Coleman Medal
A man with short curly brown hair in a sleeveless navy guernsey and shorts
Charlie Curnow, 2022 and 2023 recipient
LeagueAustralian Football League
Awarded forMost goals in the home-and-away season
History
Most winsDick Lee (7)
Most recentCharlie Curnow (2)

The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals in the home-and-away season. It is named after Essendon full-forward John Coleman, one of the most prolific goalkickers in the league's history, who was league leading goalkicker for five consecutive seasons.[1]

The medal has been presented at various different events, including the preliminary[2] and grand finals,[3] the All-Australian awards ceremony,[4][5] and club award ceremonies.[6] Carlton's Charlie Curnow is the most recent recipient, kicking 78 goals in 2023.[7]

History

The award was first presented in 1981 to Richmond's Michael Roach.[8] At the time, the competition was known as the Victorian Football League (VFL); it would become the AFL in 1990.[9] It was named after John Coleman, a full-forward and Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend who scored 537 goals in 98 games for Essendon between 1949 and 1954.[1]

In September 2001, the AFL decided to recognise all leading goalkickers prior to Roach's victory;[10] leaders from 1955—the year after Coleman's last match—to 1980 were named retrospective Coleman Medallists, while winners prior to 1955 were named Leading Goalkicker Medallists.[8] Medals were presented to winners or their surviving relatives in a ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall in July 2004.[8][11] Jack Collins, who had been a leading advocate for naming the award after Coleman[12] and honouring leading goalkickers prior to 1981,[13] was the only player to receive both a Coleman and a Leading Goalkicker Medal.[14] Upon receiving the accolades, he was "bloody angry" and complained to the AFL Commission, as he perceived the Leading Goalkicker Medal to be an inferior award.[15]

Collingwood is the club most frequently represented by Coleman and Leading Goalkicker Medallists: its players have won on 23 occasions, six clear of Geelong's tally of 17. The majority of Collingwood's awards were contributed by Dick Lee (7) and Gordon Coventry (6), which stand as the most and second-most in league history. Coleman himself won the Leading Goalkicker Medals in all five of his complete VFL seasons to have the third-most. As of 2023, there have been five four-time medallists, five three-time medallists, and 16 dual medallists.

