Paul A. Johnson (born 26 June 1984) is an Australian rules footballer currently listed with the East Perth Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). He previously played senior matches with the West Coast Eagles, the Melbourne Football Club, and the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), the Swan Districts Football Club in the WAFL, and the Sandringham Football Club and the Box Hill Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Johnson was the winner of the 2005 J. J. Liston Trophy, as well as the 2012 Simpson Medal as the best player in an interstate match for Western Australia. Football career Originally from the Australian state of Victoria, Johnson played under-18 football for the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup before being drafted by the West Coast Eagles with the 24th pick overall at the 2002 National Draft. As part of West Coast's affiliation with WAFL clubs, Johnson was selected to play matches for the Swan Districts Football Club. Making his debut for Swan Districts in the first round of the 2003 season, strong form playing mainly at centre half-forward led to Johnson making his debut for West Coast in round five of the 2003 season, in the Western Derby match against . In the game, which was to be his only game for West Coast at AFL level, he recorded one disposal, a handball, and one tackle. Having played a total of 32 games and kicked 41 goals over two seasons at Swan Districts without gaining another opportunity at AFL level, Johnson was traded to the Melbourne Football Club during the trading period at the end of the 2004 season, in exchange for the 29th pick in the National Draft. Making his debut for Melbourne in round seven of the 2005 season, against , Johnson played a total of eight games in his first season with the club, as a back-up ruckman behind Jeff White. However, he played 14 games for Melbourne's affiliate club in the VFL, Sandringham, and at the end of the season was awarded the J. J. Liston Trophy as the best and fairest player in the league, having tied with the Tasmanian Devils' Ian Callinan on 16 votes, including five best on ground efforts. Johnson also played in the club's premiership win over Werribee. He played two games for Melbourne early in the season, including a two-goal game