Glenn Coleman was somewhat of a football journeyman throughout his 13-year VFL/AFL career.
Coleman started out as a defender with Fitzroy back in 1980 before spending most of his time as a key forward and in the ruck for both Sydney and Footscray.
While his respective pathways to both the Lions and the Swans were straightforward and expected, Coleman admits he had no idea what was going on when the Bulldogs made contact prior to the 1990 season.
The man with a unique career arc, in that he played 60 games plus for each of the three clubs he represented, thought he was interviewing for a game at Williamstown when Terry Wheeler picked up the phone.
“I’ll be honest with you and you’ll probably think I’m stupid, but when I finished with the Swans I was not even thinking about football or what I was going to do,” he told SEN’s Bob and Andy.
“I never even thought about it and then I got a phone call from Terry Wheeler.
“There was a lot happening at that time with (Ross) Oakley and the Bulldogs (and the potential merger with Fitzroy) and I had no idea Terry Wheeler was the new coach.
“I was thinking that I knew he was at Williamstown. I’m thinking, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I want to go play for Williamstown’. It was after about 20 minutes into the conversation and I realised what he was talking about.
“I didn’t even know. Peter Jess was my manager and I didn’t even know he had put me in the draft. I had no idea because I just lost interest.
“So I got another four years without even putting too much into it.
“It’s a true story, it sounds ridiculous. I sort of stumbled through life a bit like that. It just worked out really well to finish off at such a great club.”
Coleman also revealed where the affectionate nickname ‘Galaxy’ came from.
It started during his days with the ‘Roys and had to do with his general laidback demeanour.
“Max Richardson, one of the elder statesmen, he came across from Collingwood to Fitzroy (in 1979),” he added.
“I was probably a bit vague in those days and thinking more about other things or what I was going to do on the weekend rather than concentrating on training.
“He called me Galaxy because he thought I was away with the stars. It sort of stuck form there.
“Some would say that nothing has changed, but I think I’ve improved a little bit.”
Coleman’s career wrapped up while with the Dogs in 1993. He tallied 194 games (64 with Fitzroy, 69 with Sydney and 61 with Footscray) and booted a total of 115 goals.