George "Blue" Johnston

Infobox afl player | firstname = George "Blue"
lastname = Johnstone




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originalteam = Glenelg, (SANFL)
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playingteams = Glenelg, SANFL (1927-1930, 1932-1940)

203 games 161 goals

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statsend = 2005
careerhighlights =
* Member of the first premiership team for Glenelg 1934
* Best and fairest for Glenelg 1932, 1936-1937
* Played 16 games for South Australia
* Magarey Medallist 1934
* Inducted Glenelg Hall of Fame 2002
* Inducted SANFL Hall of Fame 2002

George "Blue" Johnstone" was a Australian rules footballer who played for Glenelg in the SANFL between 1927 and 1940.

George Johnstone was nicknamed "Blue" in typical Australian fashion due to his red hair. [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/i-j.htm#George%20'Blue'%20Johnston%20(Glenelg)] Johnston played when the Glenelg club (formed in 1920) was still very much struggling to be competitive against the other 7, more established, sides in the League. Indeed, apart from the 1934 premiership, the highest the club finished during Johnstone's playing career was 6th.

Johnston played 203 league games (the first Glenelg player to pass the 200 mark) during his career, won three best and fairest awards, and put in a best afield performance as the club broke its premiership duck against Port Adelaide in 1934. He also won the SANFL's highest individual honour - the Magarey Medal for the best and fairest player - in 1934.

Jeff Pash, himself a Magarey Medallist in 1939, described Johnston as "a phenomenal leaper for the ball ... he had the sort of (frightening) steel-spring strength about him that John Coleman had. All of him - and he was tall and strong - was up there for that ball." [cite book |last=Pash |first=Jeff |authorlink= |coauthors=Paul Depasquale |title=The Pash Papers Australian Rules Football in South Australia 1950-1964 |year=1999 |publisher=Pioneer Books |location=Australia |id=ISBN 0-908065-48-5 | pages=p. 198 ]

Although smaller than most opposition ruckmen, in addition to his brilliant leap, he was extraordinarily powerful, an asset which served him well during interstate clashes with the VFL.

External links

* [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/i-j.htm#George%20'Blue'%20Johnston%20(Glenelg) Fullpointsfooty bio]

References