Len Thomas

Len Thomas
Personal information

Birth	20 July 1908, South Melbourne
Height and weight	179 cm / 80 kg
Death	17 August 1943(1943-08-17) (aged 35), Salamaua, New Guinea
Playing career¹
Team(s)	South Melbourne (1927-38) 187 games, 54 goals Hawthorn (1939) 16 games, 15 goals North Melbourne (1940) 6 games, 9 goals Total - 209 Games, 78 Goals
Coaching career¹
Team(s)	Hawthorn (1939) North Melbourne (1940) Total - 30 Games, 9 Wins, 20 Loses, 1 Draw
¹ Statistics to end of 1940 season

Len Thomas (20 July 1908 - 17 August 1943) was an Australian rules footballer who played 187 games with South Melbourne in the VFL during the 1930s, before finishing his career as captain-coach at both Hawthorn and North Melbourne. He was the son of South Melbourne player William Thomas.

1 Football career
2 Military career
3 See also
4 Footnotes
5 References
6 External links

Football career

Thomas made his debut for South Melbourne in 1927 and went on to become one of their better players during the 1930s. He won the club's Best and Fairest award in 1931 and 1938. A premiership player in 1933, he played through the centre in their Grand Final victory over Richmond.

In 1939 he moved to Hawthorn where he had accepted the role of captain-coach. The club finished 10th and the following season he crossed to North Melbourne with the same leadership role but couldn't prevent them from winning the wooden spoon. At the seasons end he announced his retirement from football in order to take up military service.

Military career

Although Thomas had attained the rank of Corporal, upon his evacuation from the Middle East in September 1941 he requested that he be allowed to revert to the rank of Private, so that he could serve as a commando. His request was granted. He served with the 2/3rd Independent (Commando) Company, Second A.I.F.

He became the most experienced footballer to be killed in war when he lost his life fighting the Japanese in New Guinea in 1943^[1].

Footnotes

^ "Roll of Honour". http://www.awm.gov.au/roh/person.asp?p=147-23464. Retrieved 2008-04-10.

References

Main, J. & Allen, D., "Thomas, Len", pp. 338–341 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen — The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.

External links

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Leonard Thomas (VX21564)
AFL Statistics: Len Thomas ISBN 1-740-95010-0
Full Points Footy Biography: Len Thomas

South Melbourne Football Club 1933 VFL Premiers

South Melbourne 9.17 (71) defeated Richmond 4.5 (29), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Captain: 1. Bisset \| 2. Matthews \| 3. Austin \| 5. Brain \| 6. Clarke \| 8. McLaughlin \| 9. McKay \| 10. Bertram \| 11. O'Meara \| 12. Thomas \| 14. Faul \| 17. Diggins \| 18. Bowe \| 21. Reville \| 23. Pratt \| 25. Nash \| 29. Kelleher \| 30. McKenzie \| 34. Beard

Coach: Bisset

Captains of the Hawthorn Football Club

1925: Jackson • 1926: Minogue/Burke • 1927: Lethlean • 1928: Sutton • 1929: Chadwick • 1930–1931: Harris • 1932: Mills • 1933: Twomey • 1934: Mills • 1935–1937: McAlpine • 1938: Mills • 1939: Thomas • 1940–1941: Mills • 1942: Carmody • 1943: Williams • 1944: Bohan • 1945: Shea • 1946: Bohan • 1947–1949: Albiston • 1950–1951: O'Donohue/Curran • 1952: O'Donohue • 1953–1954: Fletcher • 1955–1959: Kennedy • 1960–1964: Arthur • 1965: Arthur/Peck • 1966–1968: Arthur • 1969–1973: Parkin • 1974–1975: Crimmins • 1976–1980: Scott • 1981–1985: Matthews • 1986–1991: Tuck • 1992–1993: Ayres • 1994: Langford • 1995–1998: Dunstall • 1999–2004: Crawford • 2005–2007: Vandenberg • 2008–2010: Mitchell • 2011: Hodge

Captains of the North Melbourne Football Club

1925: Eicke • 1926: Eicke/Donnelly • 1927: Barker/Tyson • 1928: Tyson • 1929: Tyson/Trevaskis • 1930–1931: Lewis • 1932–1933: Taylor • 1934: Taylor/Fitzmaurice • 1935: Fitzmaurice/Llewellyn • 1936: Gaudion • 1937: Gaudion/Admason • 1938–1939: Forbes • 1940: Thomas/Adamson • 1941: Cordner/Findlay • 1942–1943: Findlay • 1944–1945: O'Brien • 1946: Fairweather • 1947: Dynon • 1948–1951: Foote • 1952–1953: Dynon • 1954: Marchesi • 1955: Lawrence • 1956: Brooker • 1957–1959: Brady • 1960: Mantello • 1961–1964: Aylett • 1965–1967: Teasdale • 1968–1970: Dugdale • 1971: Goodingham • 1972: Dench • 1973–1975: Davis • 1976–1978: Greig • 1979: Greig/Schimmelbusch • 1980–1987: Schimmelbusch • 1988: Schimmelbusch/Law • 1989: Law • 1990–1992: Larkin • 1993–2001: Carey • 2002–2003: Stevens • 2004–2008: Simpson • 2009–: Harvey

