In the seventh round of the 1954 VFL season, Essendon’s brilliant full-forward John Coleman kicked a club record 14 goals against Fitzroy.

Another century for the season – to follow his hauls of 100 goals in 1949, 120 in 1950, 75 in 1951, 103 in 1952 and 97 in 1953 – seemed inevitable. The next week he had kicked five against North Melbourne seven minutes into the final quarter when he led to the northern pocket of Essendon’s Windy Hill ground.

Resting ruckman Geoff Leek watched on as teammate Jack Clarke speared the ball towards Coleman. "The ball was a bit high, so he propped, and the knee collapsed under him. He didn't even get off the ground," Leek said.

Coleman was in agony with a dislocated right kneecap. He was taken to hospital where his kneecap was put back into place and damaged ligaments were treated. A bone fragment was found in the knee, apparently related to a motorcycle accident some years earlier, and blamed for the dislocation.

While Coleman had hopes of returning to football in 1955, his recovery was tortuously slow but by March 1956 pictures appeared in The Herald newspaper in Melbourne of Coleman kicking and marking.

Ignoring the advice of his doctors, Coleman turned out for a practice match on April 7, and kicked two goals. The following Tuesday he trained, but on the Wednesday he announced his retirement from football.

It was the end of an extraordinary career that began with 12 goals in his first game for the Bombers in 1949 and brought two premierships.

Coleman returned to Essendon in 1961 as coach, and led the club to two premierships before quitting due to ill-health. He died in April 1973, aged just 44.