SYDNEY premiership defender Alex Johnson is on the verge of making his long-awaited comeback from five knee reconstructions

The Swans are considering selecting the 25-year-old in its NEAFL side to play Canberra this Saturday.

Johnson has not played a game since March 2014 and not played a senior match since the 2012 AFL Grand Final.

The Swans are being very cautious about declaring if Johnson will return to play in Canberra, conscious that training needs to be completed, with the NEAFL team expected to have a light run on Friday after the senior team trains on Thursday.

AFL.com.au understands the Swans are also contemplating whether it might be better selecting Johnson against Gold Coast in a curtain-raiser to the AFL game the following Saturday.

A final decision as to whether Johnson plays is not expected until Friday at the earliest.

Johnson is still officially on the long-term injury list, with rookie Lewis Melican being upgraded before round five. Melican played against Essendon last Friday night in the Swans' narrow win.

However, the club has lost Darcy Cameron for the season to a shoulder injury which means he could be placed on the long-term injury list.

The defender has been a remarkably resilient presence at the Swans, and his return to the training track in 2016 was an emotional moment for both Johnson and his teammates.

He has undergone more than 10 operations yet kept persisting in an effort to resume his AFL career that is stuck on 45 games.

This tackle on Jaeger O'Meara in 2013 caused another ACL tear for Alex Johnson. Picture: AFL Photos



AFL.com.au understands senior Swans' players are keen to be at Johnson's return game and would make their way to Canberra on Saturday after the Swans play Melbourne in Friday night's blockbuster at the MCG if the decision was made for him to play.

Geelong's Daniel Menzel has made a successful return from four knee reconstructions, kicking 67 goals in the 32 AFL games he has played since his return.

Alex Johnson celebrates the Swans' 2012 flag with Mitch Morton. Picture: AFL Photos



Alex Johnson - career timeline

2011

Taken with pick No.57 in the 2010 NAB AFL Draft, Johnson made his debut against West Coast at Domain Stadium in round three. He went on to play 20 games including both of the Swans' finals.

2012

Johnson's breakout season came when he played all 25 games for the year in defence, and played a starring role in the Swans' premiership as a 20-year-old. The Grand Final is still the last senior game he has played.

2013

March – Johnson tears the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the first term of the Swans' third pre-season clash against Gold Coast at Blacktown, and days later undergoes a traditional reconstruction.

July – scans reveal a second reconstruction is needed after the graft from his first bout of surgery in March failed to hold.

August – Johnson decides to opt for a hybrid LARS operation in a bid to get back in time for the 2014 season.

2014

February – Johnson completes his first full training session since his initial injury, and spends time on superstar recruit Lance Franklin in match simulation drills.

March – Just over a week after his 22nd birthday, the luckless Swans ruptures the ACL in his left knee. The incident occurs in a marking contest just 10 minutes into his first proper game back, in the reserves against GWS at Spotless Stadium as the curtain raiser to the AFL's season opener.

July – After being forced to beat an infection in his knee and wait for inflammation to subside, Johnson finally undergoes his second bout of LARS surgery.

September – Unable to beat another persistent infection, surgeons are forced to remove Johnson's second LARS graft.

2015

January – Johnson is ruled out for the season.

October – In a show of faith by the Swans, Johnson is re-signed by the club for the 2016 season on a one-year contract, despite still waiting to have his fourth reconstruction.

November – Johnson goes under the knife again to have his fourth reconstruction, another hybrid LARS procedure.

December – Less than a month after his surgery, Johnson is rushed to hospital to fight another infection in his knee, which results in the graft being removed for a second time.

2016

June – After months of complications with more infections, Johnson undergoes his fifth reconstruction, and his 12th knee operation in total.

September – Johnson's hard work pays off when he runs on solid ground for the first time in 906 days at the SCG. The Swans playing group and coaching staff come in on their day off to support him, giving him a standing ovation as he runs laps.

October – Johnson is named best clubman at Sydney's club champion awards and signs another one year deal with the club.

2017

February – Johnson is placed on the club's long-term injury list but continues to progress on the training track, despite suffering a minor hamstring strain during the pre-season.

April – The defender completes his first contact full training session in over three years at the SCG.

July - comeback game mooted against Canberra in the NEAFL, nearly five and a half years after winning Grand Final