Past Len Thompson (1980)

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Career statistics

 

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Link ....

Len Thompson, a five-time Copeland medallist who, discarded by Collingwood, played two more seasons at two different clubs specifically to reach 300.

Eight games at Fitzroy made 300, and Thompson was humbled to have been feted that night by the Lions, who presented him with a champagne bucket and set of glasses. "I'd played eight games for them! They were so generous," he said.

Thompson was serviceable at Fitzroy, one day kicking five goals against Ron Andrews, but his body was faltering. "The day I kicked five against Essendon, I was flat for two weeks afterwards," he said. "I knew I was getting to the end."

He played five more senior games, but near the end of the season, he begged off a televised reserves match because it was against Collingwood, and he could not bear the ignobility. "I didn't want to play against Collingwood in the seconds," he said.

 

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Brownlow medal for sale

Thompson broke with tradition by becoming the first footballer to sell the game's most coveted individual award - for $74,000 in 1999.The champion ruckman had been struggling financially and needed the money to support his children.

 

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Len Thompson: 1947-2007
By Michael Roberts
11:25 AM Tue 18 Sep, 2007

Thompson was a big man but he was not an aggressive player. There was little fire in his play, and while some felt this was a weakness, it was not part of his placid, quietly spoken, make-up. He was much more a footballing artist, especially in the ruck. He was a beautiful palmer of the ball, and developed an uncanny understanding with the Magpie small man brigade, especially Wayne Richardson. He was also a magnificent mark, and his grabs in the last line of defence became a trademark.

 

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Link ....

In his later years, the years of toil on the field had taken their toll, with the once-mobile Thompson unable to stand longer than five minutes.

He endured a decade of severe back pain, before Collingwood supporters chipped in to pay for the great's back surgery.

 

[Grimreepah]

The ten best three-club players make up our list this week

3. Len Thompson - Collingwood 1965-78, 270 games. South Melbourne 1979, 20 games. Fitzroy 1980, 13 games.

From his debut as an 18-year-old in the 1965 preliminary final against Essendon, Len Thompson was a star. As big as any ruckman, he was as mobile as most midfielders, displaying the attributes that one associates with current-day players rather than ruckmen of the 1960s. During his time with the Pies, he won five best and fairest awards as well as the 1972 Brownlow Medal. He was heartbroken when told by Collingwood he was surplus to requirements in 1979, but he found homes at either end of the Albert Park Lake for the next two seasons (South Melbourne and then Fitzroy) and in doing so was able to bring up is his 300th VFL/AFL game.

 

[LIONHART]

no offense intended to len thompson or his supporters, there's no doubting he's a collingwood great, and duly deserved, but I was disppointed that fitzroy would recruit guys like him (when his career was over), john rantall (so he could play his 300th game), max richardson, doug hawkins (so he could play his 250th) and laterly jeff hogg. we were never in priemiership contention, the rationale for such things was lost on me.

don't know what others think of this, and I'm sure there were others.

 

[Loyal Lion]

no offense intended to len thompson or his supporters, there's no doubting he's a collingwood great, and duly deserved, but I was disppointed that fitzroy would recruit guys like him (when his career was over), john rantall (so he could play his 300th game), max richardson, doug hawkins (so he could play his 250th) and laterly jeff hogg. we were never in priemiership contention, the rationale for such things was lost on me.

don't know what others think of this, and I'm sure there were others.

No wonder that we were called, "Dad's Army" in 1980. Apart from Thompson, Richardson & Rantall, we also had Robert Walls & Kevin Higgins running around. All were gone for the start of the 1981 season.

I can remember seeing Thommo standing in the forward pocket, just putting up his hands & pulling down the marks. He didn't get off the ground. He was a huge man!

He kicked 5 goals against Essendon in that year too. I'm pretty sure that he played at CHF that day. I thought that he had a pretty good year at Sth Melbourne in 1979. I was a bit surprised when they delisted him TBH.