Allen Aylett

Allen Aylett
Personal information
Date of birth24 April 1934
Original teamUniversity High
Height/Weight174 cm / 80 kg
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
1952-1964North Melbourne220 (311)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 1964 season.

Allen James Aylett OBE (born 24 April 1934) is a former Australian rules football player and administrator. He was the chairman/president of the North Melbourne Football Club during the 1970s (1971–1976) and then again from 2001–2005. In between, he had been the chairman of the then Victorian Football League (VFL) which is now known as the Australian Football League from 1977 to 1983.

Cricket career

Aylett had a brief cricketing career that he never fully pursued due to his interest in Australian rules football. He still played 11 first-class matches in the 1950s for domestic cricket side Victoria as a batsman, but was not successful, finishing with a poor batting average of just 16.

Australian rules career

But it was as an Australian rules football rover that Aylett first made his mark. Aylett played 220 games and kicked 311 goals in a career spanning 1952–1964. He won North Melbourne's Best and Fairest award from 1958–1960, was All-Australian in 1958 and 1961, won the Tassie Medal in 1958, won the Simpson Medal in 1960, and was captain of his side from 1961–1964. He was selected in the North Melbourne Football Club's Team of the Century,

Administration career

It is what he did later in his career however, as an administrator for the VFL (now known as the AFL) in the 1970s and 1980s, that he is most well known for. After holding the position of North Melbourne Football Club president in the 1970s he became president of the VFL and led the expansion of the VFL into the tough Sydney market, along with then-Sydney Swans president Geoffrey Edelsten.

Aylett signalled the end of his administration career after a final stint as North Melbourne Kangaroos president from 2001–2005.

Honours

On 16 June 1979, Aylett was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of services to Australian Rules football.[1] On 24 October 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australian Football.[2] On 1 January 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through the sport of AFL football.[3] He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2006.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Allen James Aylett OBE". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Allen James Aylett". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Allen James Aylett". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "Allen Aylett OBE". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 September 2013.

External links