Loading...
 

Len Incigneri

DOB: 1 February 1891
Died: 23 August 1964

MFC Debut: Round 13, 1913 against Fitzroy at Brunswick Street
Last Game: Round 16, 1915 against South Melbourne at MCG

From: Hastings/Somerville/South Melbourne/Richmond

Number: 28 (1913-1914), 25 (1915)

Honours:
Captain and Coach - 1914

Games: 33 (97 total)
Goals: 7 (11 total)
Career Statistics

WinsDrawsLossesWinning %
802524.24

Recruited to South Melbourne in 1903 after starting his career with Hastings a year earlier and playing one match for the year at Somerville in 1903. Incigneri remained at South until the end of that year then returned to Hastings. He went back to South in 1905 for his second at last game at the club.

In 1907 he was set to join Tyabb, but before the season started he was offered a job with VFA side Richmond and opted to join them instead. When the Tigers joined the VFL he was an inaugural member of their side and became Captain/Coach in 1911. That year he also represented Victoria.

Incigneri first applied for a clearance before the 1912 in order to follow secretary Andrew Manzie across Yarra Park but was rejected by the Tigers and returned to Hastings for the season, leading them to a premiership. After another clearance application was rejected in May 1913, he finally made it to Melbourne in July of that year. During his absence from the VFL Len umpired four country football matches, and coached Hastings from the start of 1913 until joining Melbourne. He played three years with the club as a follower or defender, the second last as captain/coach and the last solely as captain.

He was renowned as a quick thinker, and one story - possibly urban legend - said that late in a close game with an opposition player running into goal Incigneri ran into the umpire and knocked him over so he was unable to signal all-clear.

During his career he was known by the nickname "Innocent Mary".His brother Matt also played two games for the club.

Coaching

First game as coach: Round 1, 1914 against Fitzroy at Brunswick Street
Last Game: Round 18, 1914 against South Melbourne at Lake Oval

MatchesWinsDrawsLosses%
20167611.11
Coaching statistics


Appointed as playing coach in 1914, Incigneri was the back-up option after initial choice Alex McKenzie was disqualified by the league for joining a VFA side without a permit eight years before. Incigneri presided over a poor season and was retained as captain only the next year.

During a 1915 match against South Melbourne, Incigneri sparked a pitch invasion after being reported for striking his opponent. Approximately 2000 fans stormed the ground an a melee started involving players and spectators. He would never play for Melbourne again after being suspended for eight weeks.

In 1927 he coached Somerville in the Peninsula League, taking them to a premiership the next year. A horse racing steward in Gippsland at first, then in Brisbane from 1938 to 1953 he also coach the Kedron club while in Queensland.

In 2007 Incigneri was named in the back pocket of the VFL/AFL Italian team of the century. He was the first Italian-Australian to captain a league side, and the only member of that team to complete his career before the 2nd World War.

YearGamesGoals
1913 50
1914 177
1915 110
Tribunal Record
MatchChargeSanction
Round 16, 1915 Striking 8 matches

Lists
Family
Players without photos
Richmond
VFA

Notes
Football Record 1914 says he was coach as well as captain. Some other records show Alex Hall as coach, but Hall was actually Williamstown coach in 1914. Punch also describes him as coach in May and September 1914.

Some sources list him as Mornington, he may have been with Hastings and Somerville after his VFL career instead of before it.

Media
Football Record R2, 1912
Argus - 03/07/1913
Herald - 09/05/1915
Argus - 09/08/1915
Frankston & Somerville Standard - 29/07/1927
Sporting Globe - 27/05/1936
Age - 01/06/07

Links
Tigerland Archive
VFA Project profile
Wikipedia profile

Created by Supermercado. Last Modification: Friday 09 June 2023 13:49:15 AEST by Supermercado. (Version 40)

Donate to Demonwiki

Search

Google Search