A key position player, Johnson was mostly used at centre half forward. Johnson began his senior football career with Northcote in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) where he won the competition's best and fairest award the Woodham Cup in 1924.
He was then recruited by Melbourne in 1926 and had an immediate impact on the league. Johnson finished equal second in the 1926 Brownlow Medal and kicked six goals in Melbourne's winning grand final. He also earned Victorian selection at the season's end.
He twice topped Melbourne's goal-kicking during his career, in 1928 with 55 goals and in 1933 with 62.