Len Smith (footballer, born 1912)

Len Smith
Personal information
Full name Leonard Victor Smith[1]
Date of birth (1912-02-09)9 February 1912
Date of death 23 July 1967(1967-07-23) (aged 55)[1]
Original team(s) Northcote (VFA)
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 74.5 kg (164 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1934–1935 Melbourne 19 0(3)
1937–1945 Fitzroy 76 (52)
Total 95 (55)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1958–1962 Fitzroy 092 (50–40–2)
1964–1965 Richmond 015 0(3–12–0)
Total 107 (53–52–2)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1945.
Career highlights

Victorian coach 1961

Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Leonard Victor "Len" Smith (9 February 1912 – 23 July 1967) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1934 to 1935 and then for the Fitzroy Football Club from 1937 to 1943. Due to service during World War II with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) he missed the 1944 season altogether but returned for a final year in 1945.

Like his younger brother, the legendary Norm Smith, it is as a coach that Len is best remembered. During his first stint as a coach, of the Fitzroy Under 19s (1948–1957), he guided the side to the 1955 Premiership. His first senior coaching role was with Fitzroy, taking them to the finals in 1958 and 1960. He then coached Coburg in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) for the 1963 season before heading to Richmond. He suffered a heart attack in 1964 and further health concerns saw him relinquish the coaching reins at the Tigers early in 1965. Smith died of a heart attack in 1967.

References

  1. 1 2 Donald, Chris (2002). Fitzroy: For The Love Of The Jumper. Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN 978-1-877029-18-9.
  • Hogan P: The Tigers Of Old, Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.