Researching John Coleman

Coleman is widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever Australian rules footballers. In a relatively short playing career, Coleman has the second-highest goal average in the history of the VFL/AFL, kicking 537 goals in 98 matches. He was also known for his high-flying spectacular marks, in some cases jumping cleanly over opponents. After a knee injury ended his playing career at age 25, he returned to coach Essendon to premiership success. Coleman died in 1973, at the age of 44, of sudden coronary atheroma.

In 1981, the VFL named the Coleman Medal in his honour, awarding it to the League's leading goalkicker at the end of the home-and-away rounds. In 1996 he was one of 12 inaugural Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees bestowed "Legend" status. He is the only player amongst them to have played less than 100 games at senior level.

He was editor of the Journal of Adolescence from 1984-2000. In 1989 he founded the Trust for the Study of Adolescence. He was awarded an OBE in 2001 for services to youth justice.

His current research interests include young people and new technologies, the parenting of adolescents, and emotional health and well-being. He is engaged, with others, in the establishment of the Association for Young People's Health, which was launched at a major conference on 6 February 2008.

A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Coleman was a major leaguer whose career, statistically speaking, was only slightly different from that of Moonlight Graham. Coleman debuted on June 23, 1890, and was charged with eight runs (including four earned) on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts in innings. He took the loss (21.60 earned run average) and never appeared in another major league game.

Coleman died at the age of 54 in Bristol, Pennsylvania.

Born in Millstreet, County Cork, Coleman first played competitive Gaelic football during his tenure at Millstreet National School. He later attended Rockwell College, however, here he favoured rugby union, winning a Munster medal in 1967. Coleman first appeared for the Millstreet club at underage levels, winning a host of divisional minor championship medals. He also claimed a county under-21 championship medal in 1972.

Coleman made his debut on the inter-county scene when he was selected on the Cork minor team in 1968. He enjoyed two championship seasons with the minors and collected back-to-back All-Ireland medals. Coleman subsequently joined the Cork under-21 team, winning back-to-back All-Ireland medals in 1970 and 1971. By this stage he had also joined the Cork senior team, making his debut during the 1970-71 league. Over the course of the next nine seasons, Coleman won one All-Ireland in 1973.. He also won three Munster medals. Coleman played his last game for Cork in July 1979.

Following the abolition of the ban in 1972, Coleman combined his Gaelic football career with one in rugby union. He represented Munster on a number of occasions, while he also played with the Ireland B team.

He was born near Lismore to sawyer Edmund Coleman and Charlotte Downs. He attended the local public school before becoming a storekeeper. In 1882 he married Elizabeth Rachel Marshall Ventnam; they had four children. He served as a Lismore alderman from 1890 to 1892, from 1893 to 1896 and from 1900 to 1901. In 1901 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as an independent Liberal, representing the seat of Lismore. He was elected for Rous as an endorsed Liberal in 1904, but died in January 1905 at Marrickville.

Colemans Bridge over Leycester Creek at Lismore is named for Coleman.