Oscar Allen’s emotional mea culpa made for uncomfortable viewing on Thursday. And somehow it felt all wrong.
Having been exposed for breaking the unwritten captain’s code and holding talks with football’s No.1 version of a corporate raider Sam Mitchell, Allen and his West Coast Eagles seemed uncertain how to respond. For more than 48 hours, and countless outraged news cycles, they prevaricated.
West Coast co-captains Liam Duggan (left) and Oscar Allen (right).Credit: Getty Images
And then when the 26-year-old finally did stand shamed alongside his club’s head of football John Worsfold, Allen suddenly seemed more like a victim than a villain – a lone version of Australian men’s swimming’s “Stilnox Six” back in 2013 except that, unlike James Magnussen, Allen never even offered half an excuse.
Which he could have. The analogy of the Olympic freestyle relay squad members 12 years ago runs deeper because those young athletes became the symbol of a toxic culture and poor leadership that haunted Australian swimming’s London Olympic campaign.
West Coast’s culture is not toxic – the club dealt with its worst issues almost two decades ago – but it’s hardly strong and supportive, either, and Mitchell cannot be the only coach who smelt blood.
The internal impression that to work at, or play for, the club is a one-way privilege continues to baffle some staff, and footballers and player managers.
And the Eagles’ leadership must surely come into question, as should the manner in which they have dealt with both their co-captains amid a list strategy that, in recent years, can only be described as volatile.
Liam Duggan was never leaving the Eagles but the club’s sluggish approach to the four-year extension he finally struck last July frustrated his camp just as Tom Barrass’ team felt that West Coast had reneged on their undertaking to financially compensate him down the track after he agreed to take less money to assist list management.
Allen, too, had a grievance. One of the few leaders who had stood up during Adam Simpson’s disastrous last two-and-a-half seasons, he had believed a long-term deal was coming his way at the start of last year before a knee injury put him on the sidelines for three months.
In what was a tough year for Allen – his fiancee Lorna McNabb’s father died around the same time – he felt let down by the club.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell played for West Coast for a season in 2017 before beginning his coaching journey at the Eagles under Adam Simpson.Credit: AFL Photos
Barrass was successfully wooed by Mitchell midway through 2024 and his arrival at Hawthorn has left Mitchell’s recruiting team in no doubt that West Coast, with their new management team and untested rookie coach, was vulnerable to another raid.
This followed the club’s decision to deviate from the strategy put in place three years ago by the board to go back to the draft.
Instead, the Eagles brought in Liam Baker and Jack Graham from Richmond and Matt Owies from Carlton in a series of deals which saw their first draft pick fall from No.3 to No.12 and – weirdly – choose Hawthorn’s future first-round pick over Carlton’s.
Mitchell must feel dreadful for Allen, who has now become the poster boy for captains deserting their teams.
The Hawks remain publicly unapologetic, even if football boss Rob McCartney contacted the Eagles, and captain James Sicily reinforced that view on Friday, but the club and their audacious raid on West Coast has harmed Allen in the eyes of supporters.
That Mitchell and his not-so-secret recruiting weapon and wife Lyndall met Allen and McNabb in a private house did not prevent the incident being exposed after an airport sighting.
West Coast CEO Don Pyke won two premierships in his playing days with the club.
The purpose of the meeting was to ascertain whether or not the Hawks were a realistic chance and should prepare a deal for Allen, but the exposure has blown up that plan.
Allen might not be the first – think Leigh Colbert, and Tom Lynch and Steven May to name three – but the timing and the accidental public nature of last week’s meeting embarrassed him and drew criticism from footy traditionalists and a long line of respected retired captains.
And still he remains in contractual limbo, which makes you wonder whether the club truly wants to keep the player who is struggling for form and yet who has stood up as one of the Eagles’ strongest competitors in recent years.
Coach-turned-CEO Don Pyke frankly sounded more like a coach when he appeared on Perth radio on Tuesday. His response to the Mitchell meeting, which he said was “news to us”, was pragmatic to the point of wishy-washy. It’s difficult to imagine Greg Swann, Trevor Nisbett or Brendon Gale being so measured.
West Coast supporters, who should be seriously wondering about the direction in which their club is heading, wanted something stronger than Pyke’s blithe acceptance that a club captain meeting a rival coach (who used to work for the club) after just three rounds of football is just an example of where the game is heading.
Hopefully behind the scenes the Eagles, having not got mad, are getting even. But instead of publicly throwing the book at Hawthorn, Pyke and his team kept their powder dry.
Instead, they threw Allen to the wolves.
Having made their unsigned co-captain the public scapegoat, the once powerful West Coast Eagles should have instead turned the mirror on themselves.
