Reserves Games: Nil
Reserves Goals: Nil
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Weight: 11'11" (76 kg)
DOB: 31st October, 1962.
A centreman from Sandhurst, Coghlan played thirds football at the Blues before he was turned away by Carlton prior to joining St Kilda. He was 23 years old by the time he made his league debut in 1986 and had a strong first game with 25 disposals. The following season he missed just one round and in 1988 was St Kilda's top disposal getter with 447, at an average of 21.29 a game.
Coghlan had his best season in 1991 when he made 23 appearances, including an elimination final, had 398 disposals and kicked 33 goals. He polled well on Brownlow Medal night with nine votes, three of them coming for a 29 disposal and four goal effort against Sydney at Moorabin.
Coghlan's career with the Saints lasted from 1986 to 1992 in which he played 109 games and kicked 64 goals.
When his league career ended, Coghlan returned to Sandhurst in the Bendigo Football League and won the 1995 Michelsen Medal.
He did not manage a senior game for Carlton.
Bendigo All Stars Team (1972-1997).
In 1997 the Bendigo FL compiled their best team for players originating from the BFL VCFL zones for the period from 1972 - 1997, Coghlan was named on the interchange in that team.
1984 Bendigo FL Qualiying & Elimination Finals
Eaglehawk and Sandhurst played the qualifying final on the Sunday. The cut-throat elimination final featuring South Bendigo and Golden Square was set down for the Saturday. Injuries and illness hit the four competing clubs. Northern United, which finished on top of the ladder, enjoyed the rest during the first week of the 1984 finals series. GOLDEN Square was forced to replace injured playmaker Robert Smith for the knockout clash with South. Tap ruckman Alan Patterson had been ill in the week leading up the first weekend of finals and was tipped to play at full-forward, if he played at all. Newspaper pundits of the time were confident Steve Conlin would be able to shoulder the rucking duties for the Dogs with Patterson stationed in the goal square. In the August 4th home-and-away match at the Wade Street ground, Conlin had booted the goals which mattered against the Bloods. He had landed one beauty from the Maple Street half-forward flank in the tense final quarter. Meanwhile it was expected South selectors would alternate Stephen Hoiles and Mal Balnaves in the ruck for their side. For what was termed “The Battle of the Crocks” Eaglehawk had key players Robert O’Connell and Ronnie Pangazio in doubt with ankle injuries.
Sandhurst had concerns with Martin Sloan and Noel Belsar. Ruckman Sloan was struggling with a hamstring tear while Belsar was in bed with a severe winter cold. As it turned out Sloan and Belsar did not play. Andrew Douglas was a late replacement for the Hurst, but the loss of two key players plus the pouring rain which fell during the second quarter did not deter the Dragons. Sandhurst scored close to a five-goal victory over the Two Blues with Bridgewater pair Frank Coghlan and David Collins in great form. Coghlan was named as best on ground while Collins booted three goals. Paul Johnston, Tim Ledwidge and Ron Blackmore all nailed two goals. For the Hawks O’Connell and spearhead Daryl Gilmore kicked two majors. Captain-coach Jeff Fehring kicked the “point of the year” during the game. Kicking to the Barnard Street end, Fehring lined up not far forward of centre-half-back at the city end and let fly with an 80 metre bomb. The shot just missed. The Dragons led 10.11 to 7.7 at half-time but only 12.12 to 10.12 at three-quarter time. The Two blues could manage just a single point in the last term with the final scores: Sandhurst 14.18 (102) def. Eaglehawk 10.13 (73). Sandhurst’s best included Coghlan, centreman Kent Ward, ruck-rover Mark McErvale, wingman Stephen Rohde plus Greg Holl and Phil Pickering. Fehring, Brendan Keane, O’Connell, Bert McIvor and Danny Slater were in Eaglehawk’s best.
•SOUTH thumped the Square in the elimination final after an even first half. The Bloods ended up with 35 scoring shots to Golden Square’s 19. The late Graeme Wright was one of the best for the Bloods, with his dash and anticipation from his half-back flank. Centre half-forward Shane Ryan was elusive in attack. He booted two goals with full-forward Des Charles adding five six-pointers, while Ricky Boyd chipped in with three. Ken Smith, Patterson, Malcolm Cowling and Mick Gallagher all booted two for the Bulldogs. Best for the Square were Tony Cowling, Paul McGrath, Mal Cowling, Gallagher and O’Shea. South Bendigo centreman Marty Graham, who went on to tie in the 1984 Michelsen medal count with United’s Garry Mountjoy, was named best on ground. Other good players for the Bloods were Wright, Ryan, Balnaves, Steve Hoiles and Wayne Hoiles. South led 9.7 to 7.4 at half-time but kicked 10 goals to four in the run home. Final scores: South Bendigo 19.16 (130) def. G. Square 11.8 (74). - The Football Almanac; Richard Jones.
