Australian Football

Ben Allan commenced his senior league career with Claremont in 1987 and played 66 games there in three years, including the winning grand finals of 1987 and 1989. He rounded off the first phase of his career with the Tigers by winning a Simpson Medal, his second, in the 1989 grand final victory over South Fremantle. 

Drafted by Hawthorn in 1990 Allan endured a tough first season in which he managed just half a dozen senior appearances, but in 1991 he really came into his own, winning the club's best and fairest award and maintaining his record of playing in a premiership team every other year as the Hawks overpowered West Coast in the only AFL grand final ever to be played at Waverley.

A smoothly skilled, industrious centreline player or on-baller, Allan was consistently one of the Hawks' top possession getters, and arguably the side's most important single player. He emphasised his stature by winning AFL All Australian selection in 1993 and 1994 before seeking pastures new with AFL debutant Fremantle, which appointed him as its inaugural captain, in 1995.

Allan's career with the Dockers was undermined by injury and he managed just 47 games in three seasons to add to the 98 he had played with the Hawks. While with the Dockers he added another three WAFL games for Claremont. Ben Allan represented Western Australia six times. He returned to top level football midway through the 2001 season when he replaced Damian Drum as coach of Fremantle, but he spent just half a year in the role before giving way to Chris Connolly.

Author - John Devaney