Len Thomas (20 July 1908 – 17 August 1943) was an Australian rules footballer who played 187 games with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL), before finishing his career as captain-coach at both Hawthorn and North Melbourne.

A premiership player in 1933, he played through the centre in their Grand Final victory over Richmond.

Seven games into the 1940 season Thomas decided to enlist in order to take up military service.

He became the most experienced VFL footballer to be killed in war[a] when he lost his life fighting the Japanese in New Guinea in 1943.

[1] He was wounded in the leg during fighting and spent time in hospital, only to be killed when the Japanese pushed the town of Salamaua.