Experienced coach and Mt Barker police officer-in-charge Sergeant David Johnson takes league reins at Bulls

Mt Barker’s top cop is facing a new challenge in the town, taking the reins as league coach at the Mt Barker Football Club. Police Sergeant David Johnson will lead the Bulls in the 2021 Great Southern Football League season taking over from Brad Hook, who is stepping down to an assistant coach role. Johnson is a level-three high-performance coach and is still currently involved in the AFL system with Collingwood, where he is an opposition analyst and forward scout. The Mt Barker officer-in-charge has a detailed career as a coach dating back to 1993. Johnson played three seasons with Perth in the WAFL and also played at several other clubs including most recently in Boddington before retiring in 2005. The 53-year-old has been senior coach at A-grade amateur clubs Mt Lawley and Fremantle CBC while also filling the reserves top job at East Fremantle in 2007 in which he took them to a WAFL grand final and he also took charge of Perth’s colts side for three years. He has also coached in the country with stints at Beverley and Boddington. Johnson said he was keen to be involved with football in the Great Southern. “The club did sound me out, obviously I have been coaching a long time so when I came to town they did ask me to get involved,” he said. “I have been helping the club out behind the scenes with a few little things and now an opportunity to coach is a bit of an honour and a thrill and I’m exciting to get back into footy after a couple years break. “A change of coach is an opportunity to reinvigorate the mood and energy around the club.” Johnson was the head coach of the WA Police Football Club from 2009-17, taking them to an Australian Police Football Association Championship in 2015 while also being named All-Australian coach. To add to his impressive coaching resume, Johnson has been the vice-president of the Australian Football Coaches Association and received the coaching excellence and service award in 2017. He hoped the Bulls could rise up the ladder with his experience. “All clubs strive to play finals and I think Mt Barker need to be there,” he said. “There’s also a level of structure that the club needs. I did see a few games last year and there’s just that teaching of structure on field and off, and I’m a very structured person obviously being involved with the police. “It’s about just teaching players a little more than they already know and I think I can add a lot to that with my WAFL and AFL experience. “It’s a good footy comp we just need to get Mt Barker a little bit more competitive and that’s the idea, to try and work our way up the ladder but just also bring a bit more professional level to the club.” New bulls president Matt Gilbert said Johnson was a great appointment. “He brings great professionalism to the club, the club has a good culture at the moment,” Gilbert said. “There is a lot of young blokes at the club and he adds experience and professionalism. “He is a great community member and will be a great asset to the club.”