Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Leonard Mortimer

Known as
Len Mortimer

Nickname
Mother

Born
24 April 1886

Died
2 November 1962 (aged 76)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 11d
Last game: 29y 7d

Height and weight
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 74 kg

Senior clubs
South Melbourne

Jumper numbers
South Melbourne: 15, 16

Recruited from
Williamstown (1906)

Len Mortimer

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
South MelbourneV/AFL1906-19151532891.8965%0
Total1906-19151532891.8965%0

AFL: 1,125th player to appear, 1,256th most games played, 210th most goals kickedSouth Melbourne: 175th player to appear, 68th most games played, 12th most goals kicked

Despite being lumbered with the questionable nickname 'Mother', Len Mortimer was a formidable presence on the forward lines of first Williamstown, and later South Melbourne during the early years of the 20th century.

In 1905, his last season with the Villagers, Mortimer booted 48 goals to top the VFA list, and in 153 games with South between 1906 and 1915 he bagged an overall tally of 289 goals. A key member of the Southerners' 1909 flag-winning side, Mortimer was the club's top goal kicker in each of his first seven seasons in the VFL.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.