Ben Allan
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Thomas "Ben" Allan (born 10 October 1968) is a former Australian rules football
er. He was educated at Aquinas College, Perth
in the WAFL
before be drafted to the Hawthorn Football Club
in the Australian Football League
where he played 98 games and won their Best and Fairest
in 1991 as well as a premiership. He was an All Australian player in 1993 and 1994.
the inaugural Fremantle
coach, targeted Allan to return to Western Australia. As the most experienced and highly decorated player in the initial 45 man squad, he was named Fremantle's first captain. He was the only former All-Australian, the only club best-and-fairest winner and one of only 2 former premiership players in the original Fremantle squad of 50
He played all 22 games in 1995 and finished 3rd in the best and fairest
award. However injuries took their toll in 1996, restricting him to only 8 games for the year. In 1997 he relinquished the captaincy to Peter Mann
and managed to play 17 games. However, a degenerative knee condition caused Allan to retire from football at the end of the 1997 season. He had played 145 AFL games in total, along with 66 for Claremont and 6 state games, earning him a position in the WA Football Two Hundred Club.
Ironically, three years later Allan was called on as care-taker to replace Drum, sacked after the team's diabolical performance and 10th consecutive loss at the SCG in round 9, 2001. Despite his role three years previously as assistant coach, Allan did not view the appointment as leading to a permanent position. On being made coach, he told the media:
Fremantle won 2 of the remaining 13 matches with Allan as coach and finished 16th and last on the AFL ladder. Allan the coach was demanding rather than inspiring and was openly critical of the playing group. At the press conference after a home loss to Port Adelaide he told the media:
, ABC
Radio, 6PR
, SEN
and the now defunct Fox Footy Channel
. Outside of football he has become a successful businessman in the Margaret River
wine industry. In 2005 he was elected to the Members position on the board of the Fremantle Football Club. He will hold that position for 2 years before all Fremantle Season Ticket holding members over 18 years vote again. Allan currently has three children (Lincoln, Edward and Nicholas) and a wife (Sarah).
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...
er. He was educated at Aquinas College, Perth
Aquinas College, Perth
Aquinas College is a Catholic independent, day and boarding school for boys, located in Salter Point, Western Australia. Its sister school is Santa Maria Ladies College located in Attadale...
Hawthorn career
He played as a rover (or follower). He was a premiership player with ClaremontClaremont Football Club
The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....
in the WAFL
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...
before be drafted to the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
in the 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...
where he played 98 games and won their Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
in 1991 as well as a premiership. He was an All Australian player in 1993 and 1994.
Fremantle career
Having previously coached Allan at Claremont, Gerard NeeshamGerard Neesham
Gerard Neesham is a former Australian rules footballer in the WAFL and VFL as well as coach in the WAFL and AFL. Today he is chief executive of the Clontarf Foundation.-Playing career:...
the inaugural Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
coach, targeted Allan to return to Western Australia. As the most experienced and highly decorated player in the initial 45 man squad, he was named Fremantle's first captain. He was the only former All-Australian, the only club best-and-fairest winner and one of only 2 former premiership players in the original Fremantle squad of 50
He played all 22 games in 1995 and finished 3rd in the best and fairest
Doig Medal
The Doig Medal is the best and fairest award given out to the player considered best and fairest during a season for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL....
award. However injuries took their toll in 1996, restricting him to only 8 games for the year. In 1997 he relinquished the captaincy to Peter Mann
Peter Mann
Peter Travis Mann is a former Australian rules footballer. who played a total of 118 matches in the AFL for the North Melbourne and Fremantle Football Clubs.- Claremont, West Coast and North Melbourne :...
and managed to play 17 games. However, a degenerative knee condition caused Allan to retire from football at the end of the 1997 season. He had played 145 AFL games in total, along with 66 for Claremont and 6 state games, earning him a position in the WA Football Two Hundred Club.
Coaching
Allan stayed at the club as an assistant coach in 1998. When it became clear Gerard Neesham would not coach Fremantle in 1999, Allan tendered his resignation pending the appointment of a replacement. When interviewed by new head coach Damian Drum, he was told no position would be available. His disappointment was obvious, telling the media- "this is a real kick in the teeth. I saw my involvement at the club as long-term. It was a huge decision to leave Hawthorn and it seems everything has gone sour since. My career was cut short by injury and now this. It is very hard to swallow. This means Drum and the club believe I have nothing to offer – or they have made a huge mistake. The only thing that has kept me buoyed is the fact that in this industry all players and coaches get kicked in the guts at some stage."
Ironically, three years later Allan was called on as care-taker to replace Drum, sacked after the team's diabolical performance and 10th consecutive loss at the SCG in round 9, 2001. Despite his role three years previously as assistant coach, Allan did not view the appointment as leading to a permanent position. On being made coach, he told the media:
- "I'm not in a caretaker role to try to further my career for next year. If you look at the history of caretaker coaches, they all wanted to have a crack at it for the next year. I'm there to help out. It gives the club time to look for someone who's been there and done that and then I can go off on my merry way. If we win every game for the rest of the year I still won't be the senior coach next year."
Fremantle won 2 of the remaining 13 matches with Allan as coach and finished 16th and last on the AFL ladder. Allan the coach was demanding rather than inspiring and was openly critical of the playing group. At the press conference after a home loss to Port Adelaide he told the media:
"if they are looking for me to motivate them for the next eight weeks, they are barking up the wrong tree ... clearly out there today we had too many out there today who haven't got strong enough character".Nevertheless, a dispirited playing group stayed reasonably competitive in many of the remaining games of the season. Allan's two victories were both notable. The first coming at Telstra Dome in Round 18 against Hawthorn, breaking an 18 game, 370 day losing series of matches. The second was in the last match of the season against 2001 finalists Adelaide. The joyous spirit of this game, played in front of a smallish but passionate crowd in night rain at Subiaco Oval, was rejuvenating for the club and its supporters after the gloom of the Damien Drum years. The new optimism was built on with the appointment of the new coach for 2002, Chris Connolly, and the exciting victories and growing crowds that year brought.
Current
Allan has had an active media career in print, on radio and on TV, including The West AustralianThe West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
, ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
Radio, 6PR
6PR
6PR, known as 882 6PR, is a commercial radio station based in Perth, Australia. Its focus is on news, talk and sport, and is Perth's only commercial talkback radio station. 6PR is owned by Fairfax Media, an Australian media company that owns television and radio businesses throughout Australia and...
, SEN
SEN
SEN is a three-letter abbreviation which may stand for:* SEN 1116, sports radio station in Melbourne, Australia* Senator, as a special status with an airline* Small extension node* Software Engineering Notes* London Southend Airport, IATA airport code...
and the now defunct Fox Footy Channel
Fox Footy Channel
The Fox Footy Channel was a channel exclusively dedicated to Australian rules football. It was owned by Foxtel, and operated out of their Melbourne based studios. It was available on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television, TransTV and Neighbourhood Cable up until transmission was ceased on 1 October 2006...
. Outside of football he has become a successful businessman in the Margaret River
Margaret River, Western Australia
Margaret River is a town in the South West of Western Australia, located in the valley of the eponymous Margaret River, south of Perth, the state capital. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River....
wine industry. In 2005 he was elected to the Members position on the board of the Fremantle Football Club. He will hold that position for 2 years before all Fremantle Season Ticket holding members over 18 years vote again. Allan currently has three children (Lincoln, Edward and Nicholas) and a wife (Sarah).