fullname heightweight death_date death_place years birth_place position statsend coachyears originalteam birth_date careerhighlights image article_title name
john douglas coleman 185cm / 80kg 5 april 1973 dromana , victoria 1949 -- 1954 port fairy , victoria full-forward 1967 1961 -- 1967 hastings 23 november 1928 * 1950 -rrb- 2x essendon premiership player : -lrb- 1949 , 742692-john-coleman . jpg john coleman -lrb- australian footballer -rrb-
 john coleman
john coleman -lrb- australian footballer -rrb-

john douglas coleman -lrb- 23 november 1928 -- 5 april 1973 -rrb- was an australian rules footballer and coach for essendon in the victorian football league -lrb- now the afl -rrb- .
coleman ranks as one of the greatest australian rules footballers of all time .
in a relatively short playing career , coleman has the second highest goal average in the history of vfl/afl football , kicking 537 goals in 98 matches .
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 .
he is the namesake of the coleman medal , awarded to the afl player who kicks the most goals during the home and away season .
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 play less than 100 games at senior level .
