Heidke in 1932
Playing information
PositionForward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Wide Bay
Tivoli
West End
Rialto
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1928–41 Queensland 43
1932–46 Ipswich 53 20 0 0 60
1932–38 Australia 9 0 0 0 0
Source: [1]

Les Heidke, also known by the nickname of "Monty", was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. An Australian international and Queensland interstate representative forward, he played club football in the Ipswich Rugby League for the Tivoli, West End and Rialto clubs, as well as for Wide Bay. Heidke retired with the most games for Queensland against New South Wales in history.

Les Heidke's father was 1908 Kangaroo William Heidke[2] and his uncle was Harold Heidke, who also played for Australia.

In 1928 Heidke first represented Queensland in the annual three-match series against New South Wales. In 1932 Heidke became Kangaroo No. 172[3] when, during the 1932 Great Britain Lions tour he was selected to play for Australia at second-row forward against Great Britain in the Ashes series' second and third test matches. Heidke was ruled out of the 1933-34 Kangaroo tour with a poisoned leg, caused by a bite from a red-back spider.[4]

During the 1936 Great Britain Lions tour Heidke was selected to play as a second-row for Australia in all three Ashes tests.

Between 1932 and 1946, Heidke represented Ipswich in the Bulimba Cup a record 53 times, scoring 20 tries.[5]

Heidke's 11-year-old son died on 7 July 1946.[6]

In 2008, rugby league in Australia's centenary year, Heidke was named on the bench of the Bundaberg Rugby League's team of the century.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Rugby League Project
  2. ↑ qrl.com.au. "Queensland Representative Players". History. Queensland Rugby League. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  3. ↑ australianrugbyleague.com.au. "Player Register". Kangaroos. Australian Rugby League. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "Top 10 Unusual Injuries". centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au. Australian Rugby League. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  5. ↑ J E Christison (2009). Ipswich Rugby League: The Bulimba Cup Era 1925 to 1972. ISBN 978-0-9806074-0-6.
  6. ↑ Goodman, Tom (11 July 1946). "Match At Town Out Of Work". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  7. ↑ "BRL Team of the Century named". sportingpulse.com. Bundaberg Rugby League Ltd. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
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