Those who saw Chris Johnson play will remember his silky left foot fondly. It’s fair to say the game came pretty easily to the son of a gun. Although things became a lot harder when his AFL career came to an abrupt end.
After a string of leg injuries during two years at Carlton, Johnson was delisted at the end of the 2010 season and when facing the reality of what next? He was left searching for answers.
Johnson admits he found the transition into “the real world” challenging, in fact he says he “went missing for 12 months” after getting delisted by Carlton.
He hopes to use his own experiences and mistakes to help others make the most of the time they have after leaving the AFL system.
Through his new business venture, Beyond Sport Recruitment, Johnson wants to assist former AFL footballers select their next club.
After leaving Carlton, Johnson played local football for cash and in his own words, “fluffed” around for 12 months, before really getting a grip on what he wanted to do with his life.
His primary motive was easy money and he found a local football club who could provide that, but he got injured and didn’t receive match payments he thought he would.
When his partner fell pregnant Johnson was intent on establishing security from his family and was able to use his football talents to leverage not just a job, but also a career.
He wanted a career in sales and through VAFA club Old Ivanhoe was able to get one.
“You are in a bubble with footy and when you are on the fringes, I know my mindset was that If I just dedicate myself 100 per cent to footy I might get another year or If I work harder I might get a two year deal” – Chris Johnson
Johnson says chasing cash in the country leagues or in suburban football might be the right fit for some guys, but overall he will advise his clients to take a longer-term approach.
He admits this is a difficult mindset to channel when there is easy money to be made. Johnson says that given guys are coming from the elite level it can be difficult to start at the bottom, accept a base salary and work hard to get to the top again, but it’s worth it in the long run.
“It took me 18 months to accept it. Because you are at the top people want to know you, people want to do things for you and when you come out people tend to wash their hands of you move on,” Johnson says.
“I went to the VAFA and used my footy while I still have it to source those networks and connections and start myself a career. I had to understand that you’ve got to start on the bottom, but its something that will pay off in four to five years.”
Johnson stresses the importance of preparing for life after football while still in the game, but he also understands this can be difficult to prioritise when fighting for survival in the AFL.
“You are in a bubble with footy and when you are on the fringes, I know my mindset was that If I just dedicate myself 100 per cent to footy I might get another year or If I work harder I might get a two year deal,” he says.
“But in doing that you are neglecting the need to have an exit strategy. It’s a double edged sword.”
He sees his services as a ‘add on’ to what management companies and the AFL Players’ Association already provide for players exiting the game.
Beyond Sport Recruitment is free for players to join and works like a traditional recruiting company. Local clubs submit their networking strengths and Johnson will work to find a player whose ambitions match those opportunities.
Chris Johnson was recruited from East Fremantle, he was a father-son selection to Melbourne in 2003, where he played 31 games before adding 15 in two seasons at Carlton. He was delisted at the end of 2010.