IT’S a record that’s taken 120 years to emulate – and it took Harry McKay and (now) Charlie Curnow to do it, as the League’s leading goalkickers in successive back-to-back home-and-away seasons.

Not since 1901 and ’02, when Essendon’s Albert Thurgood and Fred Hiskins took the then VFL’s back-to-back goalkicking honours with 24 and 34 goals respectively, have two players from the same club followed suit – McKay with 58 goals in 2021, Curnow with 64 in 2022.

And as history records, Hiskins’ brother Rupe - the youngest of four Hiskins boys to play senior League football - represented the old dark Navy Blues in 74 senior matches between 1920 and ’24.

Curnow's 64-goal haul of course earned him the John Coleman Medal. So named after John Coleman, the Australian Football Hall of Fame legend who booted 537 goals in 98 senior appearances for Essendon, the medal was first presented to former Richmond full-forward Michael Roach in 1981.

In September 2001, the League recognised all leading goalkickers prior to Roach’s victory ­- from 1955 (the year after Coleman’s last match) to 1980 - and all including Carlton’s Tom Carroll, with 54 goals in 1961, were named retrospective Coleman Medallists.

Aside from Carroll, McKay and now Curnow, former Carlton full-forward Brendan Fevola is a two-time Coleman Medallist with 84 goals in 2006 and 86 in 2009.

Winners prior to 1955 at Carlton - Mick Grace (45 goals, 1906), Ern Cowley (35 goals, 1918), ‘Horrie’ Clover (54 goals, 1922) and Harry Vallence (72 goals, 1931) - were also named Leading Goalkicker Medallists, and in July 2004 medals were presented to their surviving families in a ceremony at the Melbourne Town Hall.

Fittingly, the 2022 Coleman Medal was placed over King Charles’ head by Carlton’s former official giver of joy Eddie Betts, who puts 640 footies over the goal umpire’s hat in an outstanding on-field career for both Carlton and Adelaide.