Back with the Bulls: Shayne Allan, Chris Horton-Milne return to Noble Park

A classy forward and a tough midfielder are on their way back to Moodemere St as Kyle Martin and Jackson Sketcher lock in for 2022.

Shayne Allan slots a goal for the Bulls.

Shayne Allan will see out his football at the club where he made his name as one of the best forwards in the suburban game.

The left-footer with the excellent skills and elusive step is returning to Noble Park.

Allan, 33, played in the 2010 and ’11 premiership teams, and booted 416 goals in 191 games.

He was a regular selection in the Eastern league team of the year and topped the competition goalkicking one season.

Strengthening his ties at the Pat Wright Senior Oval, his father, David, became a popular president of the Bulls.

David died this year after a long battle with cancer. Many Noble Park people maintained contact with him during his illness, and they turned out in force at his funeral service at Caulfield racecourse.

“With everything that went on with dad, it was pulling at my heart strings to go back,’’ Shayne Allan said yesterday.

“The club has a big part in my heart. For me personally, there’s a nice ring to going back and helping out where I can.’’

Shayne Allan was a much-decorated player at Noble Park.

He had left the Bulls at the end of the 2017 season, joining Pascoe Vale in the Essendon District league, then Edithvale-Aspendale in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean competition.

“Shayne reached out and of course you welcome him back,’’ Noble Park coach Steve Hughes said.

“He’s a good person, has great training standards, has been a very successful player.’’

Allan, of course, is closer to the finish than the start of his career.

“He’s under no illusions,’’ Hughes said.

“His conversation with me was along the lines of, ‘I want to play senior football, but there’s no assumptions I will’.

“My comment to that is he’ll get the same entitlements as everyone else. If he’s good enough he will, if he’s not he won’t. It’s as simple as that.

“He’s OK with that. We’re rapt to have him back. From the likes of Jack Sketcher and Kyle (Martin) and others who have been teammates with Shayne, he’ll bring excellent standards, which you can never have enough of. Trains hard, works hard, has leadership.’’

The Bulls have regained another former senior player in Christ Horton-Milne, who crossed to Dingley in 2016.

The left-footer established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Southern league, playing in three premierships with the Dingoes, winning two best and fairests and two medals as best-afield in the Division 1 grand final.

Chris Horton-Milne takes a kick for Dingley.

He also made the Sandringham VFL list in 2020.

Dingley coach Danny Ades said Horton-Milne wanted to prove himself a good player in the Eastern league and left with the club’s best wishes.

He said Horton-Milne had served the Dingoes superbly.

Hughes agreed.

“He’s been a very good servant of the Dingley footy club but he’s 100 per cent capable at Eastern level,’’ he said.

“I think everyone knows that.’’

The Bulls have announced that captain Martin and vice-captain Sketcher have committed for 2022.

The pair is expected to fight out the best and fairest.