Ex-Swan signs in Lara coup
LARA has secured the signature of former Sydney player Alex Johnson for the 2019 season.
Johnson, who was part of the Swans 2012 premiership side, has endured a horror run of injuries in the past six years, undergoing six separate knee reconstructions.
The latest, which came after he injured his knee in just his second game in six years, means he will be unavailable to play until at least the second half of next season.
But Lara president Shane Bennett said just having 26year-old at the club was a sign of the positivity the Cats are building.
“Tony (Lara coach Tony Armstrong) and he are very good mates and we have had a number of discussions going back to last November, and the connection is there with Tony (from their time in Sydney) but he is also keen to work with a young group,” Bennett said.
“He has met a couple of the guys and he is really keen to be involved with the club as well.
“He is just a terrific person and if you win Sydney’s best clubman award in 2017 when you didn’t play a game, that is a reflection of the guy and the esteem in which he is held.
“But just having him around — the way he operates and conducts himself and has come back from some fairly serious adversity — means our guys and the whole club will be better for having Alex Johnson involved.”
It is understood Johnson will work with the Northern Blues in a development role, but his intention is to play later in the season when his knee has recovered.
Bennett said while Johnson was a chance to play a handful of games with Lara late in the year, he was due to commence running this week
“He is an unbelievably switched on fella and we are really excited to have him get on board with us,” he said.
“That (playing) is certainly the aim for the last quarter of the season next year.
“He is starting running this week but he had the operation pretty much the following week after the injury and it is important for people to understand that his wasn’t the one that he has had operations on previously, this is the other leg.
Johnson, who had been hopeful of earning a spot on a rookie list at last week’s draft, finished his AFL career on 47 games.