Frank 'Checker' Hughes

For other people of the same name, see Frank Hughes (disambiguation).

Frank Hughes

Personal information
Full name	Frank Hughes
Nickname(s)	Checker
Date of birth	26 February 1894(1894-02-26)
Date of death	23 January 1978(1978-01-23) (aged 83)
Original team	Burnley
Height/Weight	175cm / 70kg
Playing career¹
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1914–1923	Richmond	87 (51)
Coaching career³
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1927–1932 1933–1941 1945–1948 1965 Total	Richmond Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne	120 (87–31–2) 173 (108–64–1) 84 (49–34–1) 1 (0–1–0) 378 (244–130–4)
¹ Playing statistics to end of 1923 season . ³ Coaching statistics correct as of 1965.
Career highlights
Richmond premiership player 1920, 1921 Richmond premiership coach 1932 Melbourne premiership coach 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948 Australian Football Hall of Fame, inducted 1996 Richmond Hall of Fame, inducted 2004

Frank 'Checker' Hughes (born Francis Vane Hughes; 26 February 1894 – 23 January 1978) was a famous player and coach of Australian rules football in the Victorian Football League (later renamed to Australian Football League) in the period 1914 to 1948.

1 Playing career
2 Coaching career
3 References
4 See also

Playing career

A small and quick player with brilliant skills in stab passing and handball, Hughes played in two Richmond Football Club 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 Melbourne Football Club Hughes followed him. He renamed the "Fuschias" to Demons, sacked 13 players and instilled discipline in the club.

Ulverstone (Tasmania) 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 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

Ross, John (1999). The Australian Football Hall of Fame. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. pp. 79. ISBN 0-7322-6426-X.
AFL: Hall of Fame
Full Points Footy bio
Hogan P: The Tigers Of Old , Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996
Richmond Football Club - Hall of Fame

Sporting positions
Preceded by Ivor Warne-Smith Percy Beames	Coach of the Melbourne Football Club 1933-1941 1945-1948	Succeeded by Percy Beames Allan La Fontaine

Richmond Football Club 1932 VFL Premiers

Richmond 13.14 (92) defeated Carlton 12.11 (83), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Captain: 1. Bentley \| 2. Twyford \| 4. Sheahan \| 6. Judkins \| 8. Geddes \| 9. Bolger \| 9. McCormack \| 12. Titus \| 13. Murdoch \| 14. Baggott \| 16. O'Neill \| 18. O'Halloran \| 19. Anderson \| 20. Hunter \| 23. G. Strang \| 25. Zschech \| 27. Martin \| 28. D. Strang \| 33. Heifner

Coach: Hughes

Melbourne Football Club 1939/1940/1941 VFL Premiers

Captain: 17. La Fontaine \| 4. Smith \| 9. Emselle \| 12. Mueller \| 15. Baggott \| 23. Wartman \| 24. Beames \| 29. O'Keefe \| 36. Anderson

Coach: Hughes

Melbourne Football Club 1948 VFL Premiers

Melbourne 10.9 (69) drew with Essendon 7.27 (69), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; Melbourne 13.11 (89) defeated Essendon 7.8 (50), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Captain: 21. Don Cordner \| 1. Denis Cordner \| 2. McKenzie \| 3. Collins \| 4. Smith \| 5. Deans \| 6. Craddock \| 7. Jackson \| 11. Bowman \| 12. Mueller \| 13. Spittle \| 16. Bickford \| 22. McGrath \| 25. McLean \| 28. Dullard \| 29. Arnold \| 30. Rodda \| 31. Rule \| 32. Dockett \| 35. McMahen

Coach: Hughes

Coaches of the Richmond Football Club

1908–1909: Condon • 1910: Hall • 1911: Incigneri • 1912: C. Pannam • 1913: Jenkins • 1914–1916: Ricketts • 1917: Maybury • 1918: Nolan • 1919: Clark • 1920–1925: Minogue • 1926: Morris • 1927–1932: Hughes • 1933: Schmidt • 1934–1940: Bentley • 1937; 1941: Titus • 1941–1952: Dyer • 1953–1955: A. Pannam • 1956: Oppy • 1957–1960: McDonald • 1961–1963: Rowe • 1964: Harris • 1964–1965: Smith • 1965: Titus • 1966–1976: Hafey • 1971: Howell • 1976–1978: Richardson • 1979–1982: Jewell • 1982–1983: Bourke • 1984: Patterson • 1985: Sproule • 1985–1987: Jewell • 1988–1991: Bartlett • 1992: Jeans • 1993–1995: Northey • 1996–1997: Walls • 1997–1999: Gieschen • 2000–2004: Frawley • 2005–2009: Wallace • 2009: Rawlings • 2010–: Hardwick

Italics denote caretaker coach

Coaches of the Melbourne Football Club

1907–1909: Hall • 1910: Drohan • 1912–1914: Hall • 1915: McKenzie • 1919: Heinz • 1920: Brosnan • 1921–1923: Wilson • 1924: Rattray • 1925–1927: Chadwick • 1928–1932: Warne-Smith • 1933–1941: Hughes • 1942–1944: Beames • 1945–1948: Hughes • 1949–1951: La Fontaine • 1952–1967: Smith • 1964: Barassi • 1965: Hughes • 1968–1970: Beckwith • 1971–1973: Ridley • 1974–1977: Skilton • 1978: Jones • 1979–1980: Ditterich • 1981–1985: Barassi • 1986–1992: Northey • 1993–1997: Balme • 1997: Hutchison • 1998–2007: Daniher • 2007: Riley • 2008–2011: Bailey • 2011: Viney • 2012–: Neeld

Italics denote caretaker coach

Persondata
Name	Hughes, Frank
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	26 February 1894
Place of birth
Date of death	23 January 1978
Place of death

Frank 'Checker' Hughes

Contents

Playing career

Coaching career

References

See also