Recipients

A brown-haired footballer in a sleeveless blue guernsey with vertical red stripes
Jack Leith tied with Eddy James for the most goals (22) in 1897, the VFL's inaugural season.
A dark-haired footballer in a long-sleeve horizontally-striped guernsey holding a football
Percy Martini was retrospectively awarded a Leading Goalkicker Medal for his 51-goal performance in 1910.
Greg Stockdale's 68-goal haul for the 1923 season broke the league record.
Greg Stockdale's 68-goal haul for the 1923 season broke the league record. Stockdale would go on to be Essendon's leading goalkicker in three seasons between 1923 and 1928.
A dark-haired footballer in a kicking motion wearing a long-sleeve black-and-white vertically-striped guernsey, dark shorts and football boots
Gordon Coventry led the VFL in goalkicking six times, including five consecutive occasions from 1926 to 1930.
A dark-haired footballer in a long-sleeve black-and-white vertically-striped guernsey and black shorts, holding a football
Des Fothergill scored the most goals (63) in the 1946 VFL season.
A dark-haired footballer in a long-sleeve black guernsey with a diagonal sash and white shorts squatting while holding a football
John Coleman, the namesake of the medal, led the VFL in goalkicking five times in a row (1949–1953).
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Brian Taylor scored 100 goals in 1986, winning the season's Coleman Medal.
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John Longmire led the AFL in goalkicking for 1990 at the age of 19, making him the youngest Coleman Medallist.[16]
A dark-haired, bearded footballer in a sleeveless red-and-white guernsey running on a grassed oval
Lance Franklin (pictured playing for Sydney) has won four Coleman Medals at two clubs: Hawthorn (2008, 2011) and Sydney (2014, 2017).
Note: Bold text denotes player currently plays in the AFL
Table of recipients[a]
Recipient Year Club Goals
Eddy James 1897 Geelong 22
Jack Leith Melbourne
Archie Smith 1898 Collingwood 31
Eddy James (2) 1899 Geelong 31
Teddy Lockwood 1900 Geelong 24
Albert Thurgood Essendon
Fred Hiskins 1901 Essendon 34
Charlie Baker 1902 St Kilda 30
Teddy Lockwood (2) 1903 Collingwood 33
Vince Coutie 1904 Melbourne 39
Charlie Pannam 1905 Collingwood 38
Mick Grace 1906 Carlton 45
Dick Lee 1907 Collingwood 45
Dick Lee (2) 1908 Collingwood 50
Dick Lee (3) 1909 Collingwood 55
Percy Martini 1910 Geelong 51
Harry Brereton 1911 Melbourne 46
Harry Brereton (2) 1912 Melbourne 56
Roy Park 1913 University 53
Dick Lee (4) 1914 Collingwood 57
Jimmy Freake 1915 Fitzroy 65
Dick Lee (5) 1916 Collingwood 46
Dick Lee (6) 1917 Collingwood 50
Ern Cowley 1918 Carlton 35
Dick Lee (7) 1919 Collingwood 47
George Bayliss 1920 Richmond 62
Cliff Rankin 1921 Geelong 61
Horrie Clover 1922 Carlton 54
Greg Stockdale 1923 Essendon 64
Jack Moriarty 1924 Fitzroy 75
Lloyd Hagger 1925 Geelong 70
Gordon Coventry 1926 Collingwood 78
Gordon Coventry (2) 1927 Collingwood 88
Gordon Coventry (3) 1928 Collingwood 78
Gordon Coventry (4) 1929 Collingwood 118
Gordon Coventry (5) 1930 Collingwood 105
Harry Vallence 1931 Carlton 72
George Moloney 1932 Geelong 109
Gordon Coventry (6) 1933 Collingwood 108
Bob Pratt 1934 South Melbourne 138
Bob Pratt (2) 1935 South Melbourne 97
Bill Mohr 1936 St Kilda 101
Dick Harris 1937 Richmond 64
Ron Todd 1938 Collingwood 102
Ron Todd (2) 1939 Collingwood 98
Jack Titus 1940 Richmond 92
Sel Murray 1941 North Melbourne 88
Lindsay White 1942 South Melbourne 67
Fred Fanning 1943 Melbourne 62
Fred Fanning (2) 1944 Melbourne 87
Fred Fanning (3) 1945 Melbourne 67
Des Fothergill 1946 Collingwood 63
Fred Fanning (4) 1947 Melbourne 97
Lindsay White (2) 1948 Geelong 86
John Coleman 1949 Essendon 85
John Coleman (2) 1950 Essendon 112
John Coleman (3) 1951 Essendon 75
John Coleman (4) 1952 Essendon 103
John Coleman (5) 1953 Essendon 96
Jack Collins 1954 Footscray 73
Noel Rayson 1955 Geelong 77
Bill Young 1956 St Kilda 56
Jack Collins (2) 1957 Footscray 74
Ian Brewer 1958 Collingwood 67
Ron Evans 1959 Essendon 69
Ron Evans (2) 1960 Essendon 67
Tom Carroll 1961 Carlton 54
Doug Wade 1962 Geelong 62
John Peck 1963 Hawthorn 69
John Peck (2) 1964 Hawthorn 68
John Peck (3) 1965 Hawthorn 56
Ted Fordham 1966 Essendon 73
Doug Wade (2) 1967 Geelong 79
Peter Hudson 1968 Hawthorn 125
Doug Wade (3) 1969 Geelong 122
Peter Hudson (2) 1970 Hawthorn 146
Peter Hudson (3) 1971 Hawthorn 140
Peter McKenna 1972 Collingwood 130
Peter McKenna (2) 1973 Collingwood 84
Doug Wade (4) 1974 North Melbourne 91
Leigh Matthews 1975 Hawthorn 67
Larry Donohue 1976 Geelong 99
Peter Hudson (4) 1977 Hawthorn 105
Kelvin Templeton 1978 Footscray 118
Kelvin Templeton (2) 1979 Footscray 91
Michael Roach 1980 Richmond 107
Michael Roach (2) 1981 Richmond 86
Malcolm Blight 1982 North Melbourne 94
Bernie Quinlan 1983 Fitzroy 106
Bernie Quinlan (2) 1984 Fitzroy 102
Simon Beasley 1985 Footscray 93
Brian Taylor 1986 Collingwood 100
Tony Lockett 1987 St Kilda 117
Jason Dunstall 1988 Hawthorn 124
Jason Dunstall (2) 1989 Hawthorn 128
John Longmire 1990 North Melbourne 98
Tony Lockett (2) 1991 St Kilda 118
Jason Dunstall (3) 1992 Hawthorn 139
Gary Ablett Sr. 1993 Geelong 124
Gary Ablett Sr. (2) 1994 Geelong 113
Gary Ablett Sr. (3) 1995 Geelong 118
Tony Lockett (3) 1996 Sydney 114
Tony Modra 1997 Adelaide 81
Tony Lockett (4) 1998 Sydney 107
Scott Cummings 1999 West Coast 88
Matthew Lloyd 2000 Essendon 94
Matthew Lloyd (2) 2001 Essendon 96
David Neitz 2002 Melbourne 75
Matthew Lloyd (3) 2003 Essendon 87
Fraser Gehrig 2004 St Kilda 90
Fraser Gehrig (2) 2005 St Kilda 74
Brendan Fevola 2006 Carlton 84
Jonathan Brown 2007 Brisbane Lions 77
Lance Franklin 2008 Hawthorn 102
Brendan Fevola (2) 2009 Carlton 86
Jack Riewoldt 2010 Richmond 78
Lance Franklin (2) 2011 Hawthorn 71
Jack Riewoldt (2) 2012 Richmond 65
Jarryd Roughead 2013 Hawthorn 68
Lance Franklin (3) 2014 Sydney 67
Josh Kennedy 2015 West Coast 75
Josh Kennedy (2) 2016 West Coast 80
Lance Franklin (4) 2017 Sydney 69
Jack Riewoldt (3) 2018 Richmond 65
Jeremy Cameron 2019 Greater Western Sydney 67
Tom Hawkins 2020 Geelong 42
Harry McKay 2021 Carlton 58
Charlie Curnow 2022 Carlton 64
Charlie Curnow (2) 2023 Carlton 78

