He was recruited by Collingwood from North Reservoir after he had initially trained with, and had been rejected by Essendon. Combining great physical size with tremendous athleticism, he provided Collingwood with a formidable around the ground presence. Thompson played a total of 272 VFL games and scored 217 goals for Collingwood between 1965 and 1978, winning the club's best and fairest award a record 5 times, as well as the 1972 Brownlow Medal.
Players Strike
In 1970 he and Des Tuddenham, vice captain and club captain respectively, refused to play for Collingwood, going on strike to protest at the perceived unfair salaries being paid to lure interstate players east. While this protest resulted in temporary souring the relationship between Thompson and the Collingwood football club, Thompson returned to a leadership position quickly, as vice-captain 1973-7 and captain 1978.
Thompson later played seasons for both South Melbourne and Fitzroy. However, in all of his sixteen season, 305-game VFL career with three senior clubs, he failed to play in a premiership team, despite appearing in four grand finals: the 1966 Grand Final, the 1970 Grand Final, and the 1977 First Grand Final, and the 1977 Grand Final Replay .
Interstate football
Thompson was also a regular Victorian interstate representative, and achieved All Australian selection after the 1972 Perth Carnival. He served on the Collingwood board in 1982 and 1983. When Collingwood selected its official 'Team of the Twentieth Century' Len Thompson was selected as the first ruck.
Death
On 18 September 2007, Thompson died at the home of his former wife after a heart attack. He is survived by six children – Kari-Anne, Nicolas, Sam, Lachlan, Laura and Emily – and former partners Julie, Susi and Bronwyn. That day was also 42 years after Thompson's debut for Collingwood.
Funeral
Len Thompson's funeral took place at Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral at 10.30am on Thursday 25 September 2007. Conducted by The Dean, The Very ReverendDavid Richardson, it was attended by more than 1,200 mourners, led by his six children and including notable members of the AFL fraternity, friends and fans. Sons Nicolas, Sam and Lachlan contributed a poem and personal reflections, daughter Laura delivered a eulogy and Emily read a scripture. Tributes were delivered by Barry Breen & Gary Dempsey, Peter McKenna, John Nicholls, Des Tuddenham, Mike Williamson and Eddie McGuire all of whom had long, close friendships with 'Thommo'. Musical contributions were made by tenor Peter Brocklehurst, Kate Ceberano and Mike Brady sang 'One Day in September' in which he varied the lyrics to sing 'Thommo, you were part of this old town; In life you were the best man on the ground'. The service ran for two hours and was a moving and celebratory tribute to one of the humblest champions to have consistently played at the elite level of any Australian sport.
