Brian Coghlan
Brian`s distinguished career started in 1961, aged 14 years, and the following year he played in Avoca`s Reserves Premiership team.
In 1968 he won the Lexton League goal kicking award with 74 goals.
The following year he repeated the feat amidst controversy.
Although Avoca finished in 5th position, Brian`s goal kicking feats during the season were a talking point. In one match he booted 11 goals, one short of the Club record shared by Paddy Ryan Junior (1934) and Ian Grant (1956).
As the end of the season drew near, heavy bets were laid as to whether the 22 year old would reach the magic 100 goals.
The most popular version of the story involves one of the Club`s best and most loyal supporters, Claude Harrison.
Renowned for liking a bet, Claude had every confidence in young Coghlan and invited any doubters to put their money where their mouth was.
Brian was very fond of Claude and would never let him down intentionally.
However, there was another side to this modest young sportsman`s personality. Despite his quite nature he loved nothing better than to play a prank.
Prior to the last game of the season, against Amphitheatre, those who had laid bets all agreed eight goals was required to achieve the magic target.
However, as the match progressed the big full forward seemed to be in no rush, and several times during the game he passed the ball to team mates instead of goaling himself.
Just moments before the siren, and with finger nails being gnawed feverishly, Coghlan, who required just one goal, decided it was time to end the misery, and led for the ball marking 60 metres out right on the boundary.
Just as he was about to take his kick the siren sounded, but pressure and tension were foreign words to Brian Coghlan.
As the natural left footer started his run up towards the man on the mark, he suddenly decided one final prank was in order.
Instead of booting the ball with his left foot, just before his boot made impact with the ball, he switched to his right and, even more alarmingly, elected to use the unconventional drop kick.
The crowd, the footballers, and the punters all gasped and watched dumb-founded as the ball spiralled into the afternoon sunset, splitting the goal posts.
With bets all settled, drinks at the Avoca Hotel were on Claude Harrison, as the town celebrated Brian Coghlan`s century.
To what extent the story has been embellished is debatable, but the fact is that the match was subject to a protest over an alleged mistake by the timekeepers.
After an investigation, the game was replayed. Avoca was defeated, not only costing the team a place in the final series, but also denying Brian Coghlan a strong chance of enhancing his tally.
Ironically, when the official Lexton League record was produce on Grand Final day, Coghlan had been credited with only 99 goals.
To this day the official tally is disputed.
Good judges say Brian Coghlan had VFL potential, but, like so many other country boys, the League talent scouts could not convince him to move to the city.
Coghlan finished his football with Avoca, and certainly deserves the title of Bush hero.
His impressive record includes 404 goals in 11 seasons.
He won the Lexton League Goal Kicking award for Avoca in 1968, and 1969.
On five occasions he topped Avoca`s goal kicking list.
In 1976 he became the first Avoca player to win the prestigious Maffescioni Trophy, a League award then decided by votes of opposing clubs.
He twice won the Avoca Club`s Best and Fairest Player award in 1975 and 1976.
He was selected twice in the Lexton League representative side and was voted best afield in the 1972 team that played Ballarat District.
Despite enormous natural ability, the one thing that eluded him was the honour and satisfaction of playing in a Senior premiership side with Avoca, and that is his only regret.
Coghlan Family