Multiple recipients

A dark-haired footballer in a long-sleeve black-and-white vertically-striped guernsey and black shorts holding a football
Dick Lee led the league in goalkicking a record seven times.
A brown-haired footballer in a sleeveless blue-and-yellow guernsey running on a grassed oval
Josh Kennedy is one of 16 players to twice score the most goals in a season.
Table of multiple recipients[a]
Player Wins Club(s) Years
Dick Lee 7 Collingwood 1907, 1908, 1909, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1919
Gordon Coventry 6 Collingwood 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1933
John Coleman 5 Essendon 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953
Fred Fanning 4 Melbourne 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947
Doug Wade Geelong/North Melbourne 1962, 1967, 1969, 1974
Peter Hudson Hawthorn 1968, 1970, 1971, 1977
Tony Lockett St Kilda/Sydney 1987, 1991, 1996, 1998
Lance Franklin Hawthorn/Sydney 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017
John Peck 3 Hawthorn 1963, 1964, 1965
Jason Dunstall Hawthorn 1988, 1989, 1992
Gary Ablett Sr. Geelong 1993, 1994, 1995
Matthew Lloyd Essendon 2000, 2001, 2003
Jack Riewoldt Richmond 2010, 2012, 2018
Eddy James 2 Geelong 1897, 1899
Teddy Lockwood Geelong/Collingwood 1900, 1903
Harry Brereton Melbourne 1911, 1912
Bob Pratt South Melbourne 1934, 1935
Ron Todd Collingwood 1938, 1939
Lindsay White South Melbourne/Geelong 1942, 1948
Jack Collins Footscray 1954, 1957
Ron Evans Essendon 1959, 1960
Peter McKenna Collingwood 1972, 1973
Kelvin Templeton Footscray 1978, 1979
Michael Roach Richmond 1980, 1981
Bernie Quinlan Fitzroy 1983, 1984
Fraser Gehrig St Kilda 2004, 2005
Brendan Fevola Carlton 2006, 2009
Josh Kennedy West Coast 2015, 2016
Charlie Curnow Carlton 2022, 2023

Club totals

A light-brown-haired footballer in a sleeveless black tiger-emblazoned guernsey and shorts
Jack Riewoldt has won three of Richmond's eight leading goalkicker awards.
A dark-brown-haired footballer in a sleeveless blue-and-maroon guernsey emblazoned with a golden lion standing on a grassed oval
Jonathan Brown won Brisbane's only Coleman Medal in 2007, kicking 77 goals.
Table key
† Club no longer participates in the AFL[b]
LG Number of Leading Goalkicker Medals (1897–1954)
C'man Number of Coleman Medals (1955–present)
Table of club totals[a]
Club Medals Years
LG C'man Total
Collingwood 19 4 23 1898, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1958, 1972, 1973, 1986
Geelong 8 9 17 1897, 1899, 1900, 1910, 1921, 1925, 1932, 1948, 1955, 1962, 1967, 1969, 1976, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2020
Essendon 8 6 14 1900, 1901, 1923, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1960, 1966, 2000, 2001, 2003
Hawthorn 0 14 14 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1992, 2008, 2011, 2013
Carlton 4 6 10 1906, 1918, 1922, 1931, 1961, 2006, 2009, 2021, 2022, 2023
Melbourne 8 1 9 1897, 1904, 1911, 1912, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 2002
Richmond 3 5 8 1920, 1937, 1940, 1980, 1981, 2010, 2012, 2018
Sydney[c] 3 4 7 1934, 1935, 1942, 1996, 1998, 2014, 2017
St Kilda 2 5 7 1902, 1936, 1956, 1987, 1991, 2004, 2005
Western Bulldogs[d] 1 4 5 1954, 1957, 1978, 1979, 1985
Fitzroy† 2 2 4 1915, 1924, 1983, 1984
North Melbourne 1 3 4 1941, 1974, 1982, 1990
West Coast — 3 3 1999, 2015, 2016
Adelaide — 1 1 1997
Brisbane Lions — 1 1 2007
Greater Western Sydney — 1 1 2019
University† 1 — 1 1913
Fremantle — 0 0 —
Gold Coast — 0 0 —
Port Adelaide — 0 0 —
Brisbane Bears† — — — —

