Werribee coach Jimmy Allan has been inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Established in 2002 to honour those who have made a “most significant contribution to the game of Australian Football,” the Hall of Fame now includes 230 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and media representatives.
Allan was one of four new inductees at the 2025 Magarey Medal night on September 1.
Allan return to Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval in 2024 after a decorated South Australian National Football League career, rejoining the club where his state league journey began in 2005. After being delisted by Geelong, he played 27 games with Werribee.
From there, he moved to South Australia to play for North Adelaide, and in his first season of SANFL football, he won the league’s top honour, bringing home the Magarey Medal.
He also won North Adelaide’s best and fairest award, the first of five consecutive times.
Allan took the SANFL by storm, adding Magarey Medals in 2010 and 2011 and collecting a remarkable run of media and club honours.
By the end of 2011, he ranked second only to the legendary Barrie Robran for both Magarey Medals (three) and North Adelaide best and fairest awards (five).
After captaining North Adelaide in 2012, Allan announced he would finish with the Roosters at the end of the season and returned to his native Victoria in 2013.
The following year, a teaching opportunity brought him back to South Australia, where he joined Norwood and capped off his career with a premiership in 2014. He retired from the SANFL at the end of 2015 with 146 games to his name.
After calling time on his playing career, Allan turned to coaching.
Back at Werribee in 2024, Allan led the side to its drought-breaking premiership as senior coach.
Reflecting on his journey at the Magarey Medal night, Allan was asked about comparing coaching Werribee to his SANFL playing days and said, “It’s very different, there’s a bit more to worry about… I’d love to still be playing. I tell the boys all the time, you’re so lucky to still be able to play. If I could play in another one, I would, but coaching is the next best thing.”
