BIO: Rod Johnson was born in Wollongong (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Illawarra basketball program.

FAMILY: Rod’s brother, Terry Johnson also played 200 games in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Rod Johnson made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 19 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

In 1987, the Hawks had their best season to date, finishing in third place (20–6). As a rookie, Johnson added 2.1 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.

1988
In 1988, Johnson averaged 5.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, playing a key role in the Hawks rotation, helping the team finish seventh in the regular season with an 11–13 record.

1989
The 1989 season saw Johnson average 14.1 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists and played a key role for the Hawks who finished the year with a record of 7-17.

1990
During the 1990 season Johnson averaged 13.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists and helped the Hawks finish to a record of 13-13 and end the regular season in eighth place.

1991
The 1991 season saw Johnson average 14.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists during a season where the Hawks struggled against the competition.

On the 27th of July, 1991 Johnson was a part of the highest scoring game in NBL history when the Illawarra Hawks lost to the Melbourne Tigers 186-158 in a game where a total of 344 points were scored. Johnson contributed 15 points himself and added 3 assists and 2 steals to the stat sheet as well. Remarkably the Hawks shot 76% from the field, which remains the highest shooting percentage ever recorded by a team in a losing effort.

The Hawks managed only six wins this season, finishing with a 6-20 record.

NORTH MELBOURNE GIANTS
1992
In 1992 Johnson was lured to Melbourne after the Giants signed his brother Terry and offered him the chance to play alongside him in a starting role. The two brothers joined the Giants in the midst of a major re-structure with the team moving on from long-term head coach Bruce Palmer. Palmer, who since taking over in 1987, had led them to the semi finals five of six years and to the 1989 championship. His successor would be found in young Melbourne Tigers assistant Brett Brown whose appointment was deemed a cash-saving move by a team beginning to face years of financial uncertainty. Another sign of the Giant’s financial struggles became evident when they lost star import Scott Fisher to the ‘deeper pockets’ of the Perth Wildcats.

Brown began his search for Fisher’s replacement first with import Chuckie White, who failed to cut it during pre-season, before settling on Jason Reese. Reese was known around the league as ‘workhorse’ and dominant inside scorer that had spent the past two seasons with Hobart (1991) and Canberra (1992) and Mark Leader, who had became a naturalised Australian in 1993, replaced Fisher as team captain. Rod joined local talent Pat Reidy (16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.0 steals) and Darryl Pearce (11.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals) in the starting lineup.

Terry Johnson (2.5 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) saw minimal playing opportunities that season but was used by Brown as a motivator for his brother. Twice Terry replaced Johnson (6.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals) in the starting lineup, a move designed to get more production the older brother, that outcome resulted in Rod Johnson dropping 21 points, a season high, the following game against Perth.

Reese went on to lead the team in scoring (26.4 ppg and 8.9 rpg), fellow import Paul Maley led the team in rebounding (22.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg) and Johnson also contributed 2.5 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.

North Melbourne finished the season (13-13) sneaking into the final playoff spot. There, they would face familiar foes, Scott Fisher and the Perth Wildcats who had finished the season in first place (21-5). Despite winning game one at home (105-101), the Giants would lose games two (98-108) and three (104-117) to Perth to put a end to their season.

1993
After finishing fourth with a 14-10 record and reaching the semifinals in 1992, North Melbourne chose not to re-sign long-term head coach Bruce Palmer, who had led the Giants to the semifinals in five of his six seasons and to the 1989 championship. Melbourne Tigers assistant Brett Brown replaced him in what was viewed as a cost-saving move as the club began facing financial uncertainty. Reigning co-MVP Scott Fisher (to Perth), David Graham (to South East Melbourne) and Ray Borner (to Geelong) were among the major departures, while Paul Maley, Pat Reidy, Darryl Pearce, Rod Johnson and Mark Leader returned.

