High-flying Coleman jumper for auction

Australian Rules football champion John Coleman’s Essendon match jumper he wore in 1953 is one of the major highlights of Leonard Joel’s collectables auction from 2pm Thursday September 27 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra.

Coleman (1928-1973) was a Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League) star full-forward, kicking 537 goals in only 98 matches.

Known for his high-flying spectacular marks, Coleman won two premierships with Essendon (1949 and 1950) and was VFL leading goal kicker five times (1949-1953).

After a knee injury prematurely ended his career at age 25, Coleman coached the club to two premierships (1962 and 1965). He died aged 44 of sudden coronary atheroma.

Coleman’s 1953 All Australian team blazer is another drawcard with a catalogues estimate of $5000-$7000 while the jumper is listed at $8000-$10,000.

The auction contains a range of historic photographs and posters and vintage cameras bound to interest collectors.

Some of the more interesting items include copies of The Footballer – an annual record of football in Victoria dating from 1875 to 1881 and a History of Australian Rules Football 1858 to 1958 tracing the game’s progress from the moment of its inception.

One of the more interesting photographs is that of arch rivals Richmond captain Jack “Captain Blood” Dyer (VFL career 1931-1952, 312 games) and Collingwood captain Phonse Kyne (1934-1950, 245 games) shaking hands before a game.

Another is an original photograph of several players from different clubs competing at the 1921 interstate football carnival in Perth.

There is a series of black and white football cards from the 1933 Wills ‘Footballers 1933’ and a signed photograph of the Muhammad Ali and Sony Liston world title fight in 1963.

Other collectables include a signed photograph of Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton John and framed posters of “The Sound of Music” and “ A Streetcar Named Desire”.

The Sound of Music poster is endorsed with the words “With Love, ‘Liesl’, Charmian Carr”.

A more modern collectable is a Toy Story commemorative lithograph featuring animated characters Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

Unusual is a German drinking mug in the form of a skull complete with snake handle.