Visitors to the Hawks Museum now have an added attraction.  The Allan Jeans’ Legend Portrait can now be seen on Level 1 in the foyer at the double door entrance to the Hawks Museum.  This striking portrait painted by leading sports artist, Dave Thomas is a moving rendition of Jeans holding the 1989 Premiership Cup aloft whilst being carried on the shoulders of Peter Curran and John Kennedy Jnr.

At the Club’s Hall of Fame function held earlier this year on April 17 at the Plaza Ballroom, Allan Jeans one of the game’s most renowned figures received the Club’s highest honour, posthumously when he was elevated to Legend Status.  

Jeans coached the Hawks through one of the club’s greatest eras, netting three premierships in 1983, 1996 & 1989, from a stunning six consecutive Grands Final appearances, including winning two-night premierships in 1985 & 1986.  A stellar win/loss record with 159 wins, 61 losses and one draw.

Jeans was an inaugural inductee in Hawthorn’s Hall of Fame in 2003 and he deservedly joined other Club Legends, Leigh Matthews & John Kennedy Snr (inducted 2003), Graham Arthur (2005), Michael Tuck (2008), Peter Hudson (2010), David Parkin (2013), Jason Dunstall (2014), Peter Knights (2017) and Don Scott (2022)

The Jeans Story

Born September 21, 1933 - Died July 13, 2011
Coach 1981 - 1987, 1989 - 1990
Games 221, Won 159, Lost 61, Drawn 1
Premierships 1983, 1986, 1989
Night Premierships 1985, 1986
Life Member 1990
Hall of Fame Inductee 2003

VFL / AFL Honours
Jock McHale Medal 1966 (St Kilda), 1983, 1986, 1989
State Coach 1984 (2 games)
VFL/AFL Life Member 1979
AFL Hall of Fame 1996 (Coach)

Allan Jeans was one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game.  He has left a positive lasting legacy with all that have played under his direction.  His homespun sayings are legendary.  Perhaps the most famous was his comment on coaching teams, “They’re like sausages – you can boil them, grill them or curry them, but ultimately they’re still sausages."

Jeans had gained legendary status prior to his highly successful tenure at Hawthorn.  He coached St Kilda to their first and only premiership in 1966.  Hawthorn supporters became more aware of Jeans’ coaching prowess during the 1970s when the Saints and Hawks became arch-rivals.   The Hawks claimed their second premiership over the Saints in 1971 after one of the toughest grand finals in the history of the game with the spectators observing the warm embrace of John Kennedy Snr and Allan Jeans after the final siren.  Such was the respect they had for each other that boded well when Jeans was appointed to coach the Hawks in 1981.

When Jeans arrived at Hawthorn, discontent was rife within the playing group with the prospect of a player’s strike.  In the worst possible environment Jeans won the respect of the Club through his honesty and willingness to get on with the job.  He had the Hawks back in the finals in 1982, on the verge of creating a golden era for the Club.  Leigh Matthews is on record of claiming that Jeans was the father of the modern running game which Hawthorn’s success was mouldered on.

With Jeans' leadership, the Club enjoyed a decade of unbelievable success.  He masterminded six grand final appearances for three premierships.  The first success was the record-breaking win against Essendon to win the 1983 flag.  The great rivalry intensified between the two Clubs with the Hawks being runner-up to Essendon in the 1984 and1985 seasons.

Jeans' second Premiership came after a strong win against Carlton in 1986 only to suffer defeat at the hands of the Blues in the 1987 Grand Final.  Jeans unfortunately missed the 1988 season through illness and in his absence, Alan Joyce coached the side that easily accounted for Melbourne in the Grand Final. 

Jeans returned in 1989 to lead the team to his third premiership this time over Geelong, the second leg of the Club’s first back-to-back premierships.  Many consider this the greatest grand final in living memory as both teams crippled by injury saw the Hawks hang on to beat the fast- finishing Cats by six points.  The players credit Jeans' inspirational speech, ‘You must pay the price’ at halftime as the motivation for this success.  After guiding the team in finals for nine years that included three premierships, Jeans chose to retire at the close of the 1990 season.

Later Life

During the late 1990s on a Thursday night in Hawthorn’s popular Social Club, Graham Arthur ran the famed Yabbie Cup, named after Jeans.  Many of Allan Jeans' former players tried their skills in a game of sporting trivia, often fought out with that dogged determination that Jeans demanded on the field.  Players would take it in turns much to the delighted the audience with their efforts in mimicking many of Jeans' speeches such was their affection for him.

Jeans, following his retirement from his job as a Senior Sergeant with Victorian Police, became an avid social lawns bowls player at the Cheltenham Bowling Club.  A little known aside, Jeans and many of his former players of the likes of Gary Buckenara and Robert Di Pierdomenico delighted in taking part in challenge matches to raise funds for Charity.

One of his last public appearances was at the post-match presentations of the 2006 AFL Grand Final.  He died following years of ill-health on July 12, 2011.  As a mark of the high esteem that he was held by his former players who gained everlasting football fame under his guidance many made the difficult journey to visit him one last time and pass on their deep-felt feelings and respect for a man that they all admired and loved.