Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Benjamin Thomas Allan

Known as
Ben Allan

Born
15 October 1968 (age 55)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 21y 209d
Last game: 28y 319d

Height and weight
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 83 kg

Senior clubs
Claremont; Hawthorn; Fremantle

Jumper numbers
Hawthorn: 37, 15
Fremantle: 7

Recruited from
Claremont (1990); Hawthorn (1995)

Family links
Edward Allan (Son)

Ben Allan

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
ClaremontWR1987-1989, 1996-199766691.05
HawthornAFL1990-199498720.7363%16.075.214.0120
FremantleAFL1995-199747340.7243%13.853.913.6610
WR1987-1989, 1996-199766691.05
AFL1990-19971451060.7357%15.354.793.9030
Total1987-19972111750.83

AFL: 10,119th player to appear, 1,413th most games played, 1,024th most goals kickedHawthorn: 728th player to appear, 151st most games played, 85th most goals kickedFremantle: 2nd player to appear, 109th most games played, 64th most goals kicked

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

Sources

Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion

Footnotes

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