Coaches of the Hawthorn Football Club

1925: Hall • 1926–1927: Minogue • 1928: Sutton • 1929: Chadwick • 1930–1931: Harris • 1932: Jackson • 1933: Rademacher • 1933–1934: Twomey • 1935–1938: McAlpine • 1939: Thomas • 1940–1941: Mills • 1942–1943: Cazaly • 1944: Lahiff • 1945–1946: Shea • 1947–1949: Albiston • 1950–1951: McCaskill • 1952–1959: Hale • 1960–1963: Kennedy • 1964–1965: Arthur • 1966: O'Donohue • 1967–1976: Kennedy • 1973: Simonds • 1977–1980: Parkin • 1981–1987: Jeans • 1988: Joyce • 1989–1990: Jeans • 1991–1993: Joyce • 1994–1995: Knights • 1996–1999: Judge • 2000–2004: Schwab • 2001: Connolly • 2004: McDonald • 2005–: Clarkson

Italics denote caretaker coach

Coaches of the North Melbourne Football Club

1925–1926: Eicke • 1926: Donnelly • 1926: S. Thomas • 1927: Barker • 1928–1929: Tyson • 1929: Noonan • 1930: Lewis • 1931: Pemberton • 1931: Clark • 1932: Cameron • 1932–1934: Taylor • 1934: Fitzmaurice • 1935–1937: Scanlan • 1938–1939: Forbes • 1940: L. Thomas • 1940: Adamson • 1941–1942: McCaskill • 1942–1943: Findlay • 1944–1947: McCaskill • 1948–1953: Carter • 1954–1955: McCorkell • 1956–1957: Gaudion • 1958–1962: Carter • 1963–1966: Killigrew • 1966–1970: McKenzie • 1971–1972: Dixon • 1973–1980: Barassi • 1976: Jordon • 1977: Dugdale • 1981: Blight • 1981–1984: Cable • 1985–1989: Kennedy • 1990–1992: Schimmelbusch • 1993–2002: Pagan • 2003–2009: Laidley • 2009: Crocker • 2010–: Scott

Italics denote caretaker coach

Bob Skilton Medal • Sydney Swans Best and Fairest Winners

1927: McKay • 1928: Stanbridge • 1929: Wheelahan • 1930: Hillis • 1931: Thomas • 1932: Faul • 1933: Clarke • 1934: Brain • 1935: Hillis • 1936: Matthews • 1937: Matthews • 1938: Thomas • 1939: Matthews • 1940: Matthews • 1941: Ritchie • 1942: Cleary • 1943: Matthews • 1944: Cleary • 1945: Graham • 1946: W. Williams • 1947: W. Williams • 1948: Clegg • 1949: Clegg • 1950: W. Williams • 1951: Clegg • 1952: Schaefer • 1953: Taylor • 1954: Lane • 1955: Gillett • 1956: Dorgan • 1957: Taylor • 1958: Skilton • 1959: Skilton • 1960: Johnson • 1961: Skilton • 1962: Skilton • 1963: Skilton • 1964: Skilton • 1965: Skilton • 1966: Papley • 1967: Skilton • 1968: Skilton • 1969: Bedford • 1970: Bedford • 1971: Bedford • 1972: Cook • 1973: Bedford • 1974: Goss • 1975: Bedford • 1976: Quade • 1977: Teasdale • 1978: Murphy • 1979: Round • 1980: Ackerly • 1981: Round • 1982: Ackerly • 1983: Browning • 1984: Evans • 1985: Wright • 1986: Healy • 1987: Healy • 1988: Healy • 1989: Bayes • 1990: Wright • 1991: Mitchell • 1992: Kelly • 1993: Kelly • 1994: Cresswell • 1995: Lockett • 1996: Kelly • 1997: Kelly • 1998: O'Loughlin • 1999: Schwass • 2000: Schuable • 2001: P. Williams • 2002: P. Williams • 2003: Goodes • 2004: Hall • 2005: Kirk • 2006: Goodes • 2007: Kirk • 2008: McVeigh • 2009: O'Keefe • 2010: Jack • 2011: Goodes

Persondata
Name	Thomas, Len
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	20 July 1908
Place of birth	South Melbourne
Date of death	17 August 1943
Place of death	Salamaua, New Guinea