Tough, aggressive and close checking, he made life very difficult indeed for the opposing teams resting rovers. When he retired in 1975 he had played 150 WANFL games for the Demons, plus three for the State highlighted by a Simpson Medal for his performance against South Australia at Subiaco in 1970.

Author, John Devaney [source: Full Points Footy’s WA Football Companion]

Allan retired from football at the age of 27.

Away from football, another of Allan’s passions is the movies having been born into the cinema business.

“As a boy I used to be at the cinema or drive-in with my father or making a nuisance of myself while my mother worked in the Box Office (at Grand Cinemas Cygnet).” says Allan.

His mum and dad were both heavily involved in this exciting industry which he made a start in at the age of 19. Over the years has worked in all facets of the industry, both here in Perth and on the east coast. Today he is the Managing Director of Grand Cinemas seven sites across Western Australia.

Last year his lifelong commitment and achievement in the industry was rewarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Independent Cinemas Association of Australia (ICAA).

In recognition of his great contribution to the game of football, and the clubs he played for, Allan was made a Legend of the Perth Football Club in 2009 and became the inaugural Patron of the South Perth Junior Football Club in 2013.

In 2006 the two coaches of the Stingrays’ under-17 premiership team, Gerry Mabarrack and Vinnie Ryan, invited John to sit with them in a box they had set up high in the stand at Lathlain Park. “It was a really professional set-up,” John recalled later. “They even had a walkie-talkie so they could relay messages to the guys on the boundary.”

One of the highlights of John’s political career was when he was appointed as a parliamentary secretary to Premier Colin Barnett to work on the new Perth stadium project. John had been a strong advocate for Burswood being the preferred site for the stadium.

In 2018 John’s service to sporting clubs in the district, and to the community in general, was recognized when the mayor of the City of South Perth, Sue Doherty, announced that the magnificent new sports pavilion and hall at Ernest Johnson Oval would be named in his honour. After 16 years, John has retired from politics. However, his links to the Stingrays will continue as he shares the role of club patron with his good friend Allan Stiles.