Jason Johannisen

Jason Johannisen
Johannisen at Western Bulldogs training in 2018
Personal information
Full name Jason Johannisen
Date of birth (1992-11-08) 8 November 1992
Place of birth Johannesburg, South Africa
Original team(s) East Fremantle (WAFL)
Draft No. 39, 2011 rookie draft
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 82 kg (181 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current club Western Bulldogs
Number 39
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2012– Western Bulldogs 199 (77)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2020 All Stars 1 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 7, 2025.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Jason Johannisen (born 8 November 1992) is a South African–born professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). At 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall and 82 kg (181 lb), he plays as a running half-back who can move up forward.

Johannisen was selected by the Western Bulldogs with the 39th selection in the 2011 rookie draft. In 2016, he became an AFL premiership player after helping the Bulldogs win the Grand Final behind his Norm Smith Medal performance.

As of the end of season 2024, he has polled a total of 25 Brownlow Medal votes in his career.[1]

Early life

Johannisen was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to mother Sonya from Zambia and father Eldrid from Durban.[2] The family moved to Perth, Western Australia, in 2000 when Johannisen was eight years old.[3]

Johannisen played rugby union with the Southern Lions Rugby Club in Perth as a junior before switching codes to Australian rules at the age of 15.[2] He played his senior football with East Fremantle.

Career

Johannisen was recruited by the Western Bulldogs in the 2011 Rookie Draft, with pick #39, and made his debut in Round 19 of the 2012 AFL season against North Melbourne at Docklands Stadium.

Johannisen was adjudged best afield in the Western Bulldogs' Grand Final victory over the Sydney Swans in 2016; he recorded 25 kicks among 33 disposals and 7 marks to win the Norm Smith Medal.[4] In July 2017, he signed a five-year contract extension with Bulldogs.[5]

Johannisen missed nine weeks in the middle of the 2023 season with hamstring tendon damage, returning for two games before a calf injury ruled him out of the remainder of the season. He then didn't play post-round nine in 2024 after he suffered a moderate-grade hamstring strain.[6] During the 2025 pre-season, he suffered a hamstring strain at training and subsequently underwent surgery.[6] He overcame the hamstring injury in time for round five selection.[7]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of Round 8 2021[8]
Legend
  G  
Goals
  K  
Kicks
  D  
Disposals 
  T  
Tackles
  B  
Behinds 
  H  
Handballs 
  M  
Marks
  #  
Played in that season's 
premiership team
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2012 Western Bulldogs 39 3 1 0 29 20 49 9 3 0.3 0.0 9.7 6.7 16.3 3.0 1.0 0
2013 Western Bulldogs 39 13 2 4 138 70 208 40 19 0.2 0.3 10.6 5.4 16.0 3.1 1.5 0
2014 Western Bulldogs 39 11 2 4 111 67 178 42 26 0.2 0.4 10.1 6.1 16.2 3.8 2.4 0
2015 Western Bulldogs 39 20 7 3 270 128 398 107 35 0.4 0.2 13.5 6.4 19.9 5.4 1.8 4
2016# Western Bulldogs 39 17 6 8 283 130 413 112 37 0.4 0.5 16.6 7.6 24.3 6.6 2.2 10
2017 Western Bulldogs 39 20 10 12 258 171 429 58 41 0.5 0.6 12.9 8.6 21.5 2.9 2.1 7
2018 Western Bulldogs 39 22 7 10 277 187 464 89 47 0.3 0.5 12.6 8.5 21.1 4.0 2.1 3
2019 Western Bulldogs 39 20 6 6 285 152 437 83 44 0.3 0.3 14.3 7.6 21.9 4.2 2.2 1
2020[a] Western Bulldogs 39 17 6 5 165 102 267 65 29 0.4 0.3 9.7 6.0 15.7 3.8 1.7 0
2021 Western Bulldogs 39 25 15 10 152 99 251 67 41 0.6 0.5 6.1 4.0 10.0 2.7 1.6 0
2022 Western Bulldogs 39 7 6 4 50 32 82 28 11 0.9 0.6 7.1 4.6 11.7 4.0 1.6
Career 175 68 68 2018 1158 3176 701 333 0.4 0.4 11.5 6.6 18.2 4.0 1.9 25

Notes

  1. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honours and achievements

AFL

VFL

References

  1. ^ "AFL Tables - Brownlow Medal Career Totals". afltables.com. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b Museums Victoria Collections https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/2217703 Accessed 14 June 2023
  3. ^ Collins, Ben (25 July 2012). "Dogs elevate Joburg-born speedster". Archived from the original on 28 July 2012.
  4. ^ Landsberger, Sam (25 July 2012). "Jason Johannisen set to spark the Western Bulldogs". Herald Sun. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  5. ^ Pierik, Jon (10 July 2017). "Jason Johannisen signs a five-year contract extension with Western Bulldogs". The Age. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Luckless Bulldogs defender sidelined for months in massive injury blow". afl.com.au. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  7. ^ "AFL Team: Round 5 v Brisbane". westernbulldogs.com.au. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Jason Johannisen Stats". AFL Tables. Retrieved 18 October 2016.