On September 24, 1949 I was an 11-year old, footy-mad kid living in Bendigo.
On that day my Dad brought me, and my older brother, Alan, to Melbourne for the 1949 VFL Grand Final between Essendon and Carlton. Although this wasn’t my first visit to the mecca of sport, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, I had been there twice before to watch Don Bradman take on the England Test side in 1946 and the Indian visitors in 1948, this was to be my very first VFL football match.We had trained it from Bendigo to Melbourne and I remember queuing up along Brunton Avenue until the gates were opened. No tickets in those days, just hand over your money at the turnstiles and then the mad rush to grab a good possie. We got good seats 10 or 12 rows back from the fence, behind the goals at the Punt Road end.
I admit I have very little memory of the actual game itself, apart from the most important incident – John Coleman’s sixth goal for the day and, of course, his 100th for the season.
This vital goal came very late in the match and I think it was the legendary Dick Reynolds who passed the ball to Coleman, but I seem to recollect that the Blues’ full-back, Ollie Grieve, didn’t put up too much opposition to Coleman and I remember thinking what a nice gesture it was and what fine sportsmanship he displayed.
Of course the Bombers were a mile in front and the pressure was off, so much so that the photograph in the Argus newspaper colour supplement of Coleman kicking his hundredth, shows a number of players actually sitting on the ground while the kick was taken! A lasting memory is the image of John Coleman being chaired off the ground after the siren.
What can you say about Coleman’s first season! His first kick in League football resulted in a goal and on that memorable day against Hawthorn, he kicked a record 12 goals on debut, a record that still stands, as does his record of having kicked 100 goals in a debut season.
Not content with topping the ton in 1949, he repeated the effort in 1950 with 120 goals in another Bombers’ premiership year. Those of us who witnessed his feats were certainly privileged. His high-flying marks and accurate flat punt kicks will live long in our memories.
Four years later in 1953, when I was member of the Bendigo team in the Victorian State Schools’ 5th Annual Intrastate Football Carnival, our team was sponsored by the Essendon Football Club. Training at Windy Hill with Coleman, Reynolds, et al was a thrill beyond belief for a 15-year-old country kid.
For the record the final scores were:
Essendon 18.19 (125)
Carlton 6.16 (52)
Best for Essendon – McClure, Hutchison, May, McDonald, Brittingham,
Best for Carlton - Deacon, Grieve, Howell, Green, Clark, Henfry.
Goals - Essendon – Coleman 6, Rawle 3, Hutchison 3, Syme 2, McEwin 2.
Goals - Carlton - Howell, Turner, Baxter Garby, Hands - all singles.