Australian Football

Sublimely skilled, Melbourne's Allan La Fontaine could probably have been a success in any position on the field (he kicked nine goals from full forward against Hawthorn in only his second league game), but perhaps not surprisingly ended up playing the majority of his VFL career as a centreman. That career began in 1934 and ended, three premierships and 171 games later, in 1945.

Winner of four Melbourne best and fairest awards (a club record shared with Jim Stynes), La Fontaine gave the impression that everything he accomplished on the field came easily to him, but of course that was scarcely likely to have been the case. Enormously respected at Melbourne, he captained the club from 1936 to 1941, and after the war spent three years as non-playing coach before giving way to Norm Smith. Prior to his time in the VFL, La Fontaine was a top amateur footballer with University Blacks, winning the VAFA A Section best and fairest award in 1933.

In the year 2000, Allan La Fontaine was the no doubt almost automatic choice as centreman in Melbourne's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'.

Author - John Devaney