competition had lost a lot, all  of a sudden the heavy training didn't have as much appeal, and I was twenty nine years of age,” he told us.  Moving to Northampton, Johns captain coached the local side for three years and played for the Great Northern League in the Wesfarmers Country Championships, defeating SWFL in an A Grade final.  Enjoying the country lifestyle, he and wife Marina decided to settle down at Bridgetown, where Mick coached the colts for four years and assisted as league coach for another four.     Johns played against a star studded array of ruckmen in his day, and reckons they were all good. “Moss, Boucher, Michael, Sidebottom, Alexander, Keene, they were all good. Stephen Michael would run you off your feet.”   A favourite memory for Mick is the time that Swans coach John Todd dropped him after reaching 149 league games. “I was p...... off about that, because I reckoned I was playing alright,” he recalled. “The following week, against South Fremantle, he picked me again, but the smart bugger put me at fullback, on Craig Edwards, who proceeded to boot four quick goals. I was dragged to the bench after that, but he later relented and sent me to full forward, on State full back Gavin Carter.” “I ended up with eight six pointers, and boy, it made my day.” Mick and Marina Johns are happily ensconced at picturesque Bridgetown, where he is a shipping officer with a mineral company. They have two boys, one of whom, Nathan, plays with South Bunbury  in the SWFL.  Mick still follows Swans, but manages to catch up with Subiaco team mates as well, and is a keen fisherman. The promise that Mick Johns exhibited in his youth, was unable to be fulfilled at Subiaco, probably in hindsight due to personality clashes with coaches and a personal journey with wife, Marina, as part of coming to terms with the suicide of his father during that period,but it was at Swan Districts that he became a leading ruckman in his own right, and a premiership player.   A frank and forthright man, Mick Johns concluded our chat with some sound advice to any aspiring young footballers: “Perseverance, Workmanlike, Commitment to teammates, and a quote: You can lose your form but not your ability.”      

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