Hawthorn and North Melbourne premiership coach John Kennedy snr: "I can only say at the moment he was a great coach, a great man and a wonderful friend. I'd leave it at that for now."
Hawthorn legend Leigh Matthews: "The first thing I think of about Allan Jeans is that he was a great man. It’s a simple statement but not one you can say about a lot of people. He was the best psychologist and man manager I have ever seen. He wasn’t trained in psychology, but he knew so much about people and how best to relate to them.
"With Allan, there was no doubt it was all about the team, but teams were full of individuals and he managed them well. Even people he got rid of - and he had to that because he was a manager - still liked him and respected him after the fact.
"He was a great communicator. He would bring up a subject and then shut up and allow the others in the discussion to have their say and state their view. He would listen and then open up the subject.
"As a coach he understood the need to create havoc on the field. At Hawthorn, we trained the way we played. The ball would come into defence one way and we’d run it back through the open side of the field. That was a belief he pushed all the time. He pushed the theory about the three phases in footy - win it in a contest, maintain possession and then work hard to win it off the opposition."
Former Hawthorn premiership captain and coach David Parkin: "The phone has not stopped because of the influence this man had on so many people. It is profound and we sometimes underestimate their influence well beyond their capacity to lead, direct and coach players. I think this man had as broad an influence as the great John Kennedy and that is saying something. How lucky Hawthorn was/is to have had two outstanding people influence the playing group and the club in a broader sense over four decades. That is unique in a club's history.
"I think Leigh Matthews stated it some time ago that Allan was the father of the modern game. He was able to coach over three decades over the three different clubs at a point when the game was starting a revolution in the way that it was played that we could not have ever perceived. He was an absolute leader in the sense of where the modern game has gone, so from a playing point of view his influence should never ever be underestimated (yet) it went well beyond that.
"I admired him enormously and when you talk to the players his legacy goes well beyond the football elements of it.
"He influenced so many lives on and off the field in those clubs for people to become far better people because of the values he bought and the behaviours he exhibited. His influence will be infinite through the players and them becoming coaches. His homespun philosophies - the stories he told to underpin those - are talked about now as only a legend of the game would be. People are still telling stories about 'paying the price'.
"How lucky the game has been to have those people associated with it. We forget about the football community, the football family and it is people like Allan and John Kennedy who have probably influenced that community more than any other people I can think. And that is including the great coaches Norm Smith and Len Smith, who had similar sorts of influences in their time, so I am just fortunate to have known him and spent time with him and call him a friend and so many others would feel the exactly the same."
Collingwood coach and former St Kilda player Mick Malthouse: "I'll just say that it's a very, very sad day for the football fraternity. Anyone who has had anything to do with Allan has been touched by his sincerity, his strength, his knowledge of the game, his love of the game. Even though it was a long time ago I was coached by him, in fact it was over 30 years ago, close to 40 years ago, I did speak to him yesterday and from that point of view, I didn't think he had long to live, quite frankly.
"But his mind was still sharp; we still had a talk about the game that took place the previous week and about the season so far. To Mary and the family, I couldn't be sadder for them because of the way Allan went, and what he's been able to do for young people coming through has been extraordinary.
"He was a disciplinarian, [had] great integrity, great strength of character, and I think that he's touched anyone and everyone he's come across as a player, a coach or an opposition person. He's had a great bearing on them, and it's one of football's sad days. Me personally, I've been touched by him having been coached by him and coached against him. He's one of the great people of Australian Rules football."
Geelong great, member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame and ruck coach at Hawthorn under Jeans, Sam Newman: "I knew Allan reasonably well, and had a little bit to do with him when I was ruck coach at Hawthorn for a number of years. And this is what I learnt about Allan Jeans: he was a sensible, logical man with a simple message, and that was that it's uncomplicated.
"He asked you to look into your soul - because that's where life is - and decide if you had the integrity to be part of his outfit. And if you decided that you did have the integrity, then don't compromise anything you do in search of success. That was his modus operandi that he hung his career on, and you don't need a mere mortal like me to say the proof was in the pudding …
"When I first went down to Hawthorn as ruck coach, he told me something typically sensible that I reckon if current coaches aren't doing now they could certainly learn from.
