Len Mills Explained

Len Mills
Fullname:Leonard James Mills
Birth Date:8 February 1898
Birth Place:Hyde Park, South Australia
Death Place:Springfield, South Australia[1]
Originalteam:West Torrens
Height:203 cm
Weight:86 kg
Statsend:1930
Years1:1929
Club1:St Kilda
Games Goals1:2 (3)
Years2:1930
Club2:Hawthorn
Games Goals2:8 (17)
Games Goalstotal:10 (20)

Leonard James "Len" Mills (8 February 1898 – 16 May 1965) was an Australian rules footballer who played with West Torrens in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and St Kilda and Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Mills lied about his age and enlisted to serve in 1915 aged 16 years and nine months. He served in France and returned to Australia in 1919.[2]

Mills, at 203 cm, is believed to have been at the time, the tallest ever VFL player.[3] He was a member of the 1924 West Torrens premiership team and counts games in that's years Hobart Carnival amongst his six interstate appearances.[4]

He played with New Town, a Tasmanian club, in 1926.[4] The next two seasons were spent back at West Torrens.[4]

Already 31 by the time he joined St Kilda in 1929, Mills kicked three goals on his VFL debut, against Fitzroy at Junction Oval.[5] The following season he kicked 17 goals from eight appearances for Hawthorn, which was enough to finish second in the club's goal-kicking behind Bert Hyde.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Leonard James Mills . Find a Grave.
  2. Web site: Discovering Anzacs:Leonard James Mills . National Archives of Australia.
  3. Book: Holmesby. Russell. Main. Jim. The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. 2007. 978-1-920910-78-5.
  4. Web site: Len Mills Profile. AustralianFootball. John . Devaney.
  5. Web site: AFL Tables: Len Mills . afltables.com.