James Coghlan

[Heidelberg_Saint]

Anyone up Bendigo-way able to shed any light on whether James Coghlan (son of Frankie), who will play TAC Cup in 2014, will make it to AFL level? If so, he'd be a potential Father / Son pick.

[St Chris]

Almost certain he was one of the youngsters who trained with the club last season, with Connor Harvey and a few others??

So the club are at least keeping an eye on him.

[Dr Spaceman]

A Family Day tweet yesterday from a popular former Saint


@gordonfode: @stkildafc past players @gordonfode Frank Coghlan & his son James #saintsbtb #saintsfamilyday http://t.co/GMXJ9eAPuu

[Vazelos]

I used to play soccer against Gordon Fode, he played for Sandringham & I was playing for East Bentleigh. I think he took up tennis as a teenager & then footy in his late teens. Next thing you know I turn up at Moorabbin after not seeing him for a few years & he has made top grade Footy. What an athlete!! Didn't even play until very late. 1988 as his big year under the Doc, played many games. Wa shandy at full forward sometimes as well.
Frankie Coghlan, what a top player for the saints!!

[Verdun66]

Frank was a terrific player for us. A real goer. Found the ball quite a bit, and always in the thick of the action.

[cwrcyn]

Yes, but he tackled like Liberace, not Liberatore

[Junior]

I believe that James has made the Bendigo Pioneers squad for this year, but I have no idea how good a player he is.

Frank played over 100 games so as stated above certainly a father son chance.

Wish the kid all the best is dad was a great player, the amount of times he put the ball out in space for Plugger to mark was unbelievable.

I remember when we recruited Frank that the talk was that he used to beat Greg Williams when they played in Bendigo. He never got to those heights but was a ball magnet and late in his career a very clever small forward.

I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was 16 years old, ST Kilda were training at an indoors football centre in the industrial estate next to Dingley. Happened to be riding my bike past and saw the late great Trevor Barker about to walk in so I asked if I could go in and watch Barks being Barks of course said no problem.

Sitting there watching the players being put into teams when I get a tap on the shoulder from some official asking if I would like to make up numbers, so I jumped at the chance.

Played a match with Frank Coghlan, Rod Owen, Nicky Winmar fresh from WA, Frank Carbone, Danny Lamb who I think was the red headed brother of Jamie Lamb, Paddy Garrett who I think suffers a badly Brocken leg and went on to VFL and I think Cranbourne.

My ever lasting memories of the game were that the ball hurt hitting your hands when Nicky kicked it to you, Rocket Rod Owen sledging in a funny way and the fact that at the end of the game as I went to leave I was invited back for the following week and Frank Skeeter Coghlan asking me to stay and have a soft drink with him.

Great bloke and an under rated footballer.

[Dr Spaceman]

Great story Junior.

I also got to know Frankie a bit while he was at the Saints (the old Social Club was conducive to such meetings).

I remember he agreed to fill in for our hapless Indoor Cricket team, which played in an industrial estate in Cochranes Road, one wintry Wednesday night.

I was an average player anyway but on that night, perhaps due to the excitement of having a "celebrity" in our ranks, I do remember bowling rank full toss after rank full toss.

And in doing so....

......getting the only hat trick I ever bowled!

[dragit]

That's an awesome story Junior… doesn't get much better than that.

[Junior]

Great story Junior.

I also got to know Frankie a bit while he was at the Saints (the old Social Club was conducive to such meetings).

I remember he agreed to fill in for our hapless Indoor Cricket team, which played in an industrial estate in Cochranes Road, one wintry Wednesday night.

I was an average player anyway but on that night, perhaps due to the excitement of having a "celebrity" in our ranks, I do remember bowling rank full toss after rank full toss.

And in doing so....

......getting the only hat trick I ever bowled!

Great story, take the hatrick anyway you can get it. I used to play indoor soccer down there and played indoor cricket there once against Noiseworks, we had to use a tennis ball so as not damage their hands.

Social club was certainly a good way to meet players in the day, although it wold be fair to say that they were perhaps not in the best state at the time.

[Junior]

That's an awesome story Junior… doesn't get much better than that.

It as as close as I would ever get to playing AFL/VFL football.

[Dave McNamara]

Great that the club has reconciled with Frankie. Always sad when this isn't the case.




(Does anyone know if things were ever patched up with the great George Young?)

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Great that the club has reconciled with Frankie. Always sad when this isn't the case.




(Does anyone know if things were ever patched up with the great George Young?)

George Young is still a saints man ... he has shown his support of the Western Saints many a time ... great man is George

[Dr Spaceman]

George Young is still a saints man ... he has shown his support of the Western Saints many a time ... great man is George

I'm about to line up for my 42nd consecutive season and that can be largely attributed to one man's exploits in the 1970s

[st_Trav_ofWA]

George Young is still a saints man ... he has shown his support of the Western Saints many a time ... great man is George

I'm about to line up for my 42nd consecutive season and that can be largely attributed to one man's exploits in the 1970s

im a little bit the same but for me it was Stewie Loewe ... i remember being a kid and seeing him at melbourne international airport departure lounge .. i was like 10 years old and he was a giant of a man i remember talking to him and he shook my hand with those HUGE hands of his they were half way up my arm ... he was such a nice bloke... from that day on he was my favorite saints player and still to this day ....

[joffaboy]

Love these threads.

Great stories, and true Saints men

GO SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dave McNamara]

(Does anyone know if things were ever patched up with the great George Young?)

George Young is still a saints man ... he has shown his support of the Western Saints many a time ... great man is George

Thanks for that Trav. I'm really rapt to hear it.

Great player, and in some struggling sides too. I reckon George slowed our slide by a season or two. Still can't work out how he isn't in our Team of the Century.