Alan Joyce

Who is Alan Joyce?

Alan Joyce is a former Australian rules footballer who after playing 49 games for Hawthorn became a premiership winning coach for the club. Originally from Glen Iris, Joyce played in the ruck for Hawthorn. and gained life membership in 1996.

In 1966 Joyce was appointed Captain-coach of Preston, leading them to the 1968 and 1969 premierships in the VFA. He played 92 games and kicked 228 goals.

Joining East Fremantle in 1971-72 and 1977–78, Joyce rebuilt a side that had suffered through its leanest era since formation between 1967 and 1970 to a premiership in 1974. He then coached Newtown and the NSW state team in 1974, and moved Perth in 1980. His stint at Perth was a severe failure, as the Demons, a WAFL powerhouse from 1947 to 1978, won only ten games out of forty-two in Joyce's two years as coach and finished bottom of the ladder in 1981 for the first time since 1935, in the process setting a record for the highest average points "Against" in WAFL history.

In 1988 when incumbent coach Allan Jeans became ill due to a brain tumour, Alan Joyce replaced Jeans for the season. Hawthorn dominated the entire season finishing on top of the ladder, disposing of Carlton in the Semi-Final and then demolishing Melbourne by a then record margin of 96 points. Allan Jeans would return to coach in 1989, before retiring after Hawthorn's defeat by Melbourne in the 1990 Elimination Final.