Len Thompson
Collingwood, South Melbourne and Fitzroy
AFL career
301 games275 goals
- Debut
- PF 1965 v ESS18 Sept 1965
- Most recent
- R14 1980 v HAW28 June 1980
Stats
1980 | FIT | 13 | 5.2 | 3.8 | 9.1 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
1979 | SME | 20 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 10.9 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 0.9 |
1978 | COL | 25 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 12.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
1977 | COL | 25 | 8.9 | 7.2 | 16.1 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
1976 | COL | 20 | 9.7 | 5.4 | 15.1 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
1975 | COL | 15 | 8.1 | 5.5 | 13.5 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
1974 | COL | 21 | 10.6 | 5.3 | 15.9 | 5.1 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
1973 | COL | 23 | 13.8 | 4.4 | 18.3 | 6.6 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
1972 | COL | 23 | 15.1 | 4.7 | 19.8 | 7.9 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
1971 | COL | 18 | 10.7 | 3.5 | 14.2 | 5.1 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
1970 | COL | 20 | 12.3 | 5.6 | 17.9 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
1969 | COL | 22 | 14.4 | 4.9 | 19.3 | 6.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
1968 | COL | 19 | 11.4 | 4.2 | 15.5 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
1967 | COL | 17 | 13.2 | 2.5 | 15.7 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
1966 | COL | 19 | 10.7 | 3.4 | 14.2 | 5.9 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
1965 | COL | 1 | 11.0 | 5.0 | 16.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Bio
Recruited from Reservoir-Lakeside, Len Thompson overcame early medical concerns regarding a heart murmur to become one of the most mobile and enduring ruckmen in VFL history. Debuting for Collingwood in 1965, he quickly established himself not merely as a tap specialist but as a genuine aerial threat and possession winner around the ground. Standing 201cm, Thompson revolutionised the position by combining the physical stature of a traditional ruckman with the aerobic capacity and agility of a rover, often drifting forward to kick goals and linking up play through the corridor in a manner rarely seen from big men of that era.
His individual brilliance peaked in the early 1970s, highlighted by his runaway Brownlow Medal victory in 1972. A colossal figure at Victoria Park, he claimed a record five Copeland Trophies and captained the club during a competitive period. Despite his dominance, Thompson's time at the Magpies was marked by the team's famous finals misfortunes, playing in three losing Grand Finals in 1966, 1970, and 1977. His tenure was also noted for a high-profile pay dispute that nearly saw him leave the league, though he remained the club's spiritual leader for over a decade.
Profile
- Born
- 27 Aug 1947
- Died
- 18 Sept 2007 (aged 60y 22d)
- Birthplace
- Victoria
- Height
- 200 cm
- Weight
- 96 kg
Teams
Honours
- Brownlow Medal1972
- Top 10
- 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1977
- Hall of Fame1998
- Collingwood B&F(5×) 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1977
- 2nd
- 1969, 1976
- 3rd
- 1966
- Collingwood captain1978
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Reservoir-Lakeside, Len Thompson overcame early medical concerns regarding a heart murmur to become one of the most mobile and enduring ruckmen in VFL history. Debuting for Collingwood in 1965, he quickly established himself not merely as a tap specialist but as a genuine aerial threat and possession winner around the ground. Standing 201cm, Thompson revolutionised the position by combining the physical stature of a traditional ruckman with the aerobic capacity and agility of a rover, often drifting forward to kick goals and linking up play through the corridor in a manner rarely seen from big men of that era.
His individual brilliance peaked in the early 1970s, highlighted by his runaway Brownlow Medal victory in 1972. A colossal figure at Victoria Park, he claimed a record five Copeland Trophies and captained the club during a competitive period. Despite his dominance, Thompson's time at the Magpies was marked by the team's famous finals misfortunes, playing in three losing Grand Finals in 1966, 1970, and 1977. His tenure was also noted for a high-profile pay dispute that nearly saw him leave the league, though he remained the club's spiritual leader for over a decade.