Footyinfo

Len Metherell

Geelong

AFL career

110 games117 goals

Debut
R1 1930 v NTH3 May 1930
Most recent
R15 1936 v STK15 Aug 1936

Coaching career

18 games3 wins15 losses0 draws

First
R1 1941 v NTH26 Apr 1941
Most recent
R18 1941 v RCH30 Aug 1941

Stats

1936
GEE
12
0.2
1935
GEE
15
0.9
1934
GEE
14
1.4
1933
GEE
19
1.2
1932
GEE
12
1.2
1931
GEE
21
1.0
1930
GEE
17
1.4
League
Season
STK
CO
R15
0.?
MEL
MCG
R14
1.?
NTH
CO
R13
1.?
FSC
WO
R12
0.?
COL
CO
R11
0.?
CAR
PP
R10
0.?
HAW
GO
R7
0.?
FIT
BS
R5
0.?
STK
JO
R4
0.?
MEL
CO
R3
0.?
NTH
AS
R2
0.?
FSC
CO
R1
0.?

Profile

Born
17 Nov 1908
Died
30 Oct 1992 (aged 83y 348d)
Birthplace
Boulder, WA
Deathplace
Queensland
Height
183 cm
Weight
92 kg

Teams

  • 110 games, 117 goals
    1930–1936

Coaching

  • Geelong (Senior Coach)
    1941
    18 games (W3 L15 D0), 16.7%

Honours

  • Premiership1931
  • Brownlow Medal
    Top 10
    1935

Family

Recruited from Western Australian club Subiaco, Len Metherell arrived at Corio Bay with a reputation as a potent goalkicker and made an immediate impact on the VFL competition. He was the first of two brothers to don the hoops—his younger brother Jack joined him two years later—and he wasted little time establishing himself in the senior side. Metherell played in a Grand Final in his debut 1930 season and was a key member of the side that claimed the premiership over Richmond the following year.

Metherell was a versatile big man, often deployed as a support ruckman who could drift forward to kick goals or shore up the defence when required. He was known for his physical approach, willing to crash through packs to win possession, but he combined this aggression with technical skill that was ahead of its time. He was a rare early exponent of the drop punt, using the delivery style to pass with great accuracy. After hanging up his boots, he maintained a strong connection to Geelong sport, briefly coaching the senior side in 1941 and earning recognition as one of the region's premier cricketers.