TOM LONERGAN and Steve Johnson go way back.

They initially crossed paths when both were playing in the under-18 competition in north-east Victoria's Ovens and Murray league.

Lonergan was a star with Yarrawonga, while Johnson was Wangaratta's main man.

"The first time I heard about Johnno was in the week before our teams played each other for the first time," Lonergan recalled.

"Our coach kept talking about Steven Johnson and saying he was so good that our captain would be tagging him.

"When the game rolled around, I think Johnno had kicked five goals and racked up 20 touches by halfway through the second quarter.

"Our coach decided to give our captain a break by putting him in the back pocket. Five minutes later, Johnno went forward to have a rest and ended up kicking another three or four on him.

"So I saw first-hand that day how good he was. It was an amazing performance.

"He was a lot fitter back then than he is now! He had a big engine, and he was such a smart footballer, like he's been for his whole career.

"He was also very confident in his own ability, of course."

Lonergan, who is known at the Cattery as Doms, and Johnson, whose most-used nickname is Dogger, were soon on the same team, as in 2001 they found themselves running around with the Murray Bushrangers.

They started their first TAC Cup game sitting alongside each other on the bench, before stepping up over the course of the season and proving themselves good enough to play in the AFL.

Their close journey continued when Johnson was selected by Geelong with pick 24 in the '01 national draft and Lonergan was chosen by the Cats a year later with pick 23.

Since then, they have become close mates and have achieved plenty at the highest level.

But this week it is Johnson's time to hog the limelight, as when he runs out to take on Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday night he will add yet another accolade to his extraordinary footballing resume.

Along with being a three-time premiership player, a Norm Smith medallist, a two-time club leading goalkicker and a three-time All Australian, he will become just the 14th player to notch 250 games for Geelong.

"It's an unbelievable effort," Lonergan said. "Back when we were a fair bit younger I still remember 'Bomber' Thompson talking to some of the players, in a bit of a casual discussion, about who he thought would play 200 games.

"He thought Jimmy Bartel would play 200 and James Kelly would definitely play 200.

"But when he got to Johnno, he wasn't sure if he would, just because of his body. Johnno being such a competitive bloke, that stirred him up. It spurred him on even more.

"He was adamant he wasn't only going to play 200 games, he was going to play more than 200, and he has."

Johnson's career has been a roller-coaster ride. On the field, the man the Cats fans refer to as 'Stevie J' has been a wizard, a player with an ability to dazzle opponents and fans alike with his skills and smarts.

But there have been a few hiccups along the way, in particular the ankle injuries that stemmed from his love of a good time.

"I suppose at certain stages I did doubt that he would play so many games, just with his injuries and whatnot," Lonergan said.

"Then there's the way he runs. He's like a newborn horse. His legs go everywhere.

"But he just gets the job done, and he gets it done real well, because he's the ultimate competitor."

The turning point in Johnson's career came in early 2007 when he was suspended by the club for five games after being arrested for public drunkenness while celebrating the festive season at home in Wangaratta.

He returned from his stint in the VFL determined to prove his doubters wrong, and he did just that.

By the end of the '07 season he had won a place in the All Australian team and had helped the Cats break their 44-year premiership drought.

Lonergan still marvels at Johnson's performances in that year's preliminary final win over Collingwood and his best on ground effort in the huge Grand Final victory over Port Adelaide.

"He certainly knows how to shut his critics up," Lonergan said.

Around the club, Johnson has developed a reputation as a lovable larrikin.

"He's one of the most unique characters you'll ever come across," Lonergan said. "He's just unique.

"He does a great Mike Sheahan impersonation, and he's known for ringing one of the young boys on interstate trips and pretending to be a journo.

"He actually got our media manager, Kev Diggerson, a ripper a few years back."

"He's very witty; a really good bloke to have around the footy club."

Watch Steve Johnson's stitch-up of Nakia Cockatoo

Perhaps Johnson's greatest performance came in the 2011 Grand Final win over Collingwood.

He had seemed certain to miss the game after suffering a serious knee injury in the preliminary final victory over West Coast.

But he defied the odds and proved his fitness.

"That 2011 Grand Final – he was going to play no matter what," Lonergan said. "I hardly saw him during the week because he was up in Melbourne in a hyperbaric chamber.

"But I still remember having a chat to him on the Friday on the way up to the parade. He goes, 'Dommers, watch out for the Dogger tomorrow. He's ready to go. The dog's going to get off the leash.'"

Johnson duly kicked four goals in a brilliant performance that cemented his reputation as a big-game player who could push through the pain barrier.

In the years following that famous triumph over the Magpies he has added new dimensions to his game, polling a total of 44 votes in the 2013 and '14 Brownlow Medal counts after spending the majority of those seasons in the midfield.

Even this season, when, at the age of 32, he has come under the microscope for some up and down form, he has booted 21 goals and averaged 20 disposals per game.

"If you were doing a new all-time great Geelong team, he'd have to feature in one of the forward pockets or on one of the forward flanks," Lonergan said.

"He's been amazing with his awareness around goals and his ability to go into the midfield and have an impact in there.

"It's been a credit to him. He's been a fantastic player and he'll leave a great legacy when he does eventually finish up."