Herb Johnson came to prominence in Melbourne long before his distinguished military career, and his brief foray into football. Indeed he first hit the headlines when, as a three-year-old, he sued a shipping company for injuries he suffered on a boat ramp.

He was able to do that on the basis of suing ‘by his next friend’, the legal doctrine that allows minors to bring legal actions. But three years old is very ‘minor’ indeed!

The incident happened on Easter Monday in 1883, when young Herbert Magnus Johnson joined his parents at Sandridge Pier for a bay cruise on the steamer Casino. Herb and his pregnant mother were sitting on a pile of coiled rope on the pier, one end of which was attached to the boat. The boat began to launch suddenly, entangling the rope around the boy’s leg and causing him to be ‘severely crushed’.

Herb was left unconscious and sick for days. The defendants, the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company, claimed contributory negligence but the judge found in the boy’s honour and awarded him 20 pounds. His mother, who had been thrown down when her leg was also caught, subsequently had a miscarriage and was awarded 30 pounds.

Fortunately the incident left Herbert with no long-lasting injuries. He would go on to lead a full and rich life, becoming a significant figure in and around Port Melbourne, where he grew up. He became a lieutenant in the Garrison Artillery, and when he married in 1911 the wedding – in full military style - was considered sufficiently big news to justify a photo and extensive report in Punch magazine.

Unfortunately, Herbert’s football career attracted less interest over the journey. It is believed he played football with Montague, a local team around the Port Melbourne/South Melbourne area before coming to the attention of the Magpies for a solitary game in the first season of the VFL, 1897. It’s not known how he came to Collingwood’s attention, though our juniors team had played Montague the week before, and it’s possible he starred there to pique our curiosity.

This was the last home-and-away game of the season, against Carlton at Victoria Park. And while it turned out to be a great game, Johnson’s contribution from a half-forward flank passed without and mention from journalists. He was chosen in the 20-man squad for the following week’s game against Melbourne, but the entire round was cancelled due to heavy flooding, and he wasn’t seen again after that.

Little seems to have been heard of Herbert Johnson in a footballing sense after that single game, though it’s believed he returned to Montague for at least 1898. But given what happened to him when he was three, it’s safe to assume he was probably extra careful whenever his military career took him anywhere near boats and piers.