Johnny Leonard
South Melbourne
AFL career
12 games17 goals
- Debut
- R4 1932 v NTH21 May 1932
- Most recent
- SF 1932 v COL10 Sept 1932
Coaching career
24 games17 wins7 losses0 draws
- First
- R1 1932 v MEL30 Apr 1932
- Most recent
- R16 1943 v FSC28 Aug 1943
Stats
Bio
A legendary figure in Western Australian football with Subiaco, English-born rover Johnny Leonard was lured to Victoria in a high-profile coup by South Melbourne. Appointed as captain-coach for the 1932 season, he became the catalyst for the club's famous "Foreign Legion" recruiting strategy, tasked with revitalising a struggling side. Despite standing only 163cm, Leonard was a dynamic ball-winner who hit the scoreboard frequently, booting 17 goals in his brief VFL tenure. While his on-field contribution at Lakeside was limited to just 12 games before he returned to the West, his legacy remains significant as the architect who instilled the discipline and tactical framework that propelled the Swans to the 1933 premiership.
Profile
- Born
- 08 June 1903
- Died
- 10 May 1995 (aged 91y 336d)
- Birthplace
- Newcastle, England, United Kingdom
- Deathplace
- Cottesloe, WA
- Height
- 173 cm
- Weight
- 68 kg
Teams
Coaching
- South Melbourne (Senior Coach)193219 games (W13 L6 D0), 68.4%
- South Melbourne (Senior Coach)19435 games (W4 L1 D0), 80.0%
Honours
- South Melbourne/Sydney captain1932
Bio
1 revisionA legendary figure in Western Australian football with Subiaco, English-born rover Johnny Leonard was lured to Victoria in a high-profile coup by South Melbourne. Appointed as captain-coach for the 1932 season, he became the catalyst for the club's famous "Foreign Legion" recruiting strategy, tasked with revitalising a struggling side. Despite standing only 163cm, Leonard was a dynamic ball-winner who hit the scoreboard frequently, booting 17 goals in his brief VFL tenure. While his on-field contribution at Lakeside was limited to just 12 games before he returned to the West, his legacy remains significant as the architect who instilled the discipline and tactical framework that propelled the Swans to the 1933 premiership.