Early Days: The Teenage Prodigy
Coleman was introduced to football at Port Fairy Higher Elementary School. During the early war years, the family moved to Melbourne where Coleman was enrolled at Ascot Vale West State School. He later attended Moonee Ponds Central School, where he became dux of the school. At the age of 12, he already played in a local under-18 Australian rules football team.
In 1943, Coleman's mother took the children to live at Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula as her husband remained in the city to look after his business. Coleman then divided his time between Melbourne, where he was a student at University High School, and Hastings, playing on Saturdays for the local team which competed in the Mornington Peninsula League.
Essendon first invited Coleman to train at the club in 1946, but considered him too young to be able to play senior football.
In the following two seasons, Coleman completed pre-season training with Essendon and played in practice matches. However, both times he was sent back to Hastings where he kicked 296 goals in 37 games over two years.
Read more about this topic: John Coleman (Australian Footballer)
Famous quotes containing the words early and/or teenage:
“Very early in our children’s lives we will be forced to realize that the “perfect” untroubled life we’d like for them is just a fantasy. In daily living, tears and fights and doing things we don’t want to do are all part of our human ways of developing into adults.”
—Fred Rogers (20th century)
“The long discussions and painful arguments of adolescence and the fierce loyalties to teachers, heroes, and gurus during the teenage years are simply our children’s struggles to ensure that the lifestyles and values they adopt are worthy of their allegiance.”
—Neil Kurshan (20th century)