Vale' Bob 'Tassie' Johnson

[Deecisive 1,669]

RIP, used to love watching that man drop kick the ball out, it went a proverbial country mile. a great man and a great skill lost.

[Still Waiting 94]

Super fullback who was a champion in his own right. Lucky to share his surname and I eventually had some success as a fullback myself in the old ESCFA. RIP Tassie and thanks for the memories. Another member of our best ever side now taking his place upstairs. Geez we have the basis of a truly great side up there now.

[jackaub 1,402]

How old was Tassie Johnson?

[jackaub 1,402]

Anybody there?

[jackaub 1,402]

Born 1937 are you guys all asleep?

[Dee Dee Ramone 89]

Tas was indeed a champion of the MFC.

Poignantly, only last week my son was given an old Guernsey that Tas wore (he was my wife's God Father).

Certainly "one for the pool room"

[Dee-Nee 91]

What a great player Tassie was. He never kept Hudson goalless. I think Barry Richardon from the Tiges was the only one who managed that.

My memories are of Brian Dixon running into space on the wing wing when Tassie was kicking out after a point and Tassie putting a 60 yard drop kick into his path. Also showing Max Walker the ropes when Max was starting out as a back pocket ruckman.

Maybe Tom Mac can fill Tassie's boots.

[jackaub 1,402]

What a great player Tassie was. He never kept Hudson goalless. I think Barry Richardon from the Tiges was the only one who managed that.

My memories are of Brian Dixon running into space on the wing wing when Tassie was kicking out after a point and Tassie putting a 60 yard drop kick into his path. Also showing Max Walker the ropes when Max was starting out as a back pocket ruckman.

Maybe Tom Mac can fill Tassie's boots.

That's such a nice thought

[beelzebub 22,706]

How old was Tassie Johnson?

google is your friend

[chook fowler 18,555]

What a great player Tassie was. He never kept Hudson goalless. I think Barry Richardon from the Tiges was the only one who managed that.

My memories are of Brian Dixon running into space on the wing wing when Tassie was kicking out after a point and Tassie putting a 60 yard drop kick into his path. Also showing Max Walker the ropes when Max was starting out as a back pocket ruckman.

Maybe Tom Mac can fill Tassie's boots.

My first footy hero. He may not have kept Hudson goalless but he acknowledged him as the best fullback he had played against.

Tassie was more than serviceable in the ruck as well, despite being only 6ft2.

Really sad to hear of his passing.

[Atholwebb 110]

A great full back was Tassie Bob. Both Bob Johnsons are sadly now gone.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,266]

A champion player and the best fullback in the game in his era. What a lovely sight were his drop kicks. RIP Tassie.

[monoccular 16,595]

Best and most consistent exponent of the drop kick I have seen...as others have said he frequently kicked it into what would now be the center square, and occasionally reached the center circle.

I too tried to emulate him, once really connecting and putting it through our large plate glass front window :-((((

And if my memory serves me correctly he mutated to a decent ruck rover in his final years. Did he also do some time at CHF?

Edited October 29, 2015 by monoccular

[Swampfox 190]

Tassie was one of my favourites and its a sad day for the club and supporters

What a shame they haven't recognised him as an VFL /AFL HOF member before his passing as there is no doubt in my mind its

another oversight just like Gary Hardeman

I do think that the only player that kept Hudson Goaless was Harvey Merrigan from Fitzroy

I compare Tassies drop kick to be just as good as Paul Vinar from Geelong who they claim was the best

On Fineys show (SEN1116) i do recall quite a few full forwards saying Tassie Johnson was one of their toughest opponents

[Gator 16,921]

Thanks for putting this up....outststanding...

I'm too young to remember Tassie, but an older Brother had this image as a huge poster on the back of his bedroom door.

Thanks for sharing.

[Rob Mac...... 612]

Saw the heading & thought it was "Big Bob." I'd forgotten he died years ago.

Who didn't love Tassie Johnson back then!! Fabulous full back, kick and elite footballer. A regular for the Vic's. I studied his dropkicking closely.

Someone posted that he was only 6'2", but that was fairly tall back then. Big John Nicholls was only 6'2", and when Tas wasn't at full back, we'd use Bernie Massey who was noticeably shorter.

An essential part of our golden era.

All the best to his loved ones.

[gsmith12 491]

The man was a hero for many in my generation. He could play in the ruck and up forward but he was peerless when he was at full back.

Those drop kicks would often hit the centre of the ground and of course, he was always a feature of the World of Sport kicking competition. I can still see Bruce Andrew with hair neatly parted in the middlle, lifting the board to show he was awarding Tassie 9 out of 10 for one of his kicks.

Vale Tassie and condolences to his family.

We were fortunate to have so many we could call a hero in those glory days. Tassie was certainly one of them, a gentleman, a great player and one of the greatest exponents of the drop kick. Tassie was one of the best afield in the 1964 GF, a memory I will always cherish. RIP.

[Bitter but optimistic 21,573]

Saw the heading & thought it was "Big Bob." I'd forgotten he died years ago.

Who didn't love Tassie Johnson back then!! Fabulous full back, kick and elite footballer. A regular for the Vic's. I studied his dropkicking closely.

Someone posted that he was only 6'2", but that was fairly tall back then. Big John Nicholls was only 6'2", and when Tas wasn't at full back, we'd use Bernie Massey who was noticeably shorter.

An essential part of our golden era.

All the best to his loved ones.

