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On September 25 2010, a 10-year-old Keidean Coleman was at his grandmother\u2019s house, watching the grand final with his younger brother, Blake. Both had their colours nailed to the mast.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had my Collingwood jersey on, had this little black-and-white footy as well, and my brother Blake was a St Kilda supporter,\u201d he said at the Lions\u2019 home base of Springfield this week.<\/p>\n
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Keidean Coleman celebrates after the team\u2019s preliminary final win, in which he played a key role.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n The game was drawn. The next week, it was \u201cKiddy\u201d who was ecstatic, and young Blake had his heart broken. Now, the brothers are playing for the Brisbane Lions, with Blake, the club\u2019s top pick in 2020, yet to debut.<\/p>\n But Keidean has excelled since his arrival at the Lions in 2019, making his debut in round five the following year against the team he grew up supporting. \u201cI still remember my first game, running out against Scotty Pendlebury, it was surreal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He has rarely missed a match in the past three years. Against Carlton in last week\u2019s preliminary final, he played the game of his life, cutting the Blues to pieces with his kicking from half-back, widely adjudged best on ground.<\/p>\n Coleman is a deceptive player. He confesses to anxiety before games, but looks casual. He moves at a graceful lope, relying more on lateral movement than speed, but has a turn of foot when required. He plays his role, but with a licence to take risks.<\/p>\n Against the Blues, he said, he just \u201ctried to play within the system\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to do anything over-extravagant. But it was just one of those nights where the ball fell in my hands, and I was able to use it by foot and open the game up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were playing a bit too direct, [so] we wanted to change the angles. I just thought to myself, why not take risks? It\u2019s a prelim, nothing to lose, so change angles, be a bit more daring with our ball movement.\u201d<\/p>\n The results were devastating for the Blues: Coleman had a game-high 11 intercepts and an equal-high seven score involvements, including one direct assist, an exquisite 50-metre pass to Joe Daniher.<\/p>\n Coleman\u2019s use of the ball is a feature of his game.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n He might get nervous, but doesn\u2019t allow himself to become paralysed. \u201cI don\u2019t try to rush myself,\u201d he said. \u201cEspecially in my junior career, I don\u2019t really think about the game too much, I just back myself, I know what I\u2019m capable of.\u201d<\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t come easily. Born in Katherine and raised in Barunga (80 kilometres south-east of Katherine) \u2013 where, in 1988, the Barunga Statement was handed to then-prime minister Bob Hawke, who responded by promising a treaty with Indigenous Australians \u2013 both Keidean and Blake moved to Brisbane for school.<\/p>\n Back in the Top End, a lot of people will be watching him on Saturday. \u201cI went back there last year, and it\u2019s pretty funny, they think I\u2019m a megastar, which is a bit embarrassing,\u201d he said. \u201cBut they\u2019re all excited, and hopefully, they\u2019re barracking for the Lions.\u201d<\/p>\n Coleman didn\u2019t get picked up in his initial 2018 draft, but persevered as a member of the Brisbane academy. In 2019, he was a key cog in the Lions\u2019 undefeated NEAFL premiership team, and was subsequently selected with pick 37 that year.<\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t been entirely smooth sailing since. He was unexpectedly made the substitute for round 13 against Hawthorn this year, with coach Chris Fagan wanting him to tighten the defensive side of his game.<\/p>\n Again, he remained relaxed. \u201cI was sort of second-guessing myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter that I just thought to myself, back yourself, don\u2019t think about the game too much. That\u2019s when I play my best footy, when I\u2019m just out there playing freely, playing on instinct.\u201d<\/p>\n While there are no torn feelings, he appreciates the strangeness of playing off against the team he grew up loving. He idolised Collingwood\u2019s Indigenous star Leon Davis, as well as Dane Swan and Luke Ball. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty ironic, and weird to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n But things are different now.<\/p>\n \u201cCollingwood have shown this year they finished on top for a reason,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll be pretty confident in going out there and doing what I\u2019ve done [against Carlton].<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited, I\u2019ll just back my skills in.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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