Jason Johannisen reveals tweaks that he hopes can beat soft tissue injury curse

Once durable, Jason Johannisen has missed 39 games through soft tissue setbacks in the last four years. But he is refusing to let that slow down his trademark burst.

All these years and all those injuries later, Jason Johannisen is still committed to keeping his foot on the accelerator.

Speed and dash made Johannisen the only Western Bulldogs player to ever win a Norm Smith Medal and has been the bedrock of his 198 games, mostly charging off halfback.

But the body that gave him that trademark burst let him down over the past four years.

It was a torrid run of soft tissue blows that left Johannisen with small thoughts about his football mortality, but the Dog kept his faith.

Jason Johannisen is still keeping his pace. Picture: Michael Klein

Johannisen didn’t play at AFL level after round 9 last year, struck down by lingering soft tissue problems.

Out-of-contract, he had some concerns about whether he would still be around, before quickly pushing them out of his mind and eventually securing a one-year deal for 2025.

“You always think about it,” he said.

“But I think from our perspective – myself and the football club – when I was out there, I was still contributing and able to impact games. It was just frustrating not to be out there.

“They showed plenty of faith and I am grateful that they gave me another go and I was able to get my body right and build.”

The calf woes began when Johannisen felt tightness in the warm-up before round 1, 2022.

That injury would linger and rule him out of the first 10 rounds of the year.

In May, 2023, he tore his hamstring and missed eight games.

After playing twice, Johannisen felt for his calf and missed the last three games of the year.

Last year, it was the same pattern – he slipped at training in May and ripped the hamstring.

Almost two months later, just as he was ready to come back, he felt the calf again and didn’t play in the senior side again, absent for the last 14 rounds of the year.

Johannisen worked extensively with the Dogs medical team to pick apart his training program and cut out the calf problems.

The Dog is hoping tweaks to his training program can stop calf problems. Picture: David Crosling

“After last year when I did my calf again, we changed my program and I was able to come back and play VFL finals at the end of last year,” he said.

“With that program I haven’t had any calf issues leading into this season so I felt like it is really working, so we will continue with that and just keep it going.”

So far, so good on that front.

But in January, he ripped his hamstring so badly he wasn’t fit to play until round 5.

Again, his faith was called upon.

“Thankfully it was in pre-season,” Johannisen said.

“You always look at it glass-half-full, with plenty of the year to come. I was confident I was able to get back. Our medical team is unbelievable and I didn’t lose faith that I was going to come back and have an impact.”

Johannisen at one stage missed just six games through injury in five seasons, but since the start of 2022, he has sat out 39 matches just because of hamstring and calf injuries.

Naturally, Johannisen could have been forgiven for easing back on that trademark burst just a little given the threat of another setback.

Yet the 32-year-old is still willing to let rip.

“I always feel confident. Injuries happen,” he said.

“I am not going to take my foot off the accelerator and change the way I play because of injury. Whatever happens, happens.

“I am confident in the program the high performance team has put my through and confident in my ability, so hopefully I can just keep it going.”

The Dogs get around Johannisen. Picture: Michael Klein

Johannisen’s confidence in his pace and kicking popped up in the third term of a Sunday night rout against St Kilda.

The 71-point win was his second game of the season and the 2016 premiership Dog was back to his best with 25 disposals, seven score involvements and that long goal.

He had received the handball from red-hot skipper Marcus Bontempelli, just as a 50m penalty was awarded.

Johannisen had a quick look and kept on running with Marcus Windhager on his tail, unsure if an advantage is even allowed to be paid from a 50m penalty and when the umpire waved him on, slotted a classic long bomb from outside the arc.

“I half-stopped and the umpire said ‘advantage’ and the goals opened up,” he said.

It was Johannisen’s first goal since round 20, 2023, and his teammates instinctively wrapped him up in an all-in celebration.

After all those injuries, the celebration was well deserved.

“It was a bit of support after a couple of setbacks, which was nice,” he said.