Allan La Fontaine

Allan Faulkner La Fontaine (15 December 1910 – 14 August 1999) was an Australian rules footballer who played with and coached Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Allan La Fontaine
Personal information
Full name Allan La Fontaine
Date of birth 15 December 1910
Place of birth Eskdale, Victoria
Date of death 14 August 1999(1999-08-14) (aged 88)
Original team(s) University Blacks
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 81 kg (179 lb)
Position(s) Centreman
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1934–1942, 1945 Melbourne 171 (77)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
1934, 1936 Victoria 2 (0)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1949–1951 Melbourne 56 (25–31–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1945.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Private life

La Fontaine was born at the country town of Eskdale, Victoria. While still a youngster his parents, Cyrelle and Beatrice, brought the family to Melbourne where they settled in the suburb of Footscray. He had three brothers, Claude, Lionel and Donald. La Fontaine attended St Joseph's CBC North Melbourne (later St Joseph's College, Melbourne) from 1925-29 where he earned the title Captain of College three years in a row; 1927, 1928 and 1929.[1]

At school he made his mark as both an excellent athlete, handball player and footballer.[2] In 1930 he went on to complete his secondary education at St Kevin's College, Melbourne before proceeding to university where he was eventually granted Bachelor of Science in 1946.[3]

La Fontaine enjoyed a variety of activities which included boxing, cricket and in 1936 working as a seaman on an oil tanker bound for America.[4]

In July 1940, La Fontaine married Mary Williams at St Patrick's Cathedral.[5]

During World War II, he served as a Flying Officer with the RAAF between 1942 and 1945,[6] and he saw action in New Guinea and the nearby islands. Two of his brothers served in the Australian Army during the same conflict. On his return he took up his trade as an industrial chemist and analyst in a Melbourne business.

La Fontaine died in Sydney in August 1999 and is buried in Macquarie Park Cemetery.[7]

Football career

Recruited to the Old Paradians by its founder Lou Arthur, La Fontaine vindicated the transport magnate's faith by booting an incredible 143 goals in the football club's inaugural season of 1929. His football career changed dramatically when he was later recruited from University Blacks. In his last year (1933) as an amateur he kicked a record 197 goals for the season.

He was considered a brilliant amateur full-forward, and was to earn his fame playing with the Melbourne Football Club as a centreman. He was appointed captain of Melbourne in 1936. He led the club to their hat-trick of premierships in 1939, 1940 and 1941. La Fontaine went on to coach Melbourne from 1949 until 1951.[8]

In 1996 La Fontaine was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.[9]

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References
  1. Review of St. Joseph's Christian Brothers' College North Melbourne on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee 1903-1952, St Joseph's College, North Melbourne, 1953.
  2. St Joseph's College North Melbourne; Jubilee Review 1903-1928. St Joseph's College, North Melbourne, 1928
  3. "Prominent Sportsmen Get University Degrees". The Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854 - 1954). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 23 December 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  4. "UNIVERSITY STUDENTS". The Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854-1954). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 4 January 1936. p. 10. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  5. "MANY BRIDES IN BLUE". The Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854-1954). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 8 July 1940. p. 3. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  6. Taylor, Percy, "Melbourne are Proud of their Great War Record", The Australasian, (Saturday, 24 June 1944), p.23.
  7. "Allan Faulkner Fontaine". Find a Grave.
  8. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (4th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 362. ISBN 1-74095-001-1.
  9. Hall of Fame – Players Archived 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine

Sources

  • Ross, John (1999). The Australian Football Hall of Fame. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 87. ISBN 0-7322-6426-X.
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