"I won't impersonate Allan's voice because Dermott does it better than anyone, but he said to me, 'Now, laddy, the reason you're here is because I don't know a lot about this particular part of the game. You're meant to know what you're talking about, so I'll put my faith in you until you prove otherwise. I'll give you the group each week on this particular night. Just tell me who you want - we won't tell you who we want you to work with - and you tell them what you think they should be doing. And then make sure you tell me what you're telling them because I don't want to confuse them by telling them something different. I'll leave it to you and if you and I disagree on how it's going, I'll tell you and you won't be here any longer.'
"I thought that was very astute and logical, and I very much appreciated that. These days, with all the clubs having line coaches and specialist coaches, there are bound to be discrepancies with some of the information and advice that's given. There needs to be a consistent message, and that's what Allan Jeans was all about: consistency …
"In regard to his one season at Richmond, he said to me he knew it wouldn't be a great thing for his CV but he did enjoy the experience and tried his hardest to impart his principles on that group. But maybe they weren't ready for him, or he wasn't ready for them - I'm not sure. But I know he enjoyed every part of football he was involved in …
"Geoff Slattery (CEO of The Slattery Media Group, the publisher of all official AFL publications) asked me to go with him to see the old boy recently and I feel very fortunate to have done that because one of the great regrets in life is when you say, 'I should've done this' or 'I should've done that.' Well, thanks to Geoff, I did it and I'm glad I did. I'd also like to pass on my wishes to Mary and the family."
Hawthorn premiership player Dermott Brereton: "He was just an extraordinary man. I spoke to him about 48 hours ago and I knew it was the last time I was ever going to speak to him and it's a really sad thing when somebody who has had such a profound effect on your life says good bye to you in a way and you know it's the last time ...
"I told him that from 15 years of age I heard his voice more than my own father's for the next 10, 12 years, you know five, six days a week. Ninety 90 per cent of it was not about football; it was about life, and how you conducted yourself." (Speaking on SEN 1116)
St Kilda champion Barry Breen: You meet a lot of people in football and most of them have a weakness of some sort. But not Allan. I don't think he had an Achilles heel. It's a really sad day for St Kilda and that's now three gone from the 1966 team (Darrel Baldock and Travis Payze are the others). He was a fantastic human being and he'll be sadly missed."
St Kilda premiership player Kevin Neale: "The football side of things was a terribly important part of it. But apart from that I think when I was playing and since the time I finished playing, Jeansy was one of my really close mates and has remained so. A few of the players didn't think it was all that good that I was one of his pets. He became a really good mate of mine. My dad died in 1971 and he took over as a second dad and guided me and my wife through our life. He has been a great mate.
"In the way he applied the things he did as a coach he was always there to give advice and help you in any way he could. It was through his persistence that I was paid $1000 at the club each year for three years so I could put a deposit on a house. I would never have done that myself if it hadn't have been for him."
Former St Kilda coach and player Grant Thomas: "I walked into St Kilda as a 16-year-old and was lucky enough to have 'Yab' as my first coach. He was a great teacher and, most importantly, gave his players a good education on life. He was really one of the first people who grasped the notion that football is not about football; its lessons went far wider than that.
"When I took over as St Kilda coach (in 2002) I obviously copped a fair bit of criticism. But Allan took it upon himself to approach me and let me know he was in my corner. I think the fact Allan Jeans was seen to support me went a long way to people in the wider football community coming to accept me as a coach.
"I spent two hours with Allan and (his wife) Mary recently and we reminisced about the old days. It is time I will cherish. 'Yabby' would hate the thought of ever being called a legend, but that's what he was and that's how he should be remembered."
St Kilda CEO Michael Nettlefold: "Allan's contribution to the game went well beyond the statistics, as his coaching changed the way the game was played. Allan generously continued his contribution to the game well after his active coaching career finished, sharing his extensive knowledge of coaching and our great game.
