Brett Johnson has joined the Geelong Cats as Performance and Development Manager. 

Johnson has extensive experience in leadership roles within football, most recently spending eight years at the AFLPA as General Manager of Player Development.

Johnson will lead and support the player development strategy across men’s and women’s football programs as well as co-ordinate the delivery of programs across medical, fitness, coaching and player development. Johnson will also work closely with key external stakeholders at Deakin University, the AFL, AFLPA and AFLCA.

“Brett has shown himself to be a leader across many roles through a long career in football,” Geelong’s General Manager of Football Simon Lloyd said.

“He was an excellent player, has experience in coaching and medical services and his time with the AFLPA saw growth across the game in player development. We welcome Brett to the club and look forward to his knowledge and experience helping us in many areas.”

Johnson is a qualified physiotherapist and played 70 AFL games with Hawthorn and Carlton. He went onto play six seasons with Williamstown in the VFL, the last five as club captain. He enjoyed great success at VFL level, earning life membership, a premiership medal, multiple best & fairest awards and captaincy of the state team. Johnson then went on as playing coach at Montrose in the Eastern Football League for five years, winning a premiership in 2013.