Learn more about each of the club's leading goal kickers between 1877 to present.

The Coleman Medal

The award is named in honour of champion key forward, John Coleman, who played 98 matches and scored 537 goals for Essendon between 1949 and 1954. A severe knee injury prematurely ended his playing days. No other goalscorer in history has achieved as much success in a career of fewer than 100 appearances. Instituted in 1981, the award is presented to the player who scores the most goals during the home and away matches, prior to the finals series. All players qualifying from 1955 have received a Coleman Medal. In a number of cases, when goals kicked in finals are included, a player other than the Coleman Medallist, achieves the honour of scoring the highest tally for the season.

However, it should be noted that if the Leading Goalscorer at the end of the season, after the finals, is a different identity to the Coleman medalist, no award is presented to that player.

The Leading Goalscorer Medal

Also instituted in 1981, this award is the equivalent of the Coleman Medal and was retrospectively awarded to the recipients or their families, covering the period 1897-1954.  

Competition Leading Goalkickers from Geelong

Don Curdie

Born: 8/10/1863
From: Geelong Grammar
Honours:

  • 1882 Premiership Player
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1882 (17 goals)
  • VFA Leading Goal Scorer: 1882
  • Career: 1881-82; 1884 (28 matches, 21 goals)

Phil McShane

Born: 19/7/1864
From: North Geelong
Honours:

  • Career: 1883-84; 1886-89 (87 matches, 129 goals)
  • 1883, 1884, 1886 Premiership Player
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1883 (15 goals), 1884 (12), 1886 (41), 1888 (19)
  • VFA Leading Goal Scorer: 1883, 1884, 1886


Tommy McShane

Born: 29/5/1866
Honours:

  • 1886 Premiership Player
  • VFA Leading Goal Scorer: 1887
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1887 (22 goals)
  • Career: 1885-88 (38 matches, 33 goals)

Dave de Coite

Born: 1870
From: Chilwell Magics
Honours:

  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1895 (42 goals)
  • VFA Leading Goal Scorer: 1895
  • Career: 1891-95 (62 matches, 89 goals)

Eddy James

Born: 14/2/1874
From: Geelong Grammar
Height: 193cm
Weight: 96kg
VFA debut: 1899
VFL debut: Round 1, 1897 v Essendon
Honours:

  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1897 (27 goals), 1898 (26), 1899 (31)
  • Competition Leading Goal Scorer: 1897, 1899
  • VFA Career: 1889; 1892-96 (68 matches, 64 goals)
  • VFL Career: 1897-1900 (46 matches, 85 goals)

Teddy Lockwood

Born: 6/12/1872
From: West Perth (WA)
Height: 177cm
Weight: 77kg
VFL Debut: Round 1, 1899 v Collingwood
Honours:

  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1900 (24 goals)
  • Leading Goalkicker Medal: 1900 (equal)
  • VFL Career: 1899-1901 (45 matches, 61 goals)


Percy Martini

Born: 4/6/1888
From: Marylebone (East Geelong)
Height: 183cm
Weight: 85kg
VFL Debut: Round 11, 1909 v Fitzroy
Honours:

  • Captain: 2 matches (1919)
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1909 (17 goals), 1911 (40), 1912 (41), 1913 (46), 1914 (45), 1917 (23), 1918 (24), 1919 (19)
  • Competition Leading Goal Scorer: 1910
  • Career: 1909-15; 1917-20 (151 matches, 338 goals)


Cliff Rankin

Born: 4/12/1896
From: Chilwell
Height: 175cm
Weight: 69kg
Guernsey: 6
VFL Debut: Round 13, 1915 v Carlton
Honours:

  • 1925 Premiership Player/Coach
  • Captain: 1924-27 (58 matches)
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1920 (48 goals), 1921 (63), 1922 (42), 1923 (43)
  • Competition Leading Goal Scorer: 1921
  • Career: 1915; 1919-1928 (166 matches, 429 goals)


Lloyd Hagger

Born: 7/12/1898
From: Barwon
Height: 183cm
Weight: 72kg
VFL debut: Round 11, 1917 v South Melbourne
Honours:

  • 1925 Premiership Player
  • Captain: 1924 (14 matches)
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1924 (42 goals), 1925 (78), 1926 (56), 1927 (55)
  • Competition Leading Goal Scorer: 1925
  • Leading Goal Scorer Medal: 1925
  • Career: 1917-27; 1929 (187 matches, 436 goals)


George Moloney

Born: 7/8/1909
From: Claremont-Cottesloe (WA)
Height: 174cm
Weight: 73kg
VFL Debut: Round 1, 1931 v Collingwood
Honours:

  • 1931 Premiership Player
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1931 (74 goals), 1932 (109), 1933 (68)
  • Competition Leading Goal Scorer: 1932
  • Leading Goal Scorer Medal: 1932
  • Career: 1931-35 (89 matches, 306 goals)


Lindsay White

Born: 5/1/1922
From: Orford
Height: 185cm
Weight: 83kg
VFL Debut: Round 1, 1941 v North Melbourne
Honours:

  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1941 (67 goals), 1944 (60), 1947 (76), 1948 (86), 1949 (53)
  • Competition Leading Goal Scorer: 1948
  • Leading Goal Kicker Medal: 1948
  • Career: 1941; 1944-50 (122 matches, 455 goals)


George Goninon

Born: 18/4/1927
From: Burnie (Tas) via Essendon
Height: 182cm
Weight: 81kg
VFL Debut: Round 5, 1950 v Collingwood
Honours:

  • 1951, 1952 Premiership Player
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1950 (45 goals), 1951 (86), 1952 (59), 1953 (65)
  • Competition Leading Goal Scorer: 1951
  • Career: 1950-54 (78 matches, 278 goals)


Noel Rayson

Born: 24/5/1933
From: Newtown & Chilwell
Height: 180cm
Weight: 79kg
VFL Debut: Round 17, 1950
Honours:

  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1955 (80 goals), 1956 (41)
  • Coleman Medal: 1955
  • Career: 1950-58 (95 matches, 210 goals)


Doug Wade

Born: 16/10/1941
From: Horsham
Height: 188cm
Weight: 92kg
VFL Debut: Round 1, 1961 v Collingwood
Honours:

  • 1963 Premiership Player
  • Captain: 1971-72 (22 matches)
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1961 (51 goals), 1962 (68), 1963 (48), 1964 (41), 1966 (52), 1967 (96), 1968 (68), 1969 (127), 1970 (74), 1971 (94), 1972 (90)
  • Coleman Medalist: 1962, 1967, 1969
  • Career: 1961-72 (208 matches, 834 goals)


Larry Donohue

Born: 22/4/1955
From: Thomson
Height: 196cm
Weight: 97kg
VFL Debut: Round 1, 1973 v Carlton
Honours:

  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1975 (29 goals), 1976 (105), 1977 (63), 1978 (95)
  • Coleman Medalist: 1976
  • Career: 1973-80 (105 matches, 339 goals)


Gary Ablett Snr

Born: 1/10/1961
From: Drouin via Myrtleford and Hawthorn
Height: 185cm
Weight: 97kg
VFL Debut: Round 1, 1984 v Fitzroy
Honours:

  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 1985 (82 goals), 1986 (65), 1988 (82), 1989 (87), 1990 (75), 1993 (124), 1994 (129), 1995 (122), 1996 (69)
  • Competition Leading Goal Scorer: 1994, 1995
  • Coleman Medal: 1993, 1994, 1995
  • Career: 1984-96 (242 matches, 1021 goals)


Tom Hawkins

Born: 21/7/1988
From: Finley (NSW)/Melbourne Grammar/Sandringham U18
Height: 198cm
Weight: 103kg
AFL Debut: Round 2, 2007 v Carlton
Honours:

  • 2009, 2011, 2022 Premiership Player
  • 5 x All-Australian: 2012, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 (c)
  • Club Leading Goal Scorer: 2012 (62 goals), 2013 (49), 2014 (68), 2015 (46), 2016 (55), 2017 (51), 2018 (60), 2019 (56), 2020 (42), 2021 (62), 2022 (67)
  • Geelong AFL Games Record Holder: 359 Matches
  • Coleman Medalist: 2020
  • Career: 2007-24 (359 matches, 796 goals)


Jeremy Cameron

Born: 1/4/1993
From: Dartmoor (VIC)/North Ballarat Rebels/GWS Giants
Height: 196cm
Weight: 94kg
AFL Debut: Round 1, 2012 v Sydney
Honours: 

  • 2022 Premiership Player
  • 5 x All-Australian: 2013, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025 (c)
  • 2 x Coleman Medalist: 2019, 2025
  • 12 x Club Leading Goal Scorer: 2012 (29 goals), 2013 (62), 2014 (29), 2015 (63), 2016 (53), 2017 (45), 2018 (46), 2019 (76), 2020 (24), 2023 (53), 2024 (64), 2025 (88)
  • Career: 2012 to present (280 matches, 736 goals)