BIO

Originally from Broken Hill, Cecil Len Martin played in a Norwood League premiership in his first season. He had begun his senior football in 1919 with Broken Hill North where Alec Bent had been one of his noted team-mates. Moving to Adelaide, he played for Norwood Reserves from 1922, captaining that side in 1923 and from 1925 to 1927. 

Promoted from the Reserves, he made his league debut late in 1925, replacing Reg Plunkett for the Semi-Final against Sturt. He kept his spot for the Grand Final and played as a ruck-shepherd. Martin jokingly claimed he had won the 1925 Premiership for Norwood, by deliberately dropping a simple mark in the dying stages of the Grand Final against West Torrens. Knowing he was too far out to score, and that Alec Bent was close by, he decided to fumble the mark and allow Bent to swoop on the ball and kick the winning goal.

In 1927 he also coached the Reserves and played well enough to win the Nitschke Trophy for the best follower in the Association. 

Retiring as a player, he took up administration and was Secretary of Norwood's Reserves in the SA Football Association for seven years. In 1935 he took over as Secretary of the Norwood League side, a position he kept until he died.

Len Martin passed away suddenly on 17th June 1946, having attended the North Adelaide versus Port Adelaide match on the Adelaide Oval, earlier in the day.

The well respected official was a Life member of the SANFL, as well as the SA Football Association. Martin was also a keen cricketer in the Druid's Association, playing in several interstate teams.

R Cialini April 2014