Len Dittmar gave this interview with Michael Nunn in February 2024. The Brothers great passed away aged 73 on Thursday, August 1 after a cancer battle.
When a hard run was needed then the Brethren called on Len Dittmar, the young front rower never missed his assignment on the field and became a Brisbane Rugby league favourite in the 1970s.
Len Dittmar Q&A
Can you remember your debut for Brothers?
Brothers v St George at Corbett Park. I played in the Colts and they said after that game, you can sit the line for A grade. I was only 19 years old and sat there watching Raper and all their stars play. My first fixture game was against Redcliffe.
1971 three games for Queensland against New South Wales, three losses but you’re there mixing it up in the front row with Bob McCarthy and John O’Neill. Game II was a bit different.
I remember before the game Brian Fitzsimmons was having a quick drink of port to settle his nerves and I was only 20 and playing my second game for Queensland. I thought: 'What is going on here?'. Brian said every time I play, I get knocked out against these guys. I thought great, first scrum went alright and I thought 'this isn’t too bad' and then the second scrum it’s mayhem. John O’Neill and I have partnered up and I am going like crazy. I was swinging. I don’t think the send-offs were unwarranted, but gee Holman butchered the game from there. We were down to 10, and three-man scrums.
Len Senior was a national welterweight champion and won 34 of 43 fights and is in the Australian Boxing Hall of fame - did he teach you how to throw them?
He wouldn’t have been too proud of me that day, I wasn’t showing much technique.
Do you still have your Queensland jumper?
Sure do, my daughter comes and borrows it every Origin night. She loves wearing it and I love her wearing it too. I only have two left, I had five because I played two games for Queensland outside the interstate series. Let me name some players you tell me what you think.
Tony Obst
Great mate of mine and I tell him this all the time. He was a dirty player. He just laughs, so make of that what you will.
Ian Robson
Great second rower, I was at the North Ipswich Reserve when he came back and played against Ipswich and they didn’t like it.
Ritchie Twist
Lovely bloke, but he was fiery. Beautiful runner.
David Wright
My great mate, too smart for me. We used to go to the pub and Wrighty went home to study.
Des Morris
I used to try and knock him out and he tried to knock me out. Terrific player and man.
What was your Monday to Friday job during your career?
Bricklayer, which was good for keeping fit, not good for putting on weight, which I was always trying to do. Surf life saving kept me fit too, but again not great for putting on weight.
How much did you weigh?
About 15 stone or 95 kilograms.
You got a pretty solid offer from the North Sydney Bears. What happened?
They came to Brisbane, took me down to Sydney, took us to the Sydney grand final, but Brothers stopped it, so I stayed here.
Favourite Brothers team mates?
David Wright, Barry 'Tubby' Dowling - I married his sister - Reg Cannon, Denis Manteit. We all lived pretty close to each other and knocked around together. I went to Padua College and Dennis Manteit came to coach at school. I remember just being in awe of him.
How’d you get on with John Sattler when he was in Brisbane?
Well, we had a run in, he got his ear bitten by Chips Harrington and he was angry, really angry. Probably fair enough but it wasn’t me. He’s got up to play the ball and I was just standing there at marker and he’s hit me. Not sure why, but then we have had a real go at each other.
You went to England and came back and retired young. What happened?
I hurt my knee in England and when I came back in February, I went to specialists, but no one really knew in the mid 1970s how to fix a knee. So that was it, I retired. I don’t mind too much, when I catch up with my mates and they are limping around. I am going alright because I retired early. I was pretty crazy, I wish I’d been calmer. I broke my arm three times and my cheek bone too.
Family and friends of Len Dittmar are invited to attend his funeral at Little Flower Church, Padua College, Kedron on Monday, August 12 at 11am.