Brown initially trialled import Chuckie White as Fisher’s replacement, but White failed to make it through the preseason before the Giants signed Jason Reese (via Canberra), a ‘workhorse’ and dominant inside scorer who had spent the previous two seasons with Hobart and Canberra. Paul Rees (via Brisbane) and Larry Sengstock (via Gold Coast) were also added, while Johnson’s younger brother Terry was elevated to the NBL roster after playing with the North East Melbourne Arrows, allowing the brothers to play together in the league for the first and only season. Leader replaced Fisher as captain.

Johnson (6.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals across 29 games) appeared in all 29 of North Melbourne’s games, although his role was reduced from the previous season when he had averaged 11.9 points and 5.7 assists.

Brown twice used Terry in Rod’s place in the starting lineup as a motivational move, with Johnson responding at the Perth Entertainment Centre on July 30 with his best and highest-scoring game of the season. Johnson finished with 21 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and 1 steal while making 8-of-17 field goals and three three-pointers. Maley (19 points, 14 rebounds, and 1 assist) and Reidy (17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals) provided the other major contributions, but Andrew Vlahov (30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) led Perth to a 111-99 victory. The loss began a four-game North Melbourne losing streak that continued through August 22.

Jason Reese (26.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 28 games) led North Melbourne in scoring, while Maley (22.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals across 28 games) led the team in rebounding. Reidy (16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2 steals across 29 games), Pearce (11.6 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals across 29 games) and Leader (6.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists across 29 games) provided the other major contributions. The Giants recovered from their midseason slide to finish eighth with a 13-13 record and claim the final playoff spot.

North Melbourne faced minor premiers Perth (21-5) and former teammate Fisher in the quarterfinals. Johnson finished game one with 5 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal, while Jason Reese (27 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Reidy (23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the Giants. Trevor Torrance (29 points) was Perth’s leading performer, but North Melbourne won 105-101 at the Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Centre to take a 1-0 series lead.

Game two moved to the Perth Entertainment Centre, where Johnson finished with 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Jason Reese (37 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) and Pearce (18 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) led North Melbourne, while Ricky Grace (29 points) led Perth to a 108-98 victory and levelled the series.

The deciding game remained in Perth, where Johnson finished with 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists while making 5-of-9 field goals and three three-pointers. Reidy (22 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Jason Reese (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) provided the other major contributions, while Grace (26 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) led Perth to a 117-104 victory, giving the Wildcats the series 2-1 and ending North Melbourne’s season.

1994
North Melbourne’s financial struggles publicly came to light after 1993, but a group of new investors saved the Giants at the eleventh hour. The new ownership changed the club’s look, moving away from its traditional maroon uniforms and adopting colours similar to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.

Brett Brown returned for his second season as head coach with Pat Reidy, Paul Maley, Rod Johnson, Paul Rees, Larry Sengstock, Darryl Pearce and captain Mark Leader forming the experienced core. High-scoring import Jason Reese (to Canberra) departed, while Brown added Darryl McDonald (via CBA) and John Stelzer (via Canberra). With the oldest roster in the league, the media and betting agencies largely wrote off the Giants, with most tipping them to finish last.

North Melbourne opened against Perth at the Glasshouse on April 7, where Johnson finished with 8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Maley (21 points and 7 rebounds) and Reidy (17 points and 10 rebounds) led the Giants, but Ricky Grace (29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists) recorded a triple-double as the Wildcats won 112-95.

Johnson (12.7 points across 33 games) nearly doubled his scoring from 6.8 points the previous season and appeared in every regular-season and postseason game, becoming a much larger offensive contributor within North Melbourne’s veteran rotation.

The first sign the Giants had been significantly underestimated came during the ‘Doomsday Double’. Johnson finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals at the Perth Entertainment Centre on April 21, while Maley (25 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Reidy (22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) powered North Melbourne to a 121-90 victory. Former Giant Scott Fisher (25 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Perth as North Melbourne emphatically avenged its opening-round loss.

