Latrell Allan: words of wisdom from Tom Learoyd-Lahrs help teen navigate life

He is speaking at No 1 Oval, beneath a pure blue sky. It is cold. But his demeanour is warm and easygoing. He presents as a cool cat.

Untethered from Farrer last year, upon the completion of high school, Allan is at the start of an intense process as he eyes a physiotherapy degree. He then wants to work in Tamworth so he can "give back to the community".

At No 1 Oval on Saturday afternoon, Allan will line up on the forward flank for the first-placed Swans against the third-placed Saints.

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It's his first full season of senior footy, having graduated from the under-17 Tamworth Roosters.

At Farrer he played First XIII as an outside back, and was coached by former NRL star Tom Learoyd-Lahrs - or Lahrs, as he prefer to be called.

Lahrs was also an Aboriginal liaison officer at the school. Allan is Indigenous.

"I learnt a lot from Tom, and got to know him heaps," Allan said, adding that Lahrs "taught me heaps about football that I can take to anything".

Lahrs imparted on Allan the value of dedicating yourself to the pursuit of a goal. The advice reinforced what his parents, Shane and Rebecca, had drummed into him growing up.

"I've grown up in a family that's always been big on hard work," the teen said. As such, applying himself to a task "comes naturally", he added.

This year Allan began work as a student support officer at Tamworth South Public School. He is also doing a sports and exercise science degree online through the University of New England.

When he completes that degree, he will study physiotherapy. "I just love sports and the body, and it's just in that job title," he said of physiotherapy.

Allan's family moved from Quirindi to Tamworth some three years ago. Shane Allan played under-17s for the Sydney Roosters, before returning home and playing in Group 4.

Read more: Tom Lahrs starts new life in tropics

Rebecca Allan played for the Tamworth Swans. Her boy gravitated to AFL because of her. It was a case of mother knowing best.

"She always said that I'd like the game. So I came and had a go at it and just fell in love with it," Allan said.

Playing AFL was "becoming natural" to him, he continued, after he left behind his "league mind". "And now I'm in full AFL mode and I can pretty much do skills based on muscle memory."

Clearly, Allan has a lot on his plate. But, luckily, he also has the Swans. The club is "a good environment to be around", he said. "And they always pick everyone up."

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