After leaving America and coming to play for the Tigers, Alan ended up playing for six years with the Tigers. In those six year he must have gained the respect of the club as his last two years as a playing Tiger were spent as captain in the SEABL Championship year and the clubs initial season in the NBL.
Al left the Tigers after one NBL season but would return eight years later to take up a coaching role which would see him spend the next 19 years with the club. He was assistant coach to Lindsay Gaze until 2005 when Lindsay retired and Al was appointed coach.
In his first year as coach Al not only won the NBL Coach of the Year Award but won the Championship. Two years later he was to win another NBL Championship with the Tigers. He was the first coach in NBL history to make the Grand Final in his first four years as coach, two Championships and two Runners Up.
Four NBL Championships and four runners up later when Al walked off the court for the last time he was the Tiger with the most NBL appearances, 652 games.
Fantastic career and a truly worthy inductee to the Melbourne Tigers Hall of Fame.
Melbourne Tigers
Number: 13
Played: 1978 to 1984
NBL Games: 24
Coached:
Assistant Coach NBL (1992 to 2004)
Head Coach NBL (2005 to 2011)
Head Coach Tiger Junior Boys (1992 to 2004)
Awards
SEABL Championships: 1 (1983)
NBL Championships: 4 (1993, 1997, 05/06 & 07/08)
NBL Coach of the Year (2005/2006)
Captain SEABL Championship Team (1983)
Captain Tigers Inaugural NBL Team (1984)
VBA 1st All Star Team (1981)