Two nights later at the Clipsal Powerhouse, Johnson played 8:18 and went scoreless with 1 turnover as Maley erupted for 32 points and 11 rebounds and McDonald added 15 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Robert Rose (13 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) led Adelaide, but North Melbourne held on 84-83 to become the first team since 1986 to complete the Perth-Adelaide road double.

Johnson’s best game of the season came against Newcastle at the Glasshouse on May 13, where he made 9-of-11 field goals and finished with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. McDonald produced a remarkable 25 points, 7 rebounds, 14 assists, 11 steals, and 1 block and Reidy added 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists as North Melbourne overwhelmed the Falcons 128-99.

Johnson’s highest-scoring game came against Brisbane on June 10, where he made 12-of-23 field goals and four three-pointers on his way to 29 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Reidy added 20 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block and Leader finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists, but Shane Heal erupted for 44 points as the Bullets escaped the Glasshouse with a 115-114 victory, ending North Melbourne’s nine-game winning streak.

Reidy (19.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals across 33 games) and Maley (19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds across 25 games) led North Melbourne in scoring, while McDonald (17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4.5 steals across 33 games) transformed the Giants from the point guard position. Rees (12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds across 33 games), Sengstock (9.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals across 33 games) and Leader (8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists across 33 games) provided Brown with a deep veteran rotation. McDonald led the NBL in steals, earned All-NBL First Team honours and finished runner-up to Andrew Gaze in MVP voting and Darren Lucas in Best Defensive Player voting, while Reidy was selected to the All-NBL Third Team and Brown was named NBL Coach of the Year.

North Melbourne finished second with a 19-7 record, level with Melbourne before the Tigers claimed the higher seed after winning both meetings between the teams. The 1994 season also became the first in NBL history to pass one million spectators during the regular season.

The quarterfinals opened at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where Johnson scored 20 points with 1 rebound and 2 assists. Maley (26 points and 6 rebounds) led the Giants and McDonald added 11 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals, but Greg Hubbard (32 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 7 steals) powered Sydney to a 131-109 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Game two moved to the Glasshouse, where Johnson finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Reidy (28 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) made 11-of-12 field goals and McDonald added 14 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, while Leon Trimmingham (22 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) led Sydney as North Melbourne won 112-91 and forced a deciding game.

Johnson contributed 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in game three as Maley (33 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) led the scoring and McDonald played all 48 minutes, producing 17 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Trimmingham (31 points and 10 rebounds) was Sydney’s best, but the Giants won 104-95 to eliminate the Kings and advance to the semifinals.

South East Melbourne had eliminated Perth to set up an all-Melbourne semifinal and Johnson delivered 17 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal in game one at Melbourne Park. Reidy (22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and McDonald (20 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 8 steals, and 1 block) led North Melbourne, while Andrew Parkinson (21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) was the Magic’s best as the Giants won 108-87.

Game two returned to the Glasshouse, where Johnson finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Rees (17 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) and McDonald (9 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) helped North Melbourne hold on, while Parkinson (22 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) led South East Melbourne. Adonis Jordan’s three-point heave in the closing moments missed its mark and the Giants escaped 79-76 to complete the semifinal sweep and advance to the Grand Final.

Game one of the Grand Final was played at the Clipsal Powerhouse, where Johnson finished with 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Maley (25 points and 12 rebounds) led North Melbourne and McDonald recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, while Rose (33 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 steals) dragged Adelaide back from a 14-point deficit inside the final six minutes. The game went to overtime before McDonald hit the winning shot to give the Giants a 95-93 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Game two returned to the Glasshouse, where Johnson added 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 block. Maley finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Rees made all seven of his field-goal attempts on his way to 20 points and 7 rebounds, while Rose (31 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) led Adelaide. North Melbourne led 51-41 at halftime and pulled away during the third quarter for a 117-97 victory, completing the 2-0 sweep and claiming the club’s second NBL championship, with Rees named Grand Final MVP and Johnson collecting the only NBL championship of his career.