"Allan was a person of great strength, honesty and integrity and will forever be remembered as the man who helped deliver our first premiership cup. Our sincere thoughts and condolences go to his family and friends at this difficult time." (From saints.com.au)
Ian Synman, former St Kilda teammate of Jeans who was later coached by him: "He had the ability to bring everybody together under the one roof and all pull in the one direction. He had this ability to get the best out of anybody and not alienate anybody against him.
"I remember Cowboy (Kevin Neale) would grapple with him in the gym and Cowboy was a big guy but he could never put Jeansy on his back. At training he'd pull us aside one on one and just lay on us like a big log. We'd have to try and push him off and we never could. He was an incredibly strong person for his size.
"We saw him about three months ago and I'm glad I saw him when I did because it brought back a lot of memories, but it was sad to see him the way he was because his mind was very good but his body had dwindled away. He was a great man and will be sadly missed."
Hawthorn premiership captain and AFL-games record-holder Michael Tuck: "My most lasting memories are of Allan's character and his ability to be a decent person and run a good football club. Hawthorn had had pretty good coaches before Allan came in (in 1981) but he brought his own style with him. He was probably worried that the players might have been a bit old initially but we all soon grew to respect him and love him.
"His greatest strength was he got everyone working as one unit. I was fortunate enough to be on the match committee near the end of my career so I got to see he was quite a funny bloke. He came across on the TV as though he was pretty serious most of the time, but behind the scenes he liked a laugh like everyone else. He was a big part of Hawthorn's success in the 1980s. He and the administration got really good players with really good character and we were very successful."
Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett: "He was a great mentor to young players. He was as much interested in the development of the individual as he was delivering on the field and he was for many people an absolute inspiration. In fact, if you took our premiership player Dermott Brereton, Allan Jeans was almost his surrogate father and he had that effect on many many people.
"So it's a very, very sad day for Mary and his family, but he's at rest after a difficult few years. We will all remember him fondly. In fact I've got sitting on my table here, a copy of the speech he prepared to deliver to his players for the '89 Grand Final which he signed for me the other day. And his final words were, 'We will win if we out-tackle them'.
"And then he's written in his handwriting 'The Hawks scored 49 tackles to Geelong 24', and that was the summation of Allan for that particular final. (He was) very simple, very direct, but it wasn't material from the left or right, it was based on his own hard-earned values and a great deal of common sense."
Alan Joyce (Hawthorn Premiership Coach 1988, 1991): "Basically my role with Allan started in 1986 when he asked me to be his forward scout, having a look at the opposition side. In 1987 I became director of footy and then Allan became sick and had the aneurysm. Ron Cook made the decision that he wanted someone to take over the year, which I did, and Allan came back in 1989 and won the flag.
"He and Mary were lovely people. You meet a lot of people in your life and some have an impact and some have a huge impact. He had a huge impact on me, his integrity and his persona not only as a football coach but virtually as a trainer of men. He turned a lot of people at Hawthorn into men and better people and I think that was the greatest skill he had along with his football coaching. I know he would like to be remembered as someone that has done something for people.
"When we changed over in 1988 and 1989 I had no problem, Allan didn't have a problem. We just went and did our job for the club and went ahead accordingly and that has been our relationship ever since.
"He always put the club first and players had to abide by the standard he set. If you went through the people who played under Allan Jeans, they are all better people for it. Certainly his coaching record is sensational but his role in making people better people and laying down the foundations for a lot of things in life; he did that exceptionally [well].
"When I took over from him in 1988 we both went about our jobs and Allan never interfered with me in any way, shape or form and we just went about our jobs that we had to do. I learnt a lot from his situation regarding discipline and all the things that go with making up a successful football team but we both had a job to do. He respected me and I respected him and I remember at the function after the 1988 Grand Final a photograph [being taken] of me with my hands on his shoulders. I was happy for him to go back [as coach] again which he did and Hawthorn won the flag in 1989."
Hawthorn premiership player Gary Ayres: " He was a great coach, great mentor and a great man and I'm sure there would be plenty of others who would echo those thoughts. He had an unbelievable ability as a man manager and that was probably his greatest strength. Whatever I got out of footy, I owe to him."
