guernsey, and to this day John Coleman remains a hero to Essendon fans and
particularly the Mornington Peninsula community. Last week, he was further
immortalised with the unveiling of a four-metre bronze statue in High
Street, Hastings, in honour of his contribution to Australian Rules
Football.
The statue shows Coleman taking one of his flying marks over Fitzroy's Tom
Meehan at Windy Hill in 1953. Known for soaring high over packs and taking
spectacular marks, fans would flock to Essendon to see their idol in
action.
Figurative sculptor, Steve Glassborow, whose renowned works are
commissioned internationally, created the statue.
Coleman was born in Port Fairy in 1928 before moving to the Hastings
district when he was in his early teens. But it was there that he made an
impact. He played his first football with Hastings in 1947, kicking 137
goals, the following year he kicked 160 goals in 16 games, including 23 in
a game against Sorrento.
In his first game for Essendon in 1949, he stunned the football world,
kicking 12 goals to equal Ted Freyer's opening round record set in 1935. He
went from success to success and became the first League player to kick 100
goals in his first season.
Coleman's playing career was cut short after a severe knee injury in 1954,
forcing him to retire from the game, but in 1961 he returned to Essendon as
coach.
EFC CAREER STATISTICS
Played 1949-54
Games 98
Goals 537
Premiership player 1949,1950
Grand Final appearances 1949,1950
Finals played-6
EFC Coach 1961-67
EFC Vice-Captain 1953-54
EFC Best & Fairest 1949
Top 5 EFC best & fairest finishes 1949, 1952
EFC Leading goalkicker1949 -1954
VFL Leading goalkicker 1949,1950,1952,1953
Top 5 Brownlow medal finishes -1949
Career Brownlow Votes
Victorian Representative 1949-51, 1953
Victorian Coach 1965
All Australian 1953