1995
After winning the 1994 championship, North Melbourne entered Brett Brown’s third season with almost its entire title roster intact, with Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, Paul Rees, Paul Maley, Larry Sengstock, Rod Johnson, Darryl Pearce, Mark Leader and John Stelzer all returning. The only major setback came in the final weeks before the season when Maley (back injury) was ruled out for the year, forcing Brown to find a late replacement before the Giants signed former Ohio State forward Chris Jent (via Houston Rockets), who had won the 1994 NBA championship only months earlier.

North Melbourne opened the season on April 22 against Gold Coast, where Johnson (11.5 points) finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks as the Giants defeated the Rollers 118-97. McDonald (21 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block), Reidy (22 points and 12 rebounds) and Jent (33 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the way, with Jent’s debut marking the first time a reigning NBA champion had played in the NBL.

Johnson’s best regular-season scoring game came on May 12 against Newcastle, where he made 11-of-19 shots, hit three three-pointers and finished with 26 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, but the Falcons defeated North Melbourne 109-104 at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre.

On August 18, Johnson finished with 20 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal against Melbourne, but Andrew Gaze and the Tigers handed North Melbourne a 123-108 loss at Melbourne Park.

A week later, Johnson made 10-of-14 shots and finished with 22 points and 2 rebounds as North Melbourne defeated Geelong 150-118 at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, with Reidy (28 points), McDonald (23 points, 9 assists, and 7 steals), Jent (19 points) and Rees (17 points and 7 rebounds) helping the Giants produce their highest score of the season.

North Melbourne closed the regular season in Brisbane on September 16, where Johnson finished with 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, while Jent (31 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block), McDonald (26 points, 8 rebounds, 15 assists, and 9 steals), Reidy (26 points) and Rees (16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Giants to a 122-109 win, closing on a five-game winning streak and finishing third with a 18-8 record during a season where Brisbane, Sydney, North Melbourne, South East Melbourne and Melbourne all spent time on top of the ladder.

Jent (25.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.9 steals) led North Melbourne in scoring after replacing Maley and earned All-NBL Third Team honours, while Reidy (20.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals) remained a major scoring and rebounding option on the wing. McDonald (17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and 3.8 steals) led the NBL in assists and steals for a second consecutive season, earned All-NBL First Team honours and won the Good Hands Award.

Rees (14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) anchored the middle, Johnson gave the Giants another perimeter scoring option, while Sengstock (5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds), Pearce (5.7 points) and Leader (4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds) completed Brown’s veteran rotation.

The quarterfinals opened in Brisbane, where Jent (34 points and 7 rebounds), Reidy (25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), Johnson (20 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists) and McDonald (7 points, 6 rebounds, 19 assists, and 6 steals) led North Melbourne to a 115-105 win, while Leroy Loggins (42 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block), Mike Mitchell (17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) and Shane Heal (16 points, 12 assists, and 5 steals) kept Brisbane within reach.

Game two moved to Melbourne, where McDonald (32 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals), Reidy (28 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists), Jent (21 points and 5 rebounds), Rees (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 blocks) and Johnson (11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals) helped North Melbourne complete the sweep with a 130-99 win, while Loggins (25 points and 8 rebounds), Mitchell (22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals) and Heal (14 points and 5 assists) led Brisbane.

The semifinals opened against South East Melbourne, where Jent (24 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block), Reidy (23 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block), Rees (17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block), McDonald (11 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Johnson (9 points and 4 rebounds) helped North Melbourne hold the Magic to 77 points and take game one 98-77.

Game two moved to South East Melbourne, where Jent (17 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), McDonald (17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals), Rees (12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) and Johnson (7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal) contributed, but the Magic responded with a 98-79 win and forced a deciding game.

