Oscar Allen has declared he’s able to step up as one of many AFL’s finest forwards and can look to classes learnt from West Coast’s all-time main aim kicker Josh Kennedy as he tries to fill the retired star’s sneakers.
Long touted as probably the most prodigious abilities within the league, Allen will carry the burden of expectation on his shoulders as the person to steer the Eagles into a brand new era and construct from a horror two-win 2022 season.
Allen, 23, didn’t play final 12 months due to a foot harm that flared up within the pre-season, however he’s barely missed a beat this summer time at Mineral Resources Park.
After taking part in quite a lot of roles in his 59-game profession, Allen is ready to settle as a everlasting ahead alongside Jack Darling after two-time Coleman medallist Kennedy hung up the boots.
While he’s not performed in almost 17 months, Allen mentioned he was assured he’d have the ability to step up as a part of a dynamic duo alongside Darling.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing forward. Early in my career, I was just doing what I can to play a game,” Allen mentioned.
“I was pretty aware we had a really strong side throughout 2018 to 2020 and if I didn’t play a number of different roles I probably wouldn’t be getting a game.
“I am under no illusions that the versatility really helped me, so if the call comes out and I need to play down back or back-up ruck then I’ll take that. But I’m really excited to play up forward as well this year.”
In his closing season, Kennedy kicked a club-high 37 objectives in 15 video games, leaving an enormous gap for Allen to fill.
Instead of mapping out a objectives goal for 2023, Allen is seeking to replicate Kennedy’s philosophies to make sure he has an affect.
“If you just go cut and dry, I just want to kick this amount of goals … sometimes it’s not that clear and obvious,” he mentioned.
“As a forward, you’re the back end of a play and sometimes you’ll have great games, but you won’t get anywhere near it, but you did all the processes right.
“That was something JK was big on, focus on your processes and not the outcome, so that’s something I’ve been trying to focus on throughout my career and will continue in that vein as well.”
Allen additionally shut down solutions he was wrapped in cotton wool final 12 months as soon as the Eagles’ finals probabilities had been over and declared himself on observe to play this pre-season.
“When I was initially injured we were looking to come back and then probably around the halfway mark of the season we had another setback, which made it unattainable to come back and play,” he mentioned.
“If there was an opportunity to do that (play) then I would have done that. All I want to do is play footy and help out the guys.
“I’m not sure what our plan is (for pre-season) as a side in terms of who’s going to play, but I’m doing everything I can to play every game of footy because I’ve missed a bit so I don’t want to miss much else.”
The West Perth product has been seen as a possible successor to Luke Shuey because the captain of the Eagles.
Allen mentioned there was unlikely to be a change in management this season whereas taking part in down his probabilities.
“It is a club-voted and player-voted thing, so it’s not something you put your hand up (for). If it happens, it happens,” he mentioned.
“It would be a massive honour. You look at the captains this football club has had, they’re not only some of the best players but the best men that we’ve had.
“Luke has done a terrific job. The way he’s handled a couple of tough years has been tremendous and I can’t imagine there’d be a whole heap of change coming up that soon.”
