expectations of him set by the coaching staff, ably filling the role left by retiring champion Craig Bolton early in the year. His poise and strong one on one contesting were the standout features of his game throughout 2011 and he also improved his rebound and attacking play as the season wore on. Johnson went on to be a key player in the Sydney Swans' AFL Premiership-winning side, playing every game in the regular season and the finals series. His ability to play as a key defender and professional approach to the game saw him awarded with the 2012 Swans Rising Star Award in what was his second season.

After the 2012 premiership, Johnson suffered repeated knee injuries, and did not make another senior appearance for Sydney for almostsix years. His run of injuries began when he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Sydney's 2013 preseason match against the Gold Coast Suns. He underwent two knee reconstructions during 2013 – a traditional reconstruction in April and a LARS reconstruction in July. He returned to the field for the Sydney reserves in early 2014, but tore the ligament again in his first game back. It was not until September 2016 that Johnson was even able to return to running laps after this second injury, as it took a further three reconstruction surgeries between 2014 and 2016 before his knee successfully healed due to various complications and infections. Johnson remained on the Sydney playing list through this time, and performed an assistant coaching role with the