Game three remained in Melbourne, where Reidy (27 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals), Jent (25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), McDonald (14 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists, and 8 steals), Sengstock (14 points) and Johnson (12 points and 3 rebounds) led North Melbourne to a 107-92 win and moved the Giants into the Grand Final for a second consecutive season.

The Grand Final series opened at the Perth Entertainment Centre, where Jent (29 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals), Johnson (21 points and 3 assists), Reidy (21 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals) and McDonald (18 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals) powered North Melbourne to a 104-97 win over Perth, while James Crawford (24 points and 9 rebounds) led the Wildcats.

Game two moved to Melbourne, where Perth trailed 53-45 at halftime and faced elimination before lifting its defensive pressure in the second half. Andrew Vlahov (29 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Wildcats, while Jent (28 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block), McDonald (17 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Reidy (17 points and 11 rebounds) kept North Melbourne close before Perth won 97-88 and levelled the series, with Johnson held to 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.

Game three returned to Perth, where the Wildcats scored 30 points while holding North Melbourne to 15 in the opening quarter, limited the Giants’ leading scorer to 5-of-14 shooting and forced North Melbourne to shoot 29-of-77 from the field. Crawford (32 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 5 blocks) made 15-of-18 shots and powered Perth to a 108-88 win, with Vlahov named Grand Final MVP after averaging 24 points across the series. Johnson (6 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal) played 21:42 minutes in the 108-88 loss.

1996
After falling one win short of back-to-back championships, North Melbourne returned most of its roster for Brett Brown’s fourth season. Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, Paul Rees, Paul Maley, Larry Sengstock, Matthew Shanahan and John Stelzer all remained in place, while Mark Leader and Darryl Pearce retired and Chris Jent (to New York Knicks) exited after his one-season stint with the Giants. Australian Boomers guard Tonny Jensen (via Townsville) joined the roster, while Maley returned from the back injury that had ruled him out for the entire 1995 season.

North Melbourne opened the season in Sydney on April 12, where Johnson (2 points and 3 steals) played 17:10 minutes, but the Kings defeated the Giants 102-97 despite Maley (20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals), McDonald (16 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals) and Reidy (16 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) keeping North Melbourne close.

Johnson (9.1 points and 1.3 steals) remained part of Brown’s backcourt rotation and four days later added 7 points and 2 rebounds as North Melbourne defeated Melbourne 105-85 at Melbourne Park. McDonald (20 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) recorded a triple-double, while Reidy (27 points and 10 rebounds), Jensen (28 points) and Rees (17 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks) helped the Giants claim their first win of the season.

Johnson (7 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) produced one of his best all-round games against Geelong on May 10 as North Melbourne defeated the Supercats 133-103, with McDonald (24 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 7 steals), Reidy (22 points), Maley (19 points and 5 rebounds) and Rees (14 points and 8 rebounds) leading the Giants.

Johnson’s best scoring game came at Carrara Indoor Stadium on May 17, where Johnson (31 points and 1 steal) made five three-pointers as North Melbourne defeated Gold Coast 125-106. Maley (28 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals), Reidy (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists), Rees (14 points and 4 blocks) and McDonald (13 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, and 7 steals) helped the Giants win on the road.

Johnson (16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) added another strong game against Melbourne on July 5, but the Tigers defeated North Melbourne 100-97 despite McDonald (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 15 assists) and Maley (25 points and 4 rebounds) leading the Giants.

Johnson (19 points and 2 steals) delivered his best late-season game in Perth on September 28 as North Melbourne defeated the Wildcats 99-93 behind McDonald (30 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 9 steals) and Rees (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists). The win came one night after a 92-70 loss in Adelaide and left the Giants seventh with a 15-11 record in a tight ladder where only two games separated third place and eighth.

