Francis Vane Hughes (26 February 1894 – 23 January 1978), nicknamed Checker, was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er and coach in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(now the Australian Football League). He coached the

Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. It is based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...

to premiership success, and was responsible for the club changing its nickname to the Demons.

Playing career

A small and quick player with brilliant skills in stab passing and handball, Hughes played in two

Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football team playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Between its inception in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 1885 and 1907, the club competed in the Victo ...

premiership sides. * Richmond 1914-15; 1919-23 (87 games, 51 goals) ** Premierships 1920, 1921.

Coaching career

Hughes coached over an extended period with a great deal of success, securing 5 VFL premierships. When his friend and former Richmond Secretary Percy Page went to

Hughes followed him. He renamed the "Fuchsias" to Demons, sacked 13 players and instilled discipline in the club. * Ulverstone (

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

) 1924-1926 * Richmond 1927-1932 (120 games, 87 wins, 31 losses, 2 draws) ** Premiership 1932. * Melbourne 1933-1941, 1945–1948, 1965 (254 games, 157 wins, 95 losses, 2 draws) ** Premierships 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948. Hughes was inducted to the

Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...

in 1996 with his citation reading: :''Took Richmond to premiership success in 1932 then went to Melbourne and landed another four flags. A tough and disciplined coach.''

References

* * Hogan P: ''The Tigers Of Old'', Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996

External links

*
Australian Football Hall of FameRichmond Football Club - Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Frank Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Richmond Football Club players Richmond Football Club Premiership players Richmond Football Club coaches Richmond Football Club Premiership coaches Melbourne Football Club coaches 1894 births 1978 deaths Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Football Club Premiership coaches Two-time VFL/AFL Premiership players Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Five-time VFL/AFL Premiership coaches