Len Thomas

1927-1938
187 games
56 goals
Best & Fairest 1931, 1938
Premiership Player 1933
Captain 1938

Bio 

On August 13, 1926, the original wooden grandstand at the Lake Oval, designed in 1886 by esteemed former Mayor of South Melbourne and architect William Elliot Wells, burned to the ground. When constructed, it came fully equipped with all the mod-cons like a 'refreshment stand.'

Plans for its replacement included a luncheon room, bar, and the 'latest bathing facilities', including a highly sought-after concrete bath. Born in South Melbourne in 1908, Len Thomas knew the ground better than most. His Dad, Bill 'Sonna' Thomas, cut a legendary figure at the club and played in South's 1909 premiership team.

Shortly after Len arrived in 1927, a monster bazaar opened in the South Melbourne Town Hall to aid the new grandstand fund. Fundraising efforts included a beauty pageant, an 'ugly men's' competition, and bowling nights every Monday. Once completed, the impressive new structure represented optimism and hope.

As did South's newest addition to its playing stocks. Thomas joined from the local club Albert Park Stars with a burgeoning reputation. As a junior sportsman, he excelled at almost anything he tried. With football ever-present, playing cricket and basketball brought great enjoyment, and he was also a successful swimmer.

After spending the 1926 season in South's reserves, the 18-year-old Thomas quickly made his mark once elevated. His early VFL appearances were on the half-back flank, but it soon became apparent that the Southerners had a quick, powerful centreman in the making. He played 12 games in his debut year, earning high praise from the club's hard-to-impress old-timers.

He spent his formative years in red and white, mostly playing in the senior team. However, after Len was selected to play a reserves match in 1929, he declined. Responding to the subsequent criticism, his Dad, Bill, wrote to The Record, saying, "It was no fault of his that he did not take the field with the Seconds, as I insisted on him having a spell when the opportunity presented itself. In future, he will not be available for the Second Eighteen after this unjust criticism."

Bill needn't have worried. Len became a consistent and damaging footballer, one of the first players picked. Local talent, including Harry Clarke, Austin Robertson, Bob Pratt, Terry Brain, Ron Hillis and Hugh McLaughlin joined Thomas in creating a young core that would form the bedrock of South Melbourne's next great team.

Thomas enjoyed a breakout season in 1931. After a mid-season win against North Melbourne, W.S.' Jumbo' Sharland said in The Sporting Globe, "When a centre man plays well, he is always conspicuous. On Saturday, young Thomas handled the ball cleverly all through and repeatedly shot the leather to forwards who had made position. Of solid build, he infuses any amount of vigour into his play. But it is in the open work that he excels."

South showed promise in finishing seventh, with Thomas rewarded for the most consistent season of his career by winning the club's best and fairest trophy. Cr. Archie Crofts donated the cup, and club president Jack Rohan invited Crofts, who owned a chain of grocery stores, to join the club's committee.

He accepted, precipitating the grandiose interstate recruiting spree that spawned the 'Foreign Legion' era. In 1932, a new coach, Johnny Leonard, arrived from Western Australia, and the traditional red sash guernsey was replaced with a bolder blood-red vee, cuffs, and collar. Croft's financial clout attracted 14 new players, and Thomas found himself in a club full of ambition and drive. The Bloodstained Angels rose up the ladder before losing their semi-final, finishing fourth.

The following year, South, who'd strengthened even further through interstate recruiting, played their first Grand Final since 1918. Thomas starred in the seven-goal victory over Richmond with 32 kicks, and The Record declared him the best on ground. "From the first flash of the ball, Thomas flashed into the picture with meteoric brilliance, and right throughout the game was the pivot of countless Southern attacks."

"Who will readily forget that flashing, swerving run on goal from the centre of the ground, when following a 40-yards dash, he slammed a perfect skimming drive over the head of the full-back?".

South's superior play in winning the 1933 premiership was celebrated in The Referee. "They were superbly fit, full of strength and vigour, and their determination was outstanding. On the day, they were infinitely the better side."

South played Richmond again in the 1934 Grand Final, with the Tigers' comfortable victory shocking the men in red and white. The Thomas family were also dealing with health concerns, and Len's wife Edith required a change in climate. Thomas signed on as captain-coach of Horsham for the 1935 season, leaving with South Melbourne's blessing.

"Len will carry with him the best wishes of everyone connected with the Southern club, for over the long period of years he has rendered service to South, he has been one of the best of clubmen, and has not caused officials one moment of worry," reported The Record.

After one year in Horsham, the Thomases returned to the city. South Melbourne welcomed back their dashing centreman with open arms, and he played a crucial role in the Bloods' qualification for their fourth successive Grand Final. The 1936 finale ended in despair, though, as Collingwood claimed the premiership by 11 points. South left silently sorrowful.

Early in the 1938 season, captain Herbie Matthews suffered a severe injury, ruling him out for the year. Thomas, harbouring leadership aspirations, stepped into the South Melbourne captaincy, impressing from his first match in charge. The Record reported, "Most credit for South's encouraging revival must go to Len Thomas, who not only handled the team in an able manner but inspired them with his own fearless and dashing game."

Performing consistently, now as a follower, while leading a flailing team, earned Thomas best and fairest honours for the second time. However, in 1939, he departed, as Hawthorn appointed him captain-coach. After one season there, he moved to North Melbourne, becoming the only player in VFL history to have captained three clubs. After six games at North in 1940, Thomas relinquished his role to join the Australian Imperial Force.

When asked why a married man with two young children — Barry and Lynette — would enlist, Thomas replied, "Well, a fellow just can't be out of a thing like this." He first served in the Middle East before transferring to the Pacific, becoming a commando with the 2/3 Independent Company. Tragically, Thomas was killed behind enemy lines in 1943.

News of his passing brought great sadness. In The Sporting Globe, Hec de Lacy said, "Len was a cheery, good-natured fellow and a born leader." Mark Branagan & Mike Lefebvre's book Bloodstained Angels: The Rise and Fall of the Foreign Legion is dedicated to the memory of Len Thomas.

They say, "After 208 games of VFL football, he enlisted in the armed services, ultimately joining a commando unit in New Guinea. Thomas was killed in action in 1943 at the age of 35. His contribution to the statistics of war was lonely, bloody and horrific. The legacy is that we, the survivors, live in a world where we can still scour the past to learn something for our futures."

Bill and Len Thomas are the only father-son combination to win a premiership with South Melbourne, and in 2011, they became the only father-son duo to be inducted into the Swans Hall of Fame.