Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson revealed he had a tumour removed "the size of a small footy" during the 2025 season and is now on the mend.
The 49-year-old AFL Hall of Famer and games record holder for the Bulldogs said he felt more at ease with his predicament after treatment and wanted to "assist the positive approach" for people who are going through the same health issues.
He realised he had a problem after he played a game of bubble soccer for his TV commitments with Fox Footy, and noticed a lump protruding from his back.
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"Afterwards I wasn't sore at all, but just noticed my lat muscle was sticking out a bit more than normal. I didn't really think much of it – I'm like, I'm not sore, I was an enclosed position with the bubble soccer so I thought maybe something minor had happened, a bit of swelling from a knock, and I'll be fine," he told The Howie Games podcast.
"So I let it go for a week and nothing was changing … not sore at all, just pronounced."
Johnson visited the Bulldogs long-time club doctor Jake Landsberger, who advised him to get it checked further.
"Took off my shirt, had a look, he goes alright you're going for an ultrasound straight away," Johnson said.
"I remember the young lady who took the ultrasound, she left the room and brought the more senior doctor in and basically said to me there's a good size lump in there.
"It's about 11 or 12cm."
Johnson was eventually diagnosed with liposarcoma, a rare cancer starting in fat cells that has varying survival rates.
His employers gave him all the time off he needed to focus on recovery.
He said his "footy senses" took over when he met surgeon Dr Gerard Powell.
"He was brilliant, a calm man, seriously calm, seriously positive guy. Made me feel from the outset that we're going to get this. You follow me.
"Basically as soon as I walked in, I'm your coach, these are the steps you're going to take, you're going to follow your coach. Turned it into a footy sense straight away."
Johnson received a month of radiation treatment before a lump "the size of a small footy" was removed during surgery.
"It grew quick, and thank God it exposed itself in that way so I was able to get on top of it – a bit of luck, in some ways," he said.
Johnson revealed going through the treatment had its lows and admitted to feeling "shitty" at times.
Yet those who were tasked with caring for him found ways to cheer him up and keep him mentally and emotionally focused on getting through it.
"The flick for me from the negative thought to the positive thought was they've said, OK let's just follow the process. At the end of it, you know, should be all good.
"Whether I was feeling a bit shitty or I got angry. I got angry a few times. I look after myself, I really look after myself. I have forever. So at times I went into the, 'oh, why me?' You know what I mean? But it doesn't discriminate.
"I don't know whether the nurses picked it or not but I lay on the bed, they go 'what music do you want?' I just go, 'whatever.
"Next thing I know the Bulldogs theme song comes on."
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