Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Allan La Fontaine

Known as
Allan La Fontaine

Born
15 December 1910

Died
14 August 1999 (aged 88)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 23y 141d
Last game: 34y 260d

Height and weight
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 81 kg

Senior clubs
Melbourne

Jumper numbers
Melbourne: 17

Allan La Fontaine

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
MelbourneV/AFL1934-1942, 1945171770.4564%24.683.7866
Total1934-1942, 1945171770.4564%24.683.7866

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 4,128th player to appear, 962nd most games played, 1,417th most goals kickedMelbourne: 522nd player to appear, 38th most games played, 102nd most goals kicked

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

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.