THREE-TIME Geelong premiership player Steve Johnson has joined Greater Western Sydney

The Cats traded the 32-year-old to the Giants in exchange for a fifth-round selection in the 2016 national draft.

The deal was done to enable Johnson to join his new club now rather than having to wait for the next free agency period to open.

“Steve has been such a great servant of the club, so we felt it was the right thing to do this deal now rather than to make Steve wait,” Geelong’s general manager of football, Steve Hocking, said.
 
“We did the same thing for Paul Chapman, Josh Hunt and James Podsiadly two years ago in similar a situation.
 
“As we have said before, we wish Steve every success in his future endeavours both in and out of football.”

Johnson ends his time at Simonds Stadium as a true great of Geelong.

He played 253 games for the Cats between 2002 and 2015, kicking 452 goals and winning premierships in 2007, '09 and '11.

He won the Norm Smith Medal in 2007.

Johnson has joined the Giants on an initial one-year playing contract, with his situation to be reviewed at the end of next season.