The performances of Noel Carter in the late seventies and early eighties have firmly established him as the best player South Fremantle have recruited from the Eastern States.  However, their previous premiership, a decade earlier, was due in no small way to a couple of others from across the Nullarbor, captain coach Hassa Mann, from Melbourne, and a half forward flanker from Preston in the Victorian Football Association by the name of Len Clark.

Seldom has a Victorian recruit made as big an impression on West Australian football in just a two year span, as did Clark, who arrived without fanfare or fuss. After just nine appearances for South Fremantle, he was playing at the MCG for Western Australia against Victoria, a game WA lost, 15.15 to 17.9. It was to be the first of four he would play in the yellow and gold in his fleeting two year stay at the Bulldogs.

We caught up with Len after a two and a half hour drive from Melbourne, at Yarrawonga, in a nice piece of country Victoria. “I loved it in Western Australia,” he told us. “I think the grounds and the climate helped my football, and it was one of my biggest regrets when I had to leave.”  

Len Clark started his football in the Preston District League, with Reservoir under thirteens and fourteens, winning a couple of fairest and best awards, and later Lalor under seventeens. “Some of my mates were getting letters from Collingwood and I got none, which was disheartening until I realised I was in Fitzroy's zone, so I wandered into the Collingwood club,” he recalled.

Playing with Collingwood under nineteens in 1963, Clark graduated to the reserves the following season, making his league debut against Geelong towards the end of the 1965 season, and lined up on a half back flank. 

In the first of many injuries to haunt him at the Pies, he did a knee after five league games in 1966, making it back for the second semi final, but was dropped for the grand final, which St Kilda won by a point. Shoulder, thigh, and other assorted injuries beset Clark in the next two seasons. After playing in Collingwood's opening match for 1969, on Easter Monday, a disagreement with coach Bob Rose, saw Len back at Preston. Coached by Alan Joyce, Preston won it's second VFA premiership, after having won their first the previous year,  with Clark booting fifty odd goals off a half forward flank, and the forward was among the best on grand final day. 

As part of the 1969 pre season, Clark had played for Collingwood in a practice match against South Fremantle, and among the interested onlookers were Arnold Richardson, father of Wayne, and a man with South Fremantle connections. Bulldogs stalwart, Bill Hughes senior and Hassa Mann approached Len with an offer, and succeeded in convincing him to head West. 

After a slow start to the 1970 season, with a loss to Perth, reigning wooden spooners South Fremantle gathered steam to eventually take the flag over the favoured Demons. “We got better as the year went on,” Clark commented. Picked for the Victoria match,Len made his State debut playing on Darryl Griffiths, and had a couple of goals in the first quarter, which saw Alex Jesaulenko moved onto him. Victoria won by a goal after a great game.

Clark made another appearance for Western Australia in 1970, then two more in 1971. His last one was also against Victoria, when fellow South player, Graeme Scott, lined up on the other flank, and Len was among the best for WA.

Len Clark was a nuggety six foot, one of the most reliable marks you would see, and was an accurate kick for goal. “Accurate, but not long,” joked Len. In the off season he was a professional runner, winning among other things a WANFL footballer's sprint in 1970, and it was an attribute that served him well on the football field.  

His Western Australian interlude was abruptly ended after the 1971 season, when his wife's father suffered a terminal illness, forcing the family's return to Victoria.

Clark returned to Preston, and it would have been painful for the South Fremantle club, who suffered a slide for a few years, to monitor his progress.

Fairest and best for Preston in 1972, he also brought up a century of goals, with 106, followed by 85 in 1973. In 1974, a knee injury prevented him from completing the season, but he still managed to kick forty goals  in seven games.

Appointed captain coach of Colac in 1975, a pre season breakdown prevented him from taking the job, and it was to be the end of his playing days, at the age of twenty eight. Clark subsequently coached in the Diamond Valley League, which is now known as the Northern Football League, mentoring South Morang and Bundoora.

Len regarded Darryl Baldock,  “It was when I was playing at centre half back, and he was a great player,” as well as Jesaulenko, as the best he's played against. Speaking of best players he'd played with or seen, Wayne Richardson got his vote as most consistent, but Bob Skilton( “I was sitting on the bench one day and watched him rack up fifteen kicks in the first quarter”), Polly Farmer(“ changed the game, a champion”) and Billy Goggin were unseparable.

A clothing manufacturer, Len is now retired and does some part time work at the local hospital. He enjoys the football, both local and AFL, and still manages to catch up with South teammates at reunions.

Len Clark is still held in high esteem at South Fremantle. A star player, he was a key contributor to a premiership, playing thirty two games and kicking eighty two goals as a half forward. Injury dogged him before coming here and ended his career after going back. There are many at Fremantle Oval with the   opinion that if he'd stayed he could have become a South Fremantle great.