Fred Hughson (22 May 1914 – 23 October 1987) 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 Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who played for, captained, and later coached Fitzroy in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL). He was the last person to lead Fitzroy to the premiership before their merger with the

Brisbane Bears The Brisbane Bears were a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, now known as the Brisbane Lions. Granted a Australian Football League, Victorian Football League (VFL), licence in 1986, ...

, doing so in 1944 as both captain and coach. He coached Fitzroy for 96 games between 1943 until his retirement in 1947, only two players coached the side more and his 103 games as captain was bettered by only three. Hughson played as a fullback and was named in that position in Fitzroy's

Team of the Century In team sport, team of the century and team of the decade are hypothetical best teams over a given time period. For the century team, it can be either 100 years, or for a century (always the 20th). Similarly the team of the decade can be for 10 y ...

. However, he did play up forward in his debut season in 1938, kicking 62 goals in 15 games topping the club's goalkicking charts. A long kicker of the ball, Hughson established the official and recognised world record for a drop kick at 83 yards 11 inches – at the halftime interval of a VFL game against South Melbourne at the Brunswick Street Oval. He finished third in the 1941 Brownlow Medal and sixth in 1947; but the highlight of his career was undoubtedly winning the 1944 Grand Final by 15 points over

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, as Captain-Coach. After leaving Fitzroy he went on to play and coach South Warrnambool.

Career highlights

Playing career: * Fitzroy 1938–1947 (Games 164; Goals 95; Brownlow votes 50) Player honors: * 3rd in Brownlow Medal: 1941.AFL Stats (2008)
''1941 Brownlow Medal''
Retrieved on 6 May 2008. * Fitzroy Best & Fairest: 1943.Brisbane Lions (2008)
''Fitzroy Football Club Honour Board 1897 - 1996''
. Retrieved on 5 May 2008. * Fitzroy leading goalkicker: 1938. * Fitzroy captain: 1943 to 1947. * Fitzroy Team of the Century.Footy Stamps (2006)

Retrieved on 5 May 2008. * Victorian representative: * Last ever Fitzroy premiership captain and coach

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughson, Fred 1914 births Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Mitchell Medal winners Fitzroy Football Club players Fitzroy Football Club premiership players Fitzroy Football Club coaches Fitzroy Football Club premiership coaches Northern Bullants players South Warrnambool Football Club players South Warrnambool Football Club coaches 1987 deaths VFL/AFL premiership players VFL/AFL premiership coaches