Lawrence Sidney Mithen (15 April 1934 – 2 February 2022) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL during their successful period in the late 1950s under Norm Smith.
| Laurie Mithen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Mithen in 1954 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Lawrence Sidney Mithen | ||
| Date of birth | 15 April 1934 | ||
| Date of death | 2 February 2022 (aged 87) | ||
| Original team(s) | Ormond (VAFA) | ||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1954–1962 | Melbourne | 153 (108) | |
| 1963–1965 | Port Melbourne (VFA) | 52 | |
| 1966–1967 | Claremont (WAFL) | 34 (4) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1967. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Education edit
He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne in April 1964.[1] Laurie completed his doctoral dissertation while living in America receiving a PhD at the University of Oregon in 1975. The topic of his dissertation was the exploration and investigation into community-based education, what we would now call TAFE or community colleges, that was a relatively new concept and offered education to all age and socioeconomic groups. Laurie was a teacher at Melbourne High School and attended CBC as a child.
Ormond (VAFA) edit
Playing for the Ormond Amateur Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, Mithen was the Association's best and fairest A Grade player in 1953.[2]
Melbourne (VFL) edit
Recruited from Ormond,[3] he played in three consecutive premierships from 1955 to 1957 and was a premiership player again in 1959 and 1960 to finish with five.
Mithen played as a half forward early in his career before moving into the centre. It was as a centreman that he had most success, winning Melbourne's best and fairest in 1958 and 1959.
VFL representative edit
He was selected to play for Victoria in the 1958 ANFC Melbourne Carnival. In the only match (of a possible four) that he played in — the 7 July 1958 match against the VFA — he was completely outclassed by the VFA centreman, Bob Withers.[4]
Team of the Century edit
He was named on the interchange bench in the Melbourne's official 'Team of the Century'.
Port Melbourne (VFA) edit
In 1963, he moved to the Port Melbourne Football Club in the VFA and was the team's captain-coach from 1963 to 1965, during which time, he played 52 games, and the club won the 1964 Premiership.
Claremont (WAFL) edit
He played for Claremont Football Club in the WAFL in 1966 and 1967 for a total of 34 games.[5]
Death edit
On 2 February 2022, it was announced that Mithen had died, at the age of 87.[6]
Footnotes edit
- ^ Degrees and Diplomas Conferred, University of Melbourne Calendar, (1965), p.664.
- ^ Best and fairest in Amateurs, The Age, (Monday, 31 August 1953), p.14.
- ^ O'Brien for Two Matches, The Age, (Thursday, 15 April 1954), p.18; de Lacy, H.A. "Mithen a real utility player", The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 21 April 1954), p.4.
- ^ League's 49-point Win Over V.F.A., The Age, (Tuesday, 8 July 1958), p.20.
- ^ WAFL FootyFacts: Mithen, Lawrence Sidney.
- ^ "Vale Laurie Mithen". Melbourne FC. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
External links edit
- Laurie Mithen's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Laurie Mithen's playing statistics from The VFA Project
- Laurie Mithen's playing statistics from WAFL Footy Facts
- Boyles Football Photos: Laurie Mithen
- Laurie Mithen, demonwiki.com