Coverdale first joined Hawthorn in 1959 and played VFL reserves football before returning to his home town of Bairnsdale due to work commitments.
[3] Nevertheless he won the La Trobe Valley Football League's "Best and Fairest" award in 1961, following a strong season with Bairnsdale.
[4] He was cleared to Hawthorn for the 1963 season and would kick 21 goals from his 20 senior games that year.
[5] A centre half forward, he appeared for Hawthorn in the 1963 VFL Grand Final, which they lost.
After playing two more seasons he left Melbourne and rejoined Bairnsdale, which he would captain.