Allen Jakovich
Encyclopedia
Allen Jakovich is an Australian rules football
player. Jakovich was a prolific full forward and is notable for kicking 208 goals in his 54 Australian Football League
matches, an average of 3.85 per game, for Melbourne and Footscray
. He and his younger brother, Glen Jakovich
, both began their AFL careers in the 1990 AFL Draft
.
Jakovich grew up in Western Australia and has also played football with clubs in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria.
in the West Australian Football League
. He then spent two years in the Northern Territory Football League
, including the 1988/89 season in which he kicked 104 goals for Southern Districts
. He also played in Port Headland and Kalgoorlie.
Jakovich later moved to South Australia and played in the South Australian National Football League
(SANFL). In one season, he kicked 101 goals for Woodville
. It was this performance that drew the attention of Melbourne Football Club talent scouts. He is of Croatian descent.
at Subiaco
but was quickly dropped for the following week. Jakovich played in the Melbourne reserves and dominated the reserves competition in the first half of the 1991 season.
In the second half, though, he burst out convincingly and big hauls came on an almost weekly basis for the rest of the season making a big impression in the league with his confident playing style. A high point was a near single handed defeat of North Melbourne where he kicked 11 goals (including a miraculous scissor kick
out of mid-air from twenty metres out, a certain goal of the year candidate), 8 behinds and one out on the full. This effort also earned Jakovich the distinction of being the fastest player to score his first fifty goals, taking only nine games to do so. He finished with 71 goals for his debut season; becoming one of a handful of players in VFL/AFL history to kick 50 goals in both the senior competition and now defunct 'reserves' league within the same season. He kicked his 100th career goal in his 21st game, equalling the record held by John Coleman
.
Over the next three years at Melbourne he balanced some mercurial performances with fitness problems and indifferent form. He was let go at the end of the 1994 season, due to persistent hamstring
injuries. He spent the next year out of the game before being drafted by the Footscray Football Club for an ill-fated comeback that lasted barely half a season. In his AFL career, kicked 208 goals, 173 behinds.
He kissed his brother Glen
during a match between Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles at the MCG.
since the late 1990s, except for a one-off appearance on The Footy Show
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player. Jakovich was a prolific full forward and is notable for kicking 208 goals in his 54 Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
matches, an average of 3.85 per game, for Melbourne and Footscray
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
. He and his younger brother, Glen Jakovich
Glen Jakovich
Glen Jakovich is a former Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles.Glen was recruited from South Fremantle in Western Australia and debuted in 1991 and played most of his career at the Centre Half Back position, in the number 27 gernsey...
, both began their AFL careers in the 1990 AFL Draft
1990 AFL Draft
The 1990 AFL Draft was the 5th annual draft of Australian rules footballers to the 14 clubs in the Australian Football League. It consisted of the national draft held at the end of the 1990 season, the pre-season draft, held before 1991 AFL season and a mid-season draft.Clubs receive picks based...
.
Jakovich grew up in Western Australia and has also played football with clubs in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria.
Early career
Allen Jakovich began his senior career with South FremantleSouth Fremantle Football Club
The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League...
in the West Australian Football League
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
. He then spent two years in the Northern Territory Football League
Northern Territory Football League
The Northern Territory Football League is an 8 team Australian rules football semi-professional league operating in Darwin in the Northern Territory.The premier grade is the largest Australian rules football league in the Northern Territory...
, including the 1988/89 season in which he kicked 104 goals for Southern Districts
Southern Districts Football Club
The Southern Districts Football Club, nicknamed, Crocs, is an Australian rules football club established in 1981. The club plays in the Northern Territory Football League at semi-professional level....
. He also played in Port Headland and Kalgoorlie.
Jakovich later moved to South Australia and played in the South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SANFL). In one season, he kicked 101 goals for Woodville
Woodville Football Club
Woodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1990, when it merged with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles....
. It was this performance that drew the attention of Melbourne Football Club talent scouts. He is of Croatian descent.
VFL/AFL career
He debuted in the seniors in round 1 against the West Coast EaglesWest Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
at Subiaco
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
but was quickly dropped for the following week. Jakovich played in the Melbourne reserves and dominated the reserves competition in the first half of the 1991 season.
In the second half, though, he burst out convincingly and big hauls came on an almost weekly basis for the rest of the season making a big impression in the league with his confident playing style. A high point was a near single handed defeat of North Melbourne where he kicked 11 goals (including a miraculous scissor kick
Scissor kick
Scissor kick may refer to:* Scissor kick , a move in martial arts and wrestling* Bicycle kick, a move in football* A leg movement used in swimming, such as in the sidestroke* A vulgar term for Tribadism...
out of mid-air from twenty metres out, a certain goal of the year candidate), 8 behinds and one out on the full. This effort also earned Jakovich the distinction of being the fastest player to score his first fifty goals, taking only nine games to do so. He finished with 71 goals for his debut season; becoming one of a handful of players in VFL/AFL history to kick 50 goals in both the senior competition and now defunct 'reserves' league within the same season. He kicked his 100th career goal in his 21st game, equalling the record held by John Coleman
John Coleman
John Douglas Coleman was an Australian rules footballer and coach for Essendon in the Victorian Football League ....
.
Over the next three years at Melbourne he balanced some mercurial performances with fitness problems and indifferent form. He was let go at the end of the 1994 season, due to persistent hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injuries. He spent the next year out of the game before being drafted by the Footscray Football Club for an ill-fated comeback that lasted barely half a season. In his AFL career, kicked 208 goals, 173 behinds.
He kissed his brother Glen
Glen Jakovich
Glen Jakovich is a former Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles.Glen was recruited from South Fremantle in Western Australia and debuted in 1991 and played most of his career at the Centre Half Back position, in the number 27 gernsey...
during a match between Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles at the MCG.
Statistics
- Statistics are correct as of Round 22, 1996 (31 August 1996)
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Goals | Behinds | Kicks | Marks Mark (Australian football) A mark is a skill in Australian rules football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground.... |
Handballs Handball (Australian rules football) Handball is a term in the sport of Australian rules football which describes a method of disposing of possession of the football by hand. It is the most frequently used alternative to kicking the ball... |
Disposals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 1991 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1991.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:... |
Melbourne | 13 | 14 | 71 | 57 | 177 | 92 | 10 | 187 |
| 1992 1992 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1992. The AFL Grand Final this year was won by the West Coast Eagles, who became the first non-Victorian club to win a Premiership.-Ladder:... |
Melbourne | 13 | 11 | 40 | 37 | 115 | 66 | 9 | 124 |
| 1993 1993 AFL season -Ladder:All teams played 20 games during the home and away season, for a total of 165. Each team also had two byes. An additional 7 games were played during the finals series.-Awards:*The Brownlow Medal was awarded to Gavin Wanganeen of .... |
Melbourne | 13 | 9 | 39 | 34 | 93 | 57 | 18 | 111 |
| 1994 1994 AFL season -Ladder:All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 165. An additional 9 games were played during the finals series. It was the first season that the AFL implemented a top 8 team finals series... |
Melbourne | 13 | 13 | 51 | 31 | 123 | 82 | 17 | 140 |
| 1996 1996 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1996.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Lighting Premiership:... |
Western Bulldogs | 13 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 29 | 16 | 4 | 33 |
| Totals | 54 | 208 | 173 | 537 | 313 | 58 | 595 | ||
Post football career
He has largely been out of the public eyePublic Eye
Public Eye is a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975 . It was produced by ABC Television for three series, and Thames Television for a further four series...
since the late 1990s, except for a one-off appearance on The Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
.