It was a year of maturity and record breaking for Alex Johnston, with the try-scoring winger proving his worth in the custodian role in the absence of Greg Inglis.
Johnston made an immediate impression in the No. 1 jersey in Round 2 against Manly, scoring 2 tries in the 38-18 win, which kick-started his 22 try haul for the season, finishing in second place overall.
Although he made a return to the wing in the middle stages of the season, Johnston didn’t shirk away from any extra responsibility, going on to score 11 tries in a 9 game period, and in the process equalling the club try scoring record for most in a game with 5 against the Panthers in Round 17.
He would also break former Rabbitoh Phil Blake’s record of scoring the most tries at a single venue in a season, with 17 meat pies in 7 matches at ANZ Stadium.
It would be his second stint at fullback which was most impressive for the 22-year-old, not only scoring 7 tries in 4 games, but also taking up a playmaking role, setting up multiple tries for his team whilst also saving plenty of tries from being scored, before injury cut his season short in Round 24.
Overall it was a year of great growth for AJ, and no doubt the experience he gained in one of the key positions on the field will hold him in good stead for the future.
2017 Stats
Games Played: 22
Tries: 22
Linebreaks: 18
Try Assists: 5
Linebreak Assists: 5
All Runs Made: 263 (Avg. 12pg)
All Run Metres: 2721 (Avg. 124pg)
