Edward Lennard (Len) Berry (Athlete)

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Born 12/09/1908

 

Lens introduction to lacrosse came from his father, Reg, who  was a founding member of the North Perth Lacrosse Club which was established in 1903. Reg would go on to found the Westral Lacrosse Club after World War One in 1924.

Westrals was renamed Mt Lawley Lacrosse Club in 1930 when the Western Australian Lacrosse Association made an edict that clubs       must be named after the suburbs surrounding Perth.

Len captained and coached  the club A grade team during the late 1920s and all of the 1930s when they dominated the Western Australian Lacrosse Association competition in winning the Premiership from 1929 to 1935 and again in 1938.

Len was also named the Western Australian Lacrosse Association Fairest & Best player in A Grade in 1930  and 1931.

 

He first played in the Western Australian Senior state team in1926 then again in 1929, 1932 and 1938.

The World War Two interrupted his lacrosse career and on the return to interstate lacrosse in 1947 when  Len Captained and Coached the winning team in the Australian Senior Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

This was the first time Western Australia had won such an event.

 

Len was selected in the All-Australian Lacrosse Team at the Australian Championships and was named the Australian team Captain in 1947.

 

His Life Membership awards were Mt Lawley Lacrosse Club, Western Australian Lacrosse Association in 1949 and an Australian Lacrosse Council Certificate of Merit  in 1948

and a Fellow in 1988.

He served as President of the Mt Lawley Lacrosse Club in the 1950s and a founding member of the Kuljak Lacrosse Club.

His interstate senior lacrosse playing career spanned over 22  years.

A talented player and coach.

Recognised as the most outstanding Western Australian lacrosse player in the era he played in from the mid-1920s to1950.