Leonard Herman Wigraft (a.k.a. "Wigraf") (28 January 1897 – 16 January 1982) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Family The son of Frederick Wigraf (a.k.a. "Wigraft") (1865-1920),Deaths: Wigraf, The Argus, (Monday, 9 February 1920), p. 1. and Ellen Wigraf (a.k.a. "Wigraft") (1865-1947),Deaths: Wigraft, The Age, (Tuesday, 18 March 1947), p. 7.Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Deaths Registration no.3715/1947 ("Ellen Wigraf"). née Martin, Leonard Herman Wigraft (a.k.a. "Wigraf") was born at North Fitzroy on 28 January 1897.
He married Dorothy May Axton (-1989) in 1918.Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Marriages Registration no.1939/1918 ("Leonard Wigraft").Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Deaths Registration no.21384/1989 ("Dorothy May Wigraft").
Football Wigraft usually played as a follower and won a VFL premiership with Fitzroy in 1922. He was also a three-time Best and Fairest winner with Fitzroy – in 1920, 1924 and 1925.
He captained Fitzroy in his last season of football in 1927 and was briefly their caretaker coach in 1934.
Len was captain-coach of Echuca in 1928,Samuel Garnet Wells (1928), "Echuca's New Coach", The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 18 February 1928), p. 80/ and 1929, which included their 1928 Bendigo Football League premiership.
Wigraft then coached Richmond Reserves in 1930.Hogan (1996), p.324.
He returned to Fitzroy in the 1930s as a club delegate and then took over as coach in May 1934, after captain-coach, Jack Cashman resigned and was cleared to Carlton.Rohan, J.M. (1936), "All wish Wigraft well at Fitzroy", The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 26 May 1934), p. 7.
Hall of Fame In recognition to his long service to the Fitzroy football club and his playing abilities, he was inducted to the Fitzroy Hall of Fame.
Death He died at Parkville, Victoria on 16 January 1982.Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Deaths Registration no.2183/1982.
See also 1927 Melbourne Carnival
Footnotes
References Hogan, Paul (1996), The Tigers of Old: A Complete History of Every Player to Represent the Richmond Football Club between 1908 and 1996, Melbourne: Richmond Football Club.
External links
Len Wigraft's coaching statistics from AFL Tables