Les McClements began his football career with the Claremont Football Club in the 1941 season. He was a tall, strapping young player, with a Keith Miller hairstyle and he played most of his first season out of the back-pocket changing in the ruck. He may have acquitted himself well, but gave little indication of his future brilliance. The young Les McClements gradually improved throughout his inaugural year to be his team's best player in the last qualifying game and one of the best in the losing semi-final team.
It is unclear if McClements went to war in the years that followed or if he was just unable to play for Claremont because of the new under age competition being used for the duration of the war.
In 1946, the year after the war ended, training finally got underway. Eventhough he only played one season before the war began, Les was thought of as one of the old and familiar faces to be seen on the track. Eventhough the 1946 season ended badly for the club, Les' brilliant form was a bright light. He was runner-up in the Sandover Medal award with 23 votes. He also participated in two interstate matches in which he continued his brilliant form. He was Claremonts only representative in the state team. His wonderful season also had him as the club's leading goal kicker with 50 goals for the season - no mean feat when you consider that he spent much of the season playing
in the ruck, changing from the back pocket.
In 1947 Claremont may have finished sixth on the league ladder, but this did not dampen the brilliance of McClements.
Everyone expected the strong Victorian side to trample West into the North Hobart bog. Conditions were shocking for this mid-week match.
McClements threw a stout heart and a strong body into the fray that day. He hit his rivals hard; he showed great pace for a big man; and his searching fingers gathered the soggy ball from all angles. West won the match and Tasmanians to a man were with them all the way. They came away from the ground, talking about the match- and McClements.
On the homefront, despite spending some weeks in bed with malaria during the season, McClements was runner-up to Clive Lewington for the Sandover Medal.
In 1948 Les McClements was appointed as deputy captain under Bill O'Neill who was reappointed as captain. McClements didn't have a great season, but was picked once again in the state team and acquitted himself with distinction in the two matches against Victoria.
The 1949 season was not much better than the year before, with claremont finishing sixth, but McClements was once again selected to play South Australia at Subiaco.
In 1950, McClements was appointed as captain with Sonny Maffina as his deputy. The team may have only finished fifth, but McClements was selected for the carnival side and starred in all of the matches.
In 1951 the news that Claremont did not want to hear was the appointment of McClements as playing coach of the Tasmanian club, Clarence. In 1947, after his magnificent performances at the Hobart carnival, he had been signed up by Carlton but Claremont wisely refused to allow him a clearence. The club was still reluctant to let him go to Clarence but recognised the great service he had rendered the club and gave him a clearence with its blessing. Les had been the mainstay of the club's ruck for the past few seasons as well as its main goal scorer. Blessed with a magnificant build and an ability to lift his powerful frame high for spectacular marks and ruck knocks, he was
almost the complete footballer. He had been an automatic selection in every State team after the war and represented WA on 16 occasions. Les had become a legend of WA football and his exploits, particularly against ruckmen 4 or 5 inches taller than him, are still talked about by those who played with and against him.What is generally not known about this great player is that for most of his illustrious career he played without the tops of his fingers on his right hand, this being a lagacy of a band saw accident when he was a young man. It certainly put those exploits against the Victorians in an even more brilliant light and renders some of those high marks that were his trademark even more incredible.
Some of his antics off the field, especially in the company of his East Perth mate, Ray Perry, are also the stuff of great stories that probably get somewhat embellished in the retelling. His pre-match preparation, which included a mandatory visit to the Highway Hotel for a few beers on Friday night and sometimes Saturday morning before the game, would have horrified most modern coaches but, with a record like his, there would be little argument to change his approach.
Claremont Football Club
created by Kellie Wilson,
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