Sydney Swans defender Alex Johnson was a premiership player at 20 years of age. Now 23, Johnson hasn’t played since the stunning win over Hawthorn in 2012.

He had the final kick of the 2012 Grand Final and hoped the lap of honour that followed would never end.

In a NAB Cup match against Gold Coast the following April, Johnson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

“It’s been a tough three years. I don’t have an ACL in there at the moment. It’s been removed.” – alex johnson

A rare infection compromised his recovery – he’s had that knee cut open seven times in the past three years.

Johnson is booked in for a fourth knee reconstruction later in August. He remains confident he can return to the Sydney defence and add to his 45-game AFL career.

“It’s been a tough three years,” Johnson tells Mike Sheahan in this week’s episode of Open Mike on Fox Footy.

“I don’t have an ACL in there at the moment. It’s been removed.

“Everything since the first operation has been underpinned because of an infection.”

Thankfully, Johnson feels there are better times ahead.

“We are 99 per cent sure the knee is clean (now).”

Open Mike with Alex Johnson airs on Monday night (August 3) at 9.30pm (EST) on Fox Footy.