One of my childhood heroes was Bob "Tassie" Johnson (2 December 1937 – 29 October 2015) who played with Melbourne from 1959 to 1969.  The 189cm tall Johnson was originally signed to play for the Demons in 1958 from North Launceston but missed the entire season as they refused to clear him.

Melbourne introduced two future captains in 1959 after its surprise defeat at the hands of Collingwood in the 1958 Grand Final - Hassa Mann and Johnson who gained the nickname “Tassie” to distinguish him from the other two Johnsons at the club, “Big Bob” and Trevor.

Tassie played mainly at full back but was sometimes used in other defensive positions and in the ruck. He was a prodigious kick and his long drop kick outs after a point often penetrated into the centre of the ground.

His achievements were many:

3 × VFL grand finals for 3 x VFL premierships: 1959, 1960, 1964

Melbourne captain: 1970

Melbourne Team of the Century (full back)

Tasmanian Team of the Century (full back)

Melbourne Hall of Fame

Wore # 8 (most games for Melbourne in that number)

Games - 202

Goals - 20

Finals - 11

Finals Goals - 2

Debut - Rd 1, 1959 v Richmond (PR)

Final Game - Rd 20, 1969 v SM (LO)

Debuted in 1959 at the age of 21

Retired in 1969 at the age of 31

Father of Tony Johnson (1981-83, U19's/Reserves)

Awards/Achievements

MFC Captain (1969)

MFC Vice Captain (1967-68)

1966, 1968 2nd MFC Best & Fairest

1960, 1961 MFC Outstanding Service Award

1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967 Victorian State Rep.

1968 Australian IR Rep.

MFC Team of the Century

MFC 150 Heroes Selection

MFC Life Member

MFC Hall of Fame

Tasmanian Team of the Century

Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame

First Tasmanian to play 100 VFL games

NTFA - North Launceston

* 35 games & 30 goals for NL (1956-57)

VFA - Box Hill Captain/Coach (1971) played 4 games (3 goals)

One of my fondest memories apart from his premierships and his outstanding performances in defence was that he often featured on World of Sport in a segment that highlighted long kicking and the style of each player’s kicks where the judges would lift up a placard with a number up to 10. Tassie always did the Demons proud in that competition.

excellent photo

Peter Hudson named him as his toughest opponent

The master of the drop kick.... a sight to behold.

Used to have 8 on my Dees jumper 😉

Tassie Johnson's poster hung proudly beside Hassa Mann's on the wall of my childhood bedroom.

The huge posters were available at Mobil servos. IIRC, Hassa may have worked for Mobil at the time?

He was my favourite player as a young kid. He was workmates with my father for some time. And he signed one of his business cards one day when I was hanging around the workplace.

I can still recall my father holding me up against the cyclone wire fence in the standing room section of the Southern Stand and watching No 8 for the Demons regularly drop kicking the ball after a behind and landing it beyond the centre at the MCG.

A sight to behold and it has never faded in my memory.

I wasn't born when he played, however he did do a spit roast for my 21st. Not that I can remember.

Pretty sure Tassie ran the Toyworld in Ringwood. Mum used to take me there quite a lot. I think she was trying to set me up with his son. I have no idea how many Cabbage Patch dolls we bought from them but it was a heap of them, literally. Sounds like he was a very good footballer.

8 hours ago, Demonstone said:

The huge posters were available at Mobil servos. IIRC, Hassa may have worked for Mobil at the time?

He did, I did business with him at the time!

And as for Tassie Johnson, I thought he was a bloody huge man when I used to see him play. 189cm tall: a mid size flanker today but a giant in his day.

43 minutes ago, He de mon said:

I wasn't born when he played, however he did do a spit roast for my 21st. Not that I can remember.

Who was at the other end?

1 hour ago, thirty-one said:

Pretty sure Tassie ran the Toyworld in Ringwood. Mum used to take me there quite a lot. I think she was trying to set me up with his son. I have no idea how many Cabbage Patch dolls we bought from them but it was a heap of them, literally. Sounds like he was a very good footballer.

Toy world ya, out on the road towards Warrandyte from memory

9 hours ago, Demonstone said:

Tassie Johnson's poster hung proudly beside Hassa Mann's on the wall of my childhood bedroom.

The huge posters were available at Mobil servos. IIRC, Hassa may have worked for Mobil at the time?

Wrote fan mail to our skipper Hassa, received personal handwritten letter (in Mobil envelope). Think I’ve still got it.

3 hours ago, He de mon said:

I wasn't born when he played, however he did do a spit roast for my 21st. Not that I can remember.

I think it was Big Bob Johson, who finished his career at Oakleig,h who used to run the "Beef on a Spit" business not Tassis