Ed Richards (footballer)
Australian rules footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edward Richards (born 3 July 1999) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected by the Bulldogs with the sixteenth pick in the 2017 national draft after playing his under-18 football with the Oakleigh Chargers.[1]
| Ed Richards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Richards in August 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Edward Richards | ||
| Nickname | Chilli | ||
| Born | 3 July 1999 | ||
| Original team | Oakleigh Chargers (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 16, 2017 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 2, 2018, Western Bulldogs vs. West Coast, at Etihad Stadium | ||
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Weight | 89 kg (196 lb) | ||
| Position | Midfielder / defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Western Bulldogs | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2018– | Western Bulldogs | 162 (69) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2026 | Victoria | 1 (0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 16, 2026. 2 Representative statistics correct as of 2026. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Richards made his debut in the second round of the 2018 season at Etihad Stadium against the West Coast Eagles.[2] He received a Rising Star nomination in round 10 of the same season against Collingwood.[3] He initially played as a half-back but transitioned into a midfielder.
In the 2025 season, he was awarded the Charles Sutton Medal for the Western Bulldogs best and fairest player and was also selected in the All-Australian team for the first time.
Early life
Ed Richards grew up in Melbourne and played his under-18 football with the Oakleigh Chargers in the Talent League and attended Carey Grammar.[4] Richards is descended from a family embedded in Australian rules football history, his great-great-grandfather is Charlie Pannam Sr., his grandfather is Ron Richards, and his great-uncle is Lou Richards.[2][4]
Career
2018–2023: Early years and development
Richards debuted in round 2, 2018, and went on to play 21 games that season. His Round 10 performance earned him a Rising Star nomination.[3] For many of his early seasons he played primarily off the half-back flank.[5]
By 2022, Richards had cemented his place in the Bulldogs' first team and in 2023 he signed a contract extension tying him to the club until at least the end of 2025.[6]
2024: Transition to midfield
Ahead of the 2024 season, Richards began transitioning from half-back into the midfield, a move initiated by the Bulldogs' coaching staff to exploit his ball use, speed and decision-making in contested situations.[7] During that season he averaged over 21 disposals.
2025: Breakout season
The 2025 season proved to be Ed Richards' breakout campaign. He delivered career-best numbers including 25.8 disposals, 10.9 contested possessions, 5.7 clearances, 6.4 inside-50s, and 8.3 score involvements per game across 23 appearances. His consistency, impact and influence on games saw him awarded the club’s highest honour, the Charles Sutton Medal, by polling 299 votes, narrowly ahead of long-time teammate and skipper Marcus Bontempelli.[8][9]
His form earned him selection in the All-Australian team for the first time. According to Champion Data, he ranked as