Reidy (20.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals) led North Melbourne in scoring, while McDonald (17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3.9 steals) again led the NBL in assists, earned All-NBL First Team honours, won the Good Hands Award and was named NBL All-Star Game MVP. Maley (17.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals) returned strongly after missing the previous season, Jensen (14.6 points) gave the Giants another perimeter scorer, while Rees (14 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks), Sengstock (4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds), Shanahan (5 points) and Stelzer (2.1 points) completed Brown’s rotation.

The quarterfinals opened at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where South East Melbourne defeated North Melbourne 96-82 behind Andrew Parkinson (19 points). Johnson (7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block) played 28:23 minutes, while Rees (28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks), Reidy (19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and McDonald (11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) led the Giants as the Magic took control of the series.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park, where Tony Ronaldson (25 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and Mike Kelly (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led South East Melbourne to an 87-77 win and completed the sweep. Johnson (14 points and 2 rebounds) played 41:50 minutes in the 87-77 loss.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS
1998/99
Entering the 1998/99 season, the Falcons were in dire financial trouble, but on the brink of the season starting, they secured funds from a group of investors from Albury. As a result, the Falcons were able to retain local talent Ben Melmeth, Terry Johnson and import Todd Mundt but were forced to build the rest of the team on a shoestring budget. Somewhat luckily, Newcastle benefitted from the merger of South East Melbourne and North Melbourne, which saw Pat Reidy and import Butch Hays both former Giants players, without a team. With few NBL team’s having any space on their rosters at this stage, the Falcons were able to sign both at budget prices. Dean Brogan (via Adelaide), Rod Johnson (via Canberra) and legendary shot blocker Willie Simmons was lured out of retirement to play another season.

While obvious favourites to finish on the bottom of the ladder, the Falcons surprised everyone by winning five of their first six games.

Shortly after, reports of players not being paid their salaries surfaced, and the focus, motivation and production among the players began to wane. Mundt exited the team as a result of not getting paid on time and was replaced with Simmons (14.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals) who after a season playing with Sydney was sitting at home after being unable to find another new deal.

The remainder of the season then saw Newcastle record three wins from their next nineteen games before finally beating Perth (113–111) in their final game of the year.

Pat Reidy (17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals) led the team in scoring, Ben Melmeth (17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals) led the team in rebounds while Terry Johnson (14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals) delivered his best season at the point guard position and his brother Rod Johnson (11.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) rounded out the team’s leading scorers.

After narrowly surviving the season before, this would prove to be the death knell for Newcastle, with the league stepping in to address their financial situation and its result being the removal of their NBL licence and the Falcons being forced out of the league.

BRISBANE BULLETS
1999/00
The team were unable to retain imports Chuck Kornegay (Spain) and Steve Woodberry (Sydney), who both left for high-paying deals, and by the 1999/00 season, Leroy Loggins (16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal per game) was finally showing signs of slowing down. By now, his numbers had dropped to career lows across the board, and the Bullets began to plan for life after Leroy.

Head coach Brian Kerle signed his son Simon Kerle and Jason Cameron (both via Townsville) as well as Brendan Mann (via Canberra) to build a local core to build around, adding them to existing young talent, Phil Doherty and Mark Nash. Johnson was also added for some veteran leadership, and import signings Kelvin Price and Sheldon Quarles rounded out the roster.

Amazingly, Loggins (15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals) was still a vital cog in the Bullets’ offence and continued to clock 29 minutes of playing time each game despite being 42 years old. Kerle (14.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists) did what he could, while Price (12.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) and Quarles (11.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) underperformed, to say the least. The Bullets didn’t quite have the talent they did the previous year and finished 7-21, causing Loggins to miss the playoffs for only the third time in his 20 seasons in the NBL.

Johnson appeared in 24 games and averaged 8.9 points, 2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.

Rod Johnson played fourteen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Illawarra Hawks, North Melbourne Giants, Newcastle Falcons, Canberra Cannons and Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 10.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 367 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:

– 44th in total steals