Norman Stanley Le Brun (22 April 1908 – 15 November 1944) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne, Essendon, Collingwood and Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was one of the few players to play with four different VFL clubs.

Family The son of Francis Thomas Willimet Le Brun (1876–1952),Deaths: Lebrun, The Age, (Wednesday, 1 October 1952), p.9.In Memoriam: Le Brun, The Age, (Tuesday, 29 September 1953), p.11.Missing Friends, The Argus, (Friday, 24 July 1953), p.11. and Mary Jane Le Brun (1875–1955), née West, Norman Stanley Le Brun was born in Richmond, Victoria on 22 April 1908.Roll of Honour Circular: Trooper Norman Stanley LeBrun (VX76818), Collection of the Australian War Memorial.

Football South Melbourne (VFL) Granted a clearance from Richmond,The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 11 May 1929), p.2. he played 3 senior games for South Melbourne in 1929.

Sandhurst (BFL) Cleared from South Melbourne in April 1930 to Sandhurst Football Club in the Bendigo Football League,Exchange of Players, The Age, (Wednesday, 16 April 1930), p.16. Le Brun won the inaugural Bendigo Football League best and fairest award, the Fred Wood Medal in 1930.

Essendon (VFL) Cleared from Sandhurst to Essendon Football Club in May 1931,Football, The Age, (Saturday, 2 May 1931), p.14.

Collingwood (VFL) Cleared from Essendon to Collingwood Football Club in April 1933,Club Notes: Essendon Select Two Recruits, The Age, (Friday, 29 April 1933), p.6. he played 19 senior games over two seasons (1933–1934).

Carlton (VFL) Cleared from Collingwood to Carlton in April 1935,League Clearances, The Argus, (Thursday, 25 April 1935), p.11. he played in five senior matches.

Griffith Football Club (LDFA) In 1936 he was appointed captain-coach of the Griffith Football Club in the Leeton District Football Association.Australian Rules Football, The Murrimbidgee Irrigator, (Tuesday, 5 May 1936), p.2.

South Warrnambool (HFL) In 1937 he was appointed captain-coach of the South Warrnambool Football Club in the Hampden Football League.Football and Cricket in County Centres, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 1 May 1937), p.75.

Wangaratta (OMFA) In 1938 he was appointed as playing-coach of the Wangaratta Football Club in the Ovens & Murray Football Association.Barclay, B., "Rippon for Essendon", The Herald, (Wednesday, 6 April 1938), p.28. Having coached the side to the Association's premiership in 1938, he was re-appointed in 1939.From Forward's Notebook, The Age, (Wednesday 5 April 1939), p.8.

Ganmain (SWDFL) In 1940 he was appointed as playing-coach of the Ganmain Football Club in the South West District Football LeagueAustralian Rules, The Murrumbidgee Irrigator, (Tuesday, 14 May 1940), p.2. and coached them to a premiership.

Military service Employed as a bricklayer at the time, he enlisted as a commando in the Second AIF on 26 February 1942, a week after the Bombing of Darwin.Note that all of his official military records (Nominal Roll, etc.) record his family name as "LeBrun" (or "Lebrun") – rather than "Le Brun", whilst the Australian War Memorial records his family name as "Le Brun".

He was killed in action, when shot by a Japanese sniper, on 15 November 1944, in New Guinea during the Aitape–Wewak campaign.Army Casualties: Victoria: Australia and the Islands: Killed in Action, The Argus, (Wednesday, 6 December 1944), p.6. … In the Aitape sector, too, is the Le Brun Feature, a steep hill on the Danmap River, and known now simply as Le Brun.It is named after the first Australian killed in the area, Norman Le Brun, trooper in a cavalry commando squadron, and former well-known Victorian footballer. The Herald, 5 May 1945.Leonard, R.B., "R.B. Leonard Tells How . . . They Gave It a Name, The Herald, (Saturday, 5 May 1945), -.9/

He is buried at the Lae War Cemetery.Trooper Norman Stanley Lebrun (VX76818), Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

See also List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service

Footnotes

References

Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing. Main, J. & Allen, D., "Le Brun, Norm", pp. 288–290 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. Second World War Nominal Roll: Trooper Norman Stanley LeBrun (VX76818), Department of Veterans' Affairs. Second World War Service Record: Trooper Norman Stanley LeBrun (VX76818), National Archives of Australia.

External links

Norm Le Brun, at Boyles Football Photos. Norm Le Brun, at Blueseum. Norm Le Brun, at Collingwood Forever. Roll of Honour: Trooper Norman Stanley LeBrun (VX76818), Australian War Memorial. The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 11 October 1930), p.36. Photograph: 1930 Sandhurst Football Team The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 26 May 1934), p.37. Photograph: 1934 Collingwood Football Team 1938 Ovens & Murray FL Premiers: Wangaratta FC team photo 1938 Ovens & Murray FL Premiers: Wangaratta FC team photo The sad demise of Trooper Le Brun at On Reflection