Frank Allen played a hundred and ninety games with East Perth(including the under age competition during the war years), eleven for Western Australia, won a Sandover Medal, and was one of his side’s greatest players in the late forties and early fifties.

Yet in his first year with the Royals as a sixteen year old in 1943 he stood just five feet two(157.48cm)  and weighed eight stone two(10.126 kg)

“When I played on a jockey one day and he was bigger than me I thought I’d have to do something about it,” he said. “I got hold of a horizontal bar and a parallel bar and worked on them religiously. Two years later I had ballooned out to five foot ten and a half(178 cm) and eleven stone seven(74.2kg’s).”

Born across the road from Perth Oval at Nurse Harvey’s Hospital, Allen was always destined to end up in the blue and black. Captain of the Inglewood Primary School football team, where Frank Sparrow was a schoolmate, he played with Maylands Cobbers under the highly respected Lyle Bremner before making his way to Lotons in 1943. Frank always remembered the advice he received from another coach, Les Piper, who would drum the “three fundamentals” of the game into him. “Keep in front of your man, kick to the longest lead, and keep your own goals in view.” When Frank pointed out that he was playing in a back pocket, Piper said: “Doesn’t matter, same applies.”

Many years later, the Eagles supporter would send a copy to John Worsfold, never to receive a response.

The East Perth side of 1944 went through the year undefeated, the first to do so, and were winners of the premiership. Allen at the time was also making a name for himself as a cricketer, opening the batting for North Perth in A Grade pennants as a sixteen year old, but a promising sporting career was interrupted by a call up from the Navy. He was posted to Darwin, where he captained the local football team.

In 1947 Allen resumed with East Perth, and had a stellar season, on the short list for selection in the Hobart Carnival side. “I learnt a lot from blokes I played against,” he said. “East Fremantle’s Jock Green was one, and we were good mates. One day at Fremantle we both flew for a mark and he came down with it. As he thudded to the ground I heard a “crack” and knew something was broken. I asked him if he was alright just as a trainer reached us, mouthing: “Get away from him, you dirty mongrel.” Jock abused the trainer as they carted him off. I went to see him at Fremantle Hospital the following day, where he was accompanied by Ken Ebbs. Jock said: “What are you doing here?” “Well, I feel a bit responsible,” I said, to which Green retorted: “I’m the silly bastard who fell on my bloody leg.”

Allen’s return to civilian life led him back to the cricket field, joining Mt Lawley before giving the game away to concentrate on his football.

Selected for a West Australian second side to play Essendon in 1948, Allen went one better in 1950, when he played on a wing in the opening game of the Brisbane Carnival, against South Australia, with Sparrow in the centre and Stan “Popsy” Heal on the other side, was in the side that played Victoria two days later, and was named in the best players against Tasmania and the VFA. He was to play eleven times for Western Australia.

The high marking, long kicking, and pacy Frank Allen’s outstanding form continued, and when counting for the 1950 Sandover Medal was concluded he and East Fremantle rover Jimmy Conway were the recipients of equal top votes with twenty three apiece. He was also winner of the East Perth equivalent, the FD Book Medal.

“1950 was  a good year for me,” Frank said.

“It was at a time when professional foot running was popular in Perth, and Jack Clayton formed a group of players to train and participate in events. I had never been as fit before, and I’m sure it had a lot to do with my form.”

Allen was a consistent vote winner in the Sandover, finishing third in 1951 behind West Perth’s Fred Buttsworth, and in 1953, after missing most of the season with a broken collarbone, he polled six votes from six games in a year that the winner, Merv McIntosh, received fourteen.    

Coach Mick Cronin had the brainwave of playing Frank off a half back flank in 1955.

“You can start the attacks from there,” he said, little knowing that his pioneering move would become the fashion years later. “That’s OK, Mick, I’m happy anywhere,” was Allen’s response.

“When we came up against South Fremantle and the new star on the block, the teenage John Todd, I knew I’d end up on him,” Frank said.

“Todd lined up at centre half forward and dominated, so it came as no surprise when captain Jimmy Spencer came over to me at quarter time and told me to move onto the kid.  We shook hands, I said: “have a good game,” and he went quiet for a quarter, so was moved into the centre, where he was explosive, and they won the game.”

Apart from the 1944 under age flag, Frank went through his career without a grand final appearance, and it was a career ending injury that cost him a premiership in 1956. “I’d played in the 1956 Interstate Carnival in Perth and the week after did the knee against East Fremantle,” he recalled.  East Perth went on to win the flag by thirteen points over South Fremantle.

Allen had coached East Perth’s seconds in 1954, and after retiring from the arena took over the thirds, before taking the reins at Sunday League club, Metropolitans.

Frank’s electrical business, P R Allen, was a landmark in Inglewood for twenty two years. “A sixteen year old John Watts helped put the roof up,” he said. An accountant, with his father and brothers involved, Frank recalled the old Inglewood days, and the identities of the area. These days he is happily ensconced on the ocean, a perfect location for his love of fishing, swimming and walking. He and wife Margaret enjoy travelling “wherever ships can take me,” and they enjoy the company of sons David(who opened the bowling for University a few years ago) and Greg, as well as daughter Sue and their six grandchildren.

Allen worked with the Western Australian Cricket Association between 1971 and 75 as an accountant, and was also a tour guide at the WACA.

A nephew, Chris Allen, represented Western Australia and played a hundred and fifty two games with East Perth and seventeen at Swan Districts.

Frank regarded “Popsy” Heal as toughest to beat, while his choice as best teammate went to ruckman Ray Perry. “I enjoyed the company of the players I met from all sides,” he said.

Frank Allen was one of Western Australia’s most outstanding wingman for a decade, a Sandover Medallist and a fixture in the State side. A member of an outstanding under age side in 1943, he was robbed by injury of a flag thirteen years later, but remains among an elite group of accomplished wingmen that have represented the Royals over the years.