Ted Fordham wasn’t always the Essendon spearhead.
He started his career in the backline and also spent some time in the midfield.
In his first 29 games, he kicked 10 goals.
In 1964, Essendon Coach John Coleman sent Fordham to the forward line.
The move paid off.
“Teddy had a good pair of hands. He had a good body, he could out-maneuver his opponent,” former teammate Hugh Mitchell said.
Fordham became a consistent goal kicker and on the eve of the 64’ finals series, booted eight against South Melbourne.
“He was a ripper,” former teammate Greg Brown said.
“He had a big bum, he had strong hands, strong fingers.
“John Coleman taught him to lead late from the goal-square so if you have a shot for goal it’s only a relatively short distance.”
In the premiership year of 65’, Fordham established himself as one of the VFL’s most damaging forwards.
He kicked 54 goals that year.
Hawthorn’s John Peck won the Coleman Medal with 56.
Fordham’s final tally could have been greater. He kicked 3.7 against Fitzroy and 6.9 against Footscray a fortnight later.
But it was his performance in the finals series that left the biggest mark.
After a quiet start in the semi final against Geelong, Fordham came to life in the Preliminary Final win over Collingwood.
He kicked six goals as the side advanced to the Grand Final.
Essendon had finished fourth after the home and away season (it was a top four in those days) and would face St Kilda.
The Saints entered the finals a game clear on top of the ladder.
“The whole finals series Teddy was at his best. Every time we drove the ball in to our forward line, he finished it off,” Mitchell said.
“The whole team around the ground was full of confidence. “
That confidence was well placed as the Bombers beat the more highly fancied Saints by 35 points.
Fordham kicked seven goals, then a VFL record for a Grand Final.
“Ted’s a great man and a great person and he deserves to have that record of seven goals in a Grand Final,” Brown said.
Fordham won the Coleman Medal in 1966 with 76 goals including a haul of 10 against eventual Grand Finalists Collingwood.
He played three more seasons for the Bombers and later spent time on the club’s Board and as Chairman of Selectors.
The Sun newspaper celebrates Ted Fordham's 10 goal performance against Collingwood in 1966.
