{{Short description|Australia international rugby league footballer (1908-1978)}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Les Heidke |fullname = Leslie William Heidke |image = Les Heidke.PNG |image_size = |caption = <small>Heidke in 1932</small> |birth_date = 22 September 1908 |birth_place = Queensland, Australia |death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1978|11|27|1908|9|22}} |death_place = |height = |weight = |position = {{rlp|PR|SR}} |club1 = Wide Bay |year1start = |year1end = |appearances1 = |tries1 = |goals1 = |fieldgoals1 = |points1 = |club2 = Tivoli |year2start = |year2end = |appearances2 = |tries2 = |goals2 = |fieldgoals2 = |points2 = |club3 = West End |year3start = |year3end = |appearances3 = |tries3 = |goals3 = |fieldgoals3 = |points3 = |club4 = Rialto |year4start = |year4end = |appearances4 = |tries4 = |goals4 = |fieldgoals4 = |points4 = |teamA = Queensland |yearAstart = 1928 |yearAend = 41 |appearancesA = 43 |triesA = |goalsA = |fieldgoalsA = |pointsA = |teamB = Ipswich |yearBstart = 1932 |yearBend = 46 |appearancesB = 53 |triesB = 20 |goalsB = 0 |fieldgoalsB = 0 |pointsB = 60 |teamC = Australia |yearCstart = 1932 |yearCend = 38 |appearancesC = 9 |triesC = 0 |goalsC = 0 |fieldgoalsC = 0 |pointsC = 0 |updated = |source = <ref>[https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/les-heidke/summary.html Rugby League Project]</ref> | module = {{infobox person | embed = yes | father = Bill Heidke | mother = | spouse = | education = | alma_mater = | relatives = }} }}
'''Les Heidke''', also known by the nickname of '''"Monty"''', was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. An Australian international and Queensland interstate representative forward, he played club football in the Ipswich Rugby League for the Tivoli, West End and Rialto clubs, as well as for Wide Bay. Heidke retired with the most games for Queensland against New South Wales in history.
Les Heidke's father was 1908 Kangaroo William Heidke<ref>{{cite web|last=qrl.com.au|title=Queensland Representative Players|url=http://www.qrl.com.au/default.aspx?s=history-players|work=History|publisher=Queensland Rugby League|accessdate=6 November 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201055656/http://www.qrl.com.au/default.aspx?s=history-players|archivedate=1 December 2011}}</ref> and his uncle was Harold Heidke, who also played for Australia.
In 1928 Heidke first represented Queensland in the annual three-match series against New South Wales. In 1932 Heidke became Kangaroo No. 172<ref>{{cite web|last=australianrugbyleague.com.au|title=Player Register|url=http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/kangaroos/register.php|work=Kangaroos|publisher=Australian Rugby League|accessdate=6 November 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927000601/http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/kangaroos/register.php|archivedate=27 September 2011}}</ref> when, during the 1932 Great Britain Lions tour he was selected to play for Australia at second-row forward against Great Britain in the Ashes series' second and third test matches. Heidke was ruled out of the 1933–34 Kangaroo tour with a poisoned leg, caused by a bite from a red-back spider.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Unusual Injuries|url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/get-involved/top-tens/top-ten-unusual-injuries.aspx|work=centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au|publisher=Australian Rugby League|accessdate=7 January 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317203409/http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/get-involved/top-tens/top-ten-unusual-injuries.aspx|archivedate=17 March 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
During the 1936 Great Britain Lions tour Heidke was selected to play as a {{rlp|sr}} for Australia in all three Ashes tests.
Between 1932 and 1946, Heidke represented Ipswich in the Bulimba Cup a record 53 times, scoring 20 tries.<ref>{{cite book| author=J E Christison|title=Ipswich Rugby League: The Bulimba Cup Era 1925 to 1972|year=2009|isbn=978-0-9806074-0-6}}</ref>
Heidke's 11-year-old son died on 7 July 1946.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goodman|first=Tom|title=Match At Town Out Of Work|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dgcRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zJMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5739,1559398|accessdate=6 November 2011|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 July 1946}}</ref>
In 2008, rugby league in Australia's centenary year, Heidke was named on the bench of the Bundaberg Rugby League's team of the century.<ref>{{cite web|title=BRL Team of the Century named|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-2288-0-0-0&sID=42328&articleID=5256151&news_task=DETAIL|work=sportingpulse.com|publisher=Bundaberg Rugby League Ltd.|accessdate=8 January 2012|archive-date=14 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214130135/http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-2288-0-0-0&sID=42328&articleID=5256151&news_task=DETAIL|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Bundaberg Rugby League Team of the Century}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heidke, Les}} Category:1908 births Category:1978 deaths Category:Australia national rugby league team players Category:Australian rugby league players Category:Place of birth missing Category:Queensland rugby league team players Category:Rugby league forwards Category:Rugby league players from Queensland Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen