View source for Ben Allan

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer, born 1968}}
{{For|those of a similar name|Benjamin Allen (disambiguation){{!}}Benjamin Allen}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Ben Allan
| image = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|10|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Perth, Western Australia]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = {{WAFL Cla}} ([[West Australian Football League|WAFL]])
| debutdate = Round 7, 1990
| debutteam = {{AFL Haw}}
| debutopponent = {{AFL Col}}
| debutstadium = [[Waverley Park|AFL Park]]
| height = 182cm
| weight =  83kg
| position = 
| statsend = 1997
| years1 = 1987–89, 1996
| club1 = {{WAFL Cla}}
| games_goals1 = {{0}}66 {{0}}(67)
| years2 = 1990–1994
| club2 = {{AFL Haw}}
| games_goals2 = {{0}}98 {{0}}(72)
| years3 = 1995–1997
| club3 = {{AFL Fre}}
| games_goals3 = {{0}}47 {{0}}(34)
| games_goalstotal = 211 (173)
| sooyears1 = 1988–1995
| sooteam1 = [[Western Australia Australian rules football team|Western Australia]]
| soogames_goals1 = {{0|00}}6 (2)
| coachyears1 = 2001
| coachclub1 = {{AFL Fre}}
| coachgames_wins1 = 13 (2–11–0)
| careerhighlights =
* [[List of VFL/AFL premiers|AFL premiership player]]: ([[1991 AFL Grand Final|1991]])
* 2× [[List of West Australian Football League premiers|WAFL premiership player]]: ([[1987 WAFL Grand Final|1987]], [[1989 WAFL Grand Final|1989]])
* [[Peter Crimmins Medal|Peter Crimmins Memorial Trophy]]: (1991)
* 2× [[All-Australian team]]: (1993, 1994)
* [[List of Fremantle Football Club captains|Fremantle captain]]: (1995–1996)
* 3× [[Simpson Medal]]: (1988, 1989, 1990)
* [[West Australian Football Hall of Fame]], inducted 2012
}}

'''Benjamin Thomas Allan''' (born 15 October 1968) is a former [[Australian rules football]]er who played for the [[Hawthorn Football Club]] and [[Fremantle Football Club]] in the [[Australian Football League]] (AFL), and for the [[Claremont Football Club]] in the [[West Australian Football League]] (WAFL). 

In a short but decorated playing career, Allan was appointed the inaugural captain of Fremantle, and is one of only two footballers to have won three consecutive [[Simpson Medal]]s, the other being [[Barry Cable]]. He won the medal in 1988 and 1990 for being the best player in a State of Origin match involving Western Australia, and in 1989 as best on ground in the WAFL Grand Final.  

==Early life==
Allan was educated at [[Aquinas College, Perth|Aquinas College]], [[Perth]]<ref>[http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20060614-Famous-alumni-on-Lathams-hit-list.html Crikey – Famous alumni on Latham's hit list] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926224608/http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20060614-Famous-alumni-on-Lathams-hit-list.html |date=26 September 2007 }}</ref>

== Playing career ==
He played as a [[rover (football)|rover]] (or follower). He was a premiership player with [[Claremont Football Club|Claremont]] in the [[West Australian Football League|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.

== Fremantle career ==
Having previously coached Allan at Claremont, [[Gerard Neesham]] the inaugural [[Fremantle Football Club|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 AFL season|1995]] and finished third in the [[Doig Medal|best and fairest]] award. In the Round 5 match against {{AFL Foo}} at [[Whitten Oval]], he had the chance to win the game with a kick after the final siren from 70 metres out. Reflecting on the game in an interview for Fremantle's official website in 2019, Allan shared his thoughts as he was lining up to take the kick:

<blockquote>“I took a mark and the siren went and I had the shot – it was like the dream had come true. I thought to myself ‘there’s a bit of a breeze here going right to left, if I can just punch this at the right goal post I reckon I can kick it.’ I used to try torpedo punts quite a bit during games and it was just the classic opportunity to let one rip. I reckon if I hit it pure on the ball I could have made the distance with that little breeze.”<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Fremantle Football Club]]|title=Inaugural captain Ben Allan reflects on his after the siren chance|date=30 May 2019|url=https://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/247878/inaugural-captain-ben-allan-reflects-on-his-after-the-siren-chance}}</ref></blockquote>

The kick fell short, allowing the Bulldogs to escape with a two-point victory.

Injuries took their toll in [[1996 AFL season|1996]], restricting Allan to 8 games for the season.  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.

== 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."<ref>Steve Lague, 'Allan Cast Aside As Drum Takes Charge',
''The West Australian'' (Perth), 9 September 1998.</ref>

Ironically, three years later Allan was called on as caretaker coach to replace [[Damien Drum]] who was sacked after the team's 10th consecutive loss, a diabolical performance against the [[Sydney Swans]] at the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]] 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."<ref>Craig O'Donoghue, Steve Lague, 'Ben Allan', ''The West Australian'' (Perth), 31 May 2001.</ref>

Fremantle won two of the remaining 13 matches with Allan as coach and finished 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: <blockquote>"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".<ref>Ross Lewis, 'Allan to Show Flops the Door', ''The West Australian'' (Perth), 9 July 2001</ref></blockquote> 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 was in Round 18 against {{AFL Haw}} at [[Docklands Stadium|Colonial Stadium]], which broke an 18-match, 370-day losing series of matches (and, until [[2021 AFL season#Round 17|round 17, 2021]], would be the last time that Fremantle defeated Hawthorn outside of Western Australia),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/fremantle-charges-to-its-first-grand-final-appearance-snuffing-out-sydneys-premiership-defence/story-fni5f6su-1226724478683|title=Fremantle charges to its first Grand Final appearance snuffing out Sydney's premiership defence|publisher=Herald Sun|first=Glenn|last=MacFarlane|date=22 September 2013|access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> and the second was in the final match of the season against {{AFL Ade}}. 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 and the subsequent years brought.

==Statistics==

===Playing statistics===
:<ref>[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/S/Stephen_Silvagni.html Stephen Silvagni's player profile at AFL Tables]</ref>

{{Australian rules football statistics P}}
{{AFL player statistics legend}}
{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}
|-
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| scope="row" | [[1990 AFL season|1990]] || {{AFL Haw}} || 37
| 6 || 3 || 4 || 41 || 13 || 54 || 11 || 13 || 0.5 || 0.7 || 6.8 || 2.2 || 9.0 || 1.8 || 2.2 || 0
|-
| scope="row" bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[1991 AFL season|1991]]<sup>#</sup>''' || {{AFL Haw}} || 15
| 25 || 18 || 19 || 350 || 134 || 484 || 72 || 53 || 0.7 || 0.8 || 14.0 || 5.4 || 19.4 || 2.9 || 2.1 || 1
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| scope="row" | [[1992 AFL season|1992]] || {{AFL Haw}} || 15
| 23 || 12 || 15 || 382 || 132 || 514 || 88 || 30 || 0.5 || 0.7 || 16.6 || 5.7 || 22.3 || 3.8 || 1.3 || 5
|-
| scope="row" | [[1993 AFL season|1993]] || {{AFL Haw}} || 15
| 21 || 20 || 14 || 412 || 109 || 521 || 121 || 42 || 1.0 || 0.7 || 19.6 || 5.2 || 24.8 || 5.8 || 2.0 || 11
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| scope="row" | [[1994 AFL season|1994]] || {{AFL Haw}} || 15
| 23 || 19 || 17 || 390 || 123 || 513 || 101 || 28 || 0.8 || 0.7 || 17.0 || 5.3 || 22.3 || 4.4 || 1.2 || 3
|-
| scope="row" | [[1995 AFL season|1995]] || {{AFL Fre}} || 7
| 22 || 15 || 16 || 370 || 107 || 477 || 84 || 34 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 16.8 || 4.9 || 21.7 || 3.8 || 1.5 || 9
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| scope="row" | [[1996 AFL season|1996]] || {{AFL Fre}} || 7
| 8 || 2 || 4 || 87 || 20 || 107 || 23 || 9 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 10.9 || 2.5 || 13.4 || 2.9 || 1.1 || 0
|-
| scope="row" | [[1997 AFL season|1997]] || {{AFL Fre}} || 7
| 17 || 17 || 11 || 194 || 57 || 251 || 65 || 11 || 1.0 || 0.6 || 11.4 || 3.4 || 14.8 || 3.8 || 0.6 || 1
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3| Career
! 145 !! 106 !! 100 !! 2226 !! 695 !! 2921 !! 565 !! 220 !! 0.7 !! 0.7 !! 15.4 !! 4.8 !! 20.1 !! 3.9 !! 1.5 !! 30
|}

===Coaching statistics===
:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/coaches/Ben_Allan.html|title=AFL Tables - Ben Allan - Coaching Record|work=afltables.com}}</ref>
{{AFL coaching statistics legend}}
{{AFL coaching statistics start}}
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| scope="row" | [[2001 AFL season|2001]] || {{AFL Fre}}
| 13 || 2 || 11 || 0 || 15.4% || 16 || 16
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=2| Career totals
! 13 !! 2 !! 11 !! 0 !! 15.4%
! colspan=2|
|}

== After football ==
Allan has had an active media career in print, on radio and on TV, including [[The West Australian]], [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] Radio, [[6PR]], [[SEN 1116|SEN]] and the now defunct [[Fox Footy Channel]].  Outside of football he has become a successful businessman in the [[Margaret River, Western Australia|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.

In March 2012, Allan was inducted into the [[West Australian Football Hall of Fame]].  He is the first former {{AFL Fre}} player to be inducted.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7009/newsid/130242/default.aspx |title=Allan to be first Freo Docker inducted into WA Football Hall of Fame |access-date=7 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813202544/http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7009/newsid/130242/default.aspx |archive-date=13 August 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Personal life==
He is the brother of [[Packed to the Rafters]] actor; [[Jacob Allan]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{AFL Tables}}
*{{AFL Tables coach ID}}
*{{AustralianFootball}}

{{navboxes|list1=
{{1991 Hawthorn premiership players}}
{{Fremantle Football Club captains}}
{{Fremantle Football Club coaches}}
{{1993 All-Australian team}}
{{1994 All-Australian team}}
{{Peter Crimmins Medal}}
{{Fremantle Football Club inaugural team}}
{{1989 VFL national draft}}
{{1995 AFL pre-season draft}}
{{Simpson Medal winners}}
{{WA State of Origin captains}}
{{1991 Western Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1992 Western Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1993 Western Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1995 Western Australia State of Origin players}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allan, Ben}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All-Australians (AFL)]]
[[Category:Claremont Football Club players]]
[[Category:Fremantle Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Fremantle Football Club players]]
[[Category:Hawthorn Football Club players]]
[[Category:Hawthorn Football Club Premiership players]]
[[Category:Peter Crimmins Medal winners]]
[[Category:Western Australian State of Origin players]]
[[Category:People educated at Aquinas College, Perth]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Western Australia]]
[[Category:Fremantle Football Club administrators]]
[[Category:West Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Fremantle Football Club captains]]
[[Category:One-time VFL/AFL Premiership players]]