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c The following websites are used as sources for recipients: Conflicts arise between the sources on three occasions; an additional source for each dispute is provided:
    • 1910: AFL.com.au notes Dick Lee as joint leading goalkicker. AFL Tables omits Lee, supported by the 2018 Grand Final edition of the AFL Record.[17]
    • 1977: AFL.com.au gives Hudson's goal total as 105. AFL Tables records 99, supported by the 2015 Grand Final edition of the AFL Record.[18]
    • 2004: AFL.com.au gives Gehrig's goal total as 103. AFL Tables records 90, supported by ABC News.[19]
  2. ^ Three teams which have participated in the VFL/AFL no longer compete today. Fitzroy, a founding member of the league, played from 1897 to 1996 before its severe financial problems forced a merger with the Brisbane Bears, an expansion club that had competed in the VFL from 1987, to form the Brisbane Lions. University, an amateur club, played in the VFL from 1908 to 1914.[9]
  3. ^ Known as South Melbourne prior to 1982 relocation.[9]
  4. ^ Known as Footscray prior to 1997.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Coleman Medal". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Quinlan's goals award". The Canberra Times. John Fairfax and Sons. 18 September 1983. Retrieved 31 January 2020 – via Trove.
  3. ^ "PM backs VFL: Government to be ignored". The Canberra Times. John Fairfax and Sons. 26 September 1982. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2020 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "Brown's All Australian honours". lions.com.au. Telstra Media. 18 September 2007. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  5. ^ "AFL finals: Leigh Matthews to present Jock McHale medal". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  6. ^ Skilton Medal: Coleman presentation (Video). Telstra Media. 6 October 2017. Event occurs at 0.58. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Leading Goalkicker". AFL Tables. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  8. ^ a b c McClure, Geoff (12 August 2002). "Sporting Life – Call for the champs". The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d "Chronology". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  10. ^ Gould, Russell (14 September 2001). "Old champs in from the cold". Herald Sun. News Limited. p. 116 – via EBSCO. THE AFL is set to reward more than 90 past champions with retrospective medals for leading the goalkicking ...
  11. ^ Oakes, Dan (27 July 2004). "A night of tribute to the rich history of the game". The Age. Fairfax Media. p. 12 – via EBSCO. [P]ast ... AFL players ... gathered at Melbourne Town Hall last night ... [t]he occasion was the retrospective presentation of medals ... to the ... leading goalkickers ... since the start of the VFL/AFL.
  12. ^ Dowsley, Anthony (29 March 2010). "Auction of Western Bulldogs star Jack Collins' medals causes family feud". Herald Sun. News Limited. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  13. ^ Palmer, Scot (27 May 2001). "Medals for goal greats". The Sunday Mail. News Limited. p. 118 – via EBSCO. Former Footscray champion Jack Collins ... supports the move.
  14. ^ Hobbs, Greg (30 July 2004). Lovett, Michael (ed.). "Jack of all trades". AFL Record. Vol. 93, no. 18. Melbourne: Australian Football League. p. 70. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020 – via State Library of Victoria.
  15. ^ Palmer, Scot (16 September 2001). "Dogs star's pain". Herald Sun. News Limited. p. 50 – via EBSCO. [Collins] has ... written a ... complaint to the AFL Commission ... Jack will receive what he feels is an inferior ... medal.
  16. ^ "Coaches: John Longmire". sydneyswans.com.au. Telstra Media. 22 November 2019. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  17. ^ Lovett, Michael, ed. (29 September 2018). "Collingwood – Leading Goalkicker Medallists". AFL Record. Vol. 107. Melbourne: Crocmedia. p. 129.
  18. ^ Lovett, Michael, ed. (3 October 2015). "Hawthorn – John Coleman Medallists". AFL Record. Vol. 104. Melbourne: AFL Media. p. 120.
  19. ^ "Gehrig clinches Coleman medal". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 30 August 2004. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2020.

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