I haven't looked at the records Rob but from my memory Bernie Massey was full back and Tassie took over when he retired. I have a kid memory of reading the teams in the Friday night Herald and having a backline of Johnson Massie Miller. OD may have be able to confirm (or not) this.

[What 18,810]

Its great to hear stories from the more senior members of the forum about Bob Johnson. Thanks to all who are sharing them.

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could somehow summon the spirit of the Demon teams and players from that successful era

I want to ask the folks who watched him play back in thse glor years - which modern day player (say last 25 years) would he best compared to in terms of style and ability?

Edited October 30, 2015 by Petraccattack

[Bitter but optimistic 21,573]

Its great to hear stories from the more senior members of the forum about Bob Johnson. Thanks to all who are sharing them.

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could somehow summon the spirit of the Demon teams and players from that successful era

I want to ask the folks who watched him play back in thse glor years - which modern day player (say last 25 years) would he best compared to in terms of style and ability?

The reality is you simply cannot compare. They were basically amateur footballers who loved the (mark and kick) game and loved a beer and a pie. Two nights a week training after work was the go.

The notion of being a midfielder and running say 15 k's in a game would have been fanciful.

I'm not knocking that era - I was a kid and loved it , but it was a different world in so many ways.

[Rob Mac...... 612]

I haven't looked at the records Rob but from my memory Bernie Massey was full back and Tassie took over when he retired. I have a kid memory of reading the teams in the Friday night Herald and having a backline of Johnson Massie Miller. OD may have be able to confirm (or not) this.

I hadn't checked the records either when posting Bbo, but have now & miraculously I was correct !? Tas was 5cm taller than Bernie Massey.

Bernies career was shorter, from 1960 - 67. Tas Johnson 1959 - 69.

I was very young, but rabidly at most home games between 1954 and 1965, and thought at one stage Bernie took over FB from Tassie when Tas went into the ruck and the occasional other position especially later on. ..but Tas probably took over from him sometimes too. As i indicated earlier, Tas seemed the bigger star to me, but Bernie took over full back very capably when Tassie played other positions. E.G in 1964 it was mainly

B: Crompton, Massey, T. Johnson

Thanks everyone for the enjoyable reminders :-)

[dieter 3,325]

I haven't looked at the records Rob but from my memory Bernie Massey was full back and Tassie took over when he retired. I have a kid memory of reading the teams in the Friday night Herald and having a backline of Johnson Massie Miller. OD may have be able to confirm (or not) this.

Sorry, Bernie took over from Tassie to free him up for other duties.

[picket fence 15,735]

Agree to an extent Romsey fav!

When younger I can still remember my dad taking me to his famililies local pub ( Just of York st Richmond) after a game and my cousin and I kicking the footy till dusk !! He was "Hassa Mann" and I was "Tassie Johnson" and as memory still has it we also used to run commentary as we had our kick to kick!

" And Tassie Johnson kicks out from full back! ... Beautiful drop kick finds "Hassa Mann" on a lead etc etc

I also remember that pub serving curried peanuts !! a rarity today, I think and yet another Uncle, staunch Magpie supporter enquiring of a young fence

" would you like another sarparilla young fella""??

( When a sars was really a Sars)

The point of all this convo is that Tassie Johnson was also my first Demon "Star" I had his number 8 on my first jumper and was in seventh heaven when invading the ground after a win and coming up to him and saying "Please Tassie, can I have your autograph"?

He touseled my hair smiled and asked me my name and wrote on the footy record

To ...... All the best Tassie Johnson

My fate was sealed! Demon forever

All the best to family hoping they read Demonland!

Vale Demon "Legend"

Edited October 30, 2015 by picket fence

[monoccular 16,595]

I haven't looked at the records Rob but from my memory Bernie Massey was full back and Tassie took over when he retired. I have a kid memory of reading the teams in the Friday night Herald and having a backline of Johnson Massie Miller. OD may have be able to confirm (or not) this.

My recollection was that Tassie was THE full back from 59 to around 63 - Bernie took over certainly well after the 1960 big win over the Filth, maybe around 63 when Tassie moved up the ground, and into some rucking duties.

Bernie was the FB in the 64 triumph, and I think Tassie was in one BP (with match winner Froggy in the other). In those days of course a tall BP would usually be expected to be a relieving ruckman, though MFC were blessed with the incredibly athletic Graham Wise who essentially rucked unrelieved all day (and all year), a feat unknown at the time - endurance and athleticism only really rivalled by Jimma since.

[daisycutter 28,722]

Agree to an extent Romsey fav!

When younger I can still remember my dad taking me to his famililies local pub ( Just of York st Richmond) after a game and my cousin and I kicking the footy till dusk !! He was "Hassa Mann" and I was "Tassie Johnson" and as memory still has it we also used to run commentary as we had our kick to kick!

" And Tassie Johnson kicks out from full back! ... Beautiful drop kick finds "Hassa Mann" on a lead etc etc

I also remember that pub serving curried peanuts !! a rarity today, I think and yet another Uncle, staunch Magpie supporter enquiring of a young fence

" would you like another sarparilla young fella""??

( When a sars was really a Sars)

The point of all this convo is that Tassie Johnson was also my first Demon "Star" I had his number 8 on my first jumper and was in seventh heaven when invading the ground after a win and coming up to him and saying "Please Tassie, can I have your autograph"?

He touseled my hair smiled and asked me my name and wrote on the footy record

To ...... All the best Tassie Johnson

My fate was sealed! Demon forever

All the best to family hoping they read Demonland!

Vale Demon "Legend"

are you sure that sars wasn't a wee shandy, fence