Hawthorn premiership player Robert DiPierdomenico: "The beauty of Allan was that he knew how to deal with personalities, how to clip me across the ear to give me a rev-up. But he couldn't say to me what he might say to Gary Buckenara or to Scott Maginness. And vice-versa. He had a remarkable way of getting his point across. He taught us respect and all the things that come with life. Allan was like a father figure - that’s what he was, a father figure as well as a coach. (From The Golden Years: Stories from Hawthorn's Greatest Era, to be published in August by the Slattery Media Group)
Hawthorn premiership player and Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade: 'Yab' was more old school, and I have to admit that when he first got the job (in 1981), I thought we were going back to the old-school 'run through brick walls' approach, but he was terrific. One of the key qualities for a coach is to be flexible and to be able to adapt. I knew some blokes who had played under him at St Kilda who had great things to say about him but thought he was a bit one-dimensional. But he knew where the game was going.
"Under Yab, we became a good running side and he used to explain why were doing things, the importance of running to help a teammate, that sort of thing. Allan was good at man management and had a good sense of humour. Jeansy certainly had an ability to identify blokes who could play, such as Chris Langford and Chris Mew, who both went on to become really good players." (From The Golden Years)
Hawthorn premiership player Russell Greene: "He was innovative and adaptable, but he'd also be the first to admit that a coach needs good players and he had an abundance of stars to choose from, starting from Leigh Matthews, the best player ever. But his philosophy was one of honesty and preparation during the week for game situations. He'd go nuts if we won by 100 points when we could have won by 150. Run, chase, tackle and smother, they're the honest things you do in footy and that was the sort of stuff he valued." (From The Golden Years)
Hawthorn premiership player Terry Wallace: "I reckon there are eras in football. There are times when clubs need one of their own and times when they need someone from outside, and we were well and truly overdue for someone from outside the club. Allan was someone who could take the best qualities about Hawthorn and add something to that." (From The Golden Years)
Former Richmond player and Essendon coach Matthew Knights: "When he got to Richmond the biggest element he had was being able to relate to individuals. He was very tough in his direction but with that came a nice balance of humility and care. The fact he could have a chuckle with you meant you always walked away from his presence feeling strong because he was behind you as a coach. He certainly rode me and a few others hard in the early period, but I've got no doubt we're all better off for it."
"I went and saw Yab and Mary 12 months ago at the home. I spent an hour or two with him and I used to love talking to him about coaching philosophies and principles. He was still very interested from afar about how you were going. He was watching you all the time. He was like a mentor without having an official scenario about it. He would watch over me because he had some experiences with me in the past. He was someone very dear to me, Yabby, in that I only had a short time with him from a player-coach perspective but he had a profound influence on my value system and the way you should carry yourself with your honesty and trust."
Richmond premiership player Dale Weightman: "I was lucky enough to go and see him a month-and-a-half ago just to see how he was. He wasn't well but we had an hour and a half chat and his mind was as sharp as it'd ever been. He was fantastic to sit down and talk with. I'd been helping out with my son's coaching and he wanted to know what I was doing and how I was doing it. We also spoke about modern footy and how it's been played.
"Even though he was at Richmond for just the one year (1992), while he was there he was just an amazing man. He'd come from the Hawks and he wasn't in the best of health, but he was fantastic because he was teaching us the modern footy he'd introduced at Hawthorn. Obviously, we didn't have the same talent as Hawthorn, but he was very positive, upbeat and just great to chat to because you learnt so much from listening to his philosophies. It was a privilege to be coached by someone who was not only a great coach but also a ripper person.
"When you spoke to him he was nearly a completely different person to what you saw when you watched him on World of Sport, when he wouldn't give anything away. He was quite funny, very witty and very interesting. He was always asking you questions about different things. He wanted to know what was going on, how things were going, what I thought about things and what people in general thought about things.
"Last year at the Grand Final draw, I sat with him for most of the day in the life members' room in the MCC. He was pretty ill but, as usual, he was good company. He's going to be very sadly missed."
