DELISTED and humbled, it seemed Ryan Crowley and Steve Johnson would never cross paths on a footy field again at the end of last season.

But two respective lifelines later and the provocative figures are set to renew hostilities for another edition of the popular Crowley-Stevie show.

By nature, Johnson is a confident fellow. Yet even a man of his self-assurance might be dreading the day when his GWS Giants clash with Crowley’s Bombers in Round 13, judging by their previous entertaining one-on-one battles between the two men.

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Before his AFL anti-doping tribunal ban for taking a banned substance in 2014, Crowley was renowned as arguably the best tagger in the game. And Johnson was one of his favourite scalps.

Former Geelong forward Johnson struggled to break the clasp of Crowley and was often sucked in by the niggling tactics whenever the Cats played Fremantle.

This was none more evident than in 2014, when Crowley suffocated Johnson and tagged him out of both home and away games between the Cats and the Dockers. In Round 9, Crowley restricted Johnson to just 16 disposals in 87 minutes. He bettered that in Round 20, keeping the Cat to only 12 touches in 95 minutes.

Ryan Crowley restricted Steve Johnston to 12 disposals in Round 20, 2014. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: News Corp Australia

Crowley returns to the AFL scene this year via the Bombers, who signed the 31-year-old as its first top-up player after 12 players were banned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week.

He said he would be happy to play anywhere on the field at the Bombers. But tagging is still his first love.

“I strangely enough enjoy the run-with (role), but I’m sure there’ll be times when I’ll have to play different roles,” Crowley said on Wednesday.

And for star on-ballers, like Johnson, hoping Crowley would return to the AFL a changed man with less niggling intentions, they’d be wrong.

“I’d find it hard to change my style. It’s in my nature to be a bit like that,” Crowley said.

“My girlfriend can probably attest to that because I can be quite annoying at times.

“I definitely won’t change the way I play. I don’t think I’m the most talented guy going around but there’s ways I can have my mark on the game.

Johnson wasn’t the only gun midfielder who fell to Crowley’s negating tactics in 2014 — his most recent full AFL season.

According to Champion Data, Crowley spent at least 40 minutes on an opponent in all but two games. Of those tagging jobs, he won all but two of them.

Ryan Crowley wore Ryan Griffen like a glove in 2014. Picture: Michael Klein Source: News Corp Australia

Brisbane’s Pearce Hanley felt the Crowley clasp the most. In the Dockers-Lions clash in Round 14, Crowley kept the dashing Irishman to just four disposals from 68 minutes.

Ryan Griffen, then still with the Western Bulldogs, suffered a similar fate three rounds earlier, restricted to only 10 disposals from 92 minutes.

Not only is Crowley an effective tagger, he’s a durable one. He played 77 consecutive games between Round 20, 2011 and Freo’s 2014 semi-final against Port Adelaide.

That durability has come courtesy of an outstanding fitness base, which he believes he has been able to maintain over the past 12 months. And, subsequently, he feels as fresh as ever.

“I think I was starting to feel the effects of playing five years straight without missing a game. It was getting really tough, but having that time off just made my body feel great,” Crowley said.

“Just not doing that anymore really did give the time to recuperate that body.”

However it’s not all bright, red roses for Crowley when it comes to his opponent-focused tagging approach.

His preoccupation with his opponent rather than the ball in 2014 meant he didn’t often figure in general play.

That year, Crowley was rated below average for a midfielder in disposals, contested possessions, uncontested possessions and clearances, according to Champion Data.

Perhaps of more concern was his below average ratings in tackles and pressure acts and the fact he had the worst free-kick differential for any player during the 2014 home and away rounds.

But with 188 games of AFL experience — including an AFL grand final — and a club best and fairest to his name, Crowley will bring invaluable wisdom to a midfield brigade now missing its two best midfielders in Dyson Heppell and Jobe Watson.

Beware the Crowley clasp, Stevie J.

CROWLEY’S BIG 2014 SCALPS

Round 14 v Brisbane Lions: Pearce Hanley for 68 minutes, 4 disposals (0.0588 disposals per minute)

Round 11 v Western Bulldogs: Ryan Griffen for 92 minutes, 10 disposals (0.1086)

Round 20 v Geelong: Steve Johnson for 95 minutes, 12 disposals (0.1263)

Round 17 v GWS Giants: Tom Scully for 109 minutes, 16 disposals (0.1467)

Round 21 v Hawthorn: Isaac Smith for 48 minutes, 8 disposals (0.1667)

Semi-final v Port Adelaide: Travis Boak for 114 minutes, 16 disposals (0.1403)

Round 9 v Geelong: Steve Johnson for 87 minutes, 16 disposals (0.1839)

Round 18 v St Kilda: Leigh Montagna for 76 minutes, 14 disposals (0.1842)

Round 15 v West Coast Eagles: Luke Shuey for 92 minutes, 17 disposals (0.1847)

Round 12 v Adelaide: Patrick Dangerfield for 92 minutes, 17 disposals (0.1847)

Round 2 v Gold Coast Suns: Gary Ablett (88 minutes), 17 disposals, 6 clearances — 0.19

THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY

Round 1 v Collingwood: Scott Pendlebury for 96 minutes, 26 disposals (0.27083)

Round 6 v North Melbourne: Brent Harvey for 110 minutes, 29 disposals (0.2636)