Werribee premiership coach Jimmy Allan is headed to the AFL after accepting an assistant coaching role with St Kilda.
Allan, who coached Werribee for the past two seasons, will join the Saints football department as an assistant coach working with the backline, starting immediately.
Taking the role was a major decision for Allan, whose second stint at the Tigers having played with the club before heading to South Australia.
In South Australia, he won three Magarey Medals, five club best and fairest awards and a premiership among his many accomplishments.
He returned to Victoria to take on the role with Werribee.
“I could not have asked for a better return to the club with the success we have enjoyed in the last two years,” Allan said. Coaching Werribee is a great job and one that is very hard to walk away from, but this is a fantastic opportunity.
“I thank everyone at Werribee for the support from day one and I know those same people will be 100% behind the next senior coach. That attitude is a part of what makes Werribee great.”
“It’s a club built on valuing and caring for its people and encouraging high performance and I am grateful to have had the chance to return as a coach and benefit from that experience”.
Allan led the Tigers to their first Victorian Football League flag in 31 years in his first season as coach and was named the VFL coach of the year.
It was a tough 2025 with several experienced players departing before and during the season after being picked up by AFL clubs.
The Tigers missed finals this year.
Werribee football manager Kyle Hartigan said he isn’t surprised to see Allan get his shot at AFL level.
“Jimmy is AFL quality and we probably knew this was going to happen at some stage,”he said. “Yes, the timing isn’t perfect for us, but it is a fantastic opportunity for Jimmy, and they don’t come around that often.”
Allan becomes the third Tigers senior coach in a row to be headhunted by AFL clubs, following on from Mark Williams (Melbourne) and Michael Barlow (North Melbourne).
St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena said they were really pleased to welcome Allan to the club.
“We’re proud to have one of the most highly credentialed coaching panels in the competition and we believe with his skills and experience, Jimmy will fit nicely into the environment we’ve established,” he said.
Werribee has begun the search for a senior coach.
The club is advertising the position and will announce details once the process is complete.