1984 Bendigo FL: Semi Finals
NORTHERN United and Eaglehawk scored massive wins in the second week of the BFL finals in September, 1984. In fact, so comfortable was the Swallows' second semi-final victory over Sandhurst they firmed to red-hot flag favoritism. And Eaglehawk crushed a placid South Bendigo in the Saturday first semi-final to book a berth in the preliminary final 30 years back. In my back page lead story of September 10th '84 I wrote United had swept aside a lacklustre Sandhurst outfit to grab a grand final spot. "The Swallows turned in an even performance with a number of players top contributors to the team effort. They completely swamped the haphazard Dragons. "The Hurst had no one up forward apart from David Collins who could kick goals --- and at three-quarter time the Dragons had posted only five, anyway." At the opposite end of the QEO United had Ron Best as their focal point and he booted 6.7 for the day. Northern United proved without doubt it had the players, the motivation, the will-to-win and that vital commodity on the QEO: the pace to win. Gate takings were a very handy $3267 (not counting 258 family tickets). There were surprises before the ball was bounced. United captain-coach Tony Southcombe did not play, while John McGrath was one of the two United interchange players.The Dragons were without Phil Pickering (groin) and Paul Johnston (ill). Noel Belsar, generally considered a doubtful starter, took his place in the Hurst 20 once it was known Pickering was a late 'out'. UNITED did all the early attacking but took until the 10-minute mark of the first term to score a major. Scott Niemann found Best for the Swallows' first but Tim Ledwidge replied with a left-foot snap for the Hurst. Two goals each to United's Garry Mountjoy and Best and also to Collins left the Swallows three goals clear at the first break. David Muir blanketed Frank Coghlan although Dragon follower Bernie Sloan took full toll of Southcombe's absence with great around-the-ground marking. Two more goals to Collins narrowed the margin to three points mid-second stanza. Southcombe switched David Ludeman to centre half-back and Trevor Ludeman to centre half-forward. Swallows' majors to Mick Hogan and Leon Holt blew out United's lead and when Dragon midfielder Mark McErvale was pinged for holding the ball Best drove home an after-the-siren major to hand Northern United a 21-point half-time lead. Peter Fyffe had been the sticking point for the Dragons. His anticipation across the United defence broke up many Hurst attacks and he mopped up across the full-back line repeatedly. United really claimed their grand final spot with a withering third term burst of 7.6. Fyffe, Muir and Demeo restricted Sandhurst to a miserable three points in the third quarter as the Swallows took an unassailable 68-point lead into the final change. Of the Swallows' seven majors Muir's was the pick. He hammered home a glorious long shot but Brett Sheldon, Trevor Ludeman, Scott Niemann and Mountjoy all joined in the goal-kicking spree. The Dragons did add some respectability to their scoreline in the last term, posting 7.5 to United's 3.5. Although the Swallows had many fine players, full-back Fyffe was the standout. He came out to meet the ball when that move was needed, continually punched the ball clear in marking contests and swept the ball away from the goalmouth with sureness and aplomb.
Second semi-final
Northern United 6.4 9.6 16.14 19.19 (133)
Sandhurst 3.4 5.9 5.12 12.17 (89)
Goals – Northern United: R. Best 6, G. Mountjoy 3, B. Sheldon 2, L. Holt, M. Hogan, D. Trickey, D. Muir, J. McGrath, T. Ludeman, S. Niemann, R. Lea. Sandhurst: D. Collins 6, T. Ledwidge 3, R. Blackmore, L. Moore, I. Garland.
Best – Northern United: P. Fyffe, L. Demeo, B. Sheldon, G. Mountjoy, D. Wharton, R. Best, S. Niemann, G. Evans. Sandhurst: B. Sloan (best on ground), D. Collins, M. O'Farrell, N. Belsar, D. O'Connor.
Umpires: M. Anderson, M. Furness.
EAGLEHAWK bounced back from a five-goal loss to the Hurst in the first week of the 1984 finals with an 11-goal thumping of South. Just as importantly the Two Blues had important players in key defender Robert "Ninga" O'Connell and versatile Peter "Roggo" Rogerson play important roles in the win. Both had recovered from injuries to take their places in the Hawks line-up. Early on the Bloods led by three points at half-time in a low-scoring and tight first semi-final and then by a point 10 minutes into the third term. The Bloods had pegged back a three-goal deficit to snatch that one-point lead. Malcolm Balnaves (2) and Terry Noden nailed South majors with Balnaves left unmarked in a pocket to mark and goal for the first of a pair. But then the flood gates opened. Eaglehawk nailed seven majors as the third term wound down to give them 10 for the quarter. Interchange player Ron Pangrazio had come on for his first run as the third term started and bagged three goals for the game, including one after the three-quarter time siren. Skipper Rogerson put on a virtuoso performance mid-term as Eaglehawk stormed to the lead. He left-footed a fine 40m snapped goal and soon after took a pass from Dan Slater to boot a right foot set shot. With two goals each from spearhead Daryl Gilmore and Slater and another from on-baller Steve McDougall (who changed with Rogerson on the ball) Eaglehawk was out to a big lead. O'Connell was too big and too experienced for Shane Ryan. The Eaglehawk defence featuring Bert McIvor, Andrew McDougall and Tony Pierce shut down South's attack, although Brett Moore was busy, as three-quarter time approached. At the last change the Two Blues led by more than six goals, and added another seven in a devastating last quarter.Amazingly, the two clubs had drawn in the final home-and-away round of 1984. That amazing draw had cost South the finals' double chance. The Football Almanac; Richard Jones.
Details: First semi-final
Eaglehawk 3.3 5.7 15.13 22.15 (147)
South Bendigo 3.5 5.10 9.11 11.13 (79)
Goals – Eaglehawk: D. Gilmore 4, P. Rogerson 4, R. Pangrazio 3, D. Slater 2, G. Christie 2, A. Evely 2, S. McDougall 2, R. Cartledge 2, N. Monro. South Bendigo: M. Balnaves 3, P. Boyd 2, D. Charles 2, T. Noden 2, P. McCaw, W. Hoiles.
Best – Eaglehawk: R. O'Connell (best on ground), A. Evely, P. Rogerson, S. McDougall, B. Keane, S. Dole, J. Fehring, D. Gilmore, D. Slater. South Bendigo: M. Balnaves, B. Moore, G. Wright, M. Graham, W. Hoiles, T. Noden.
Umpires: J. Fletcher, Ron Threlfall.