Collingwood Forever

The smallest player of his era, and certainly one of the lightest of any era, Collingwood recruited Coghlan from CBC Parade and Clifton Hill CYMS. He won the Gardiner Medal in 1949 in his first year at Victoria Park, but the Magpies released him to Hawthorn where he established himself as a firm favorite and a class rover. Coghlan, who topped Hawthorn’s goalkicking each season from 1953-5, later became a highly-respected football writer and radio/TV commentator. Coghlan was given his nickname of “Skeeter” when he won a junior high jump competition at 14 years of age, by clearing three inches above his then height of 4 ft 7in. He also played District cricket with the University and Richmond clubs and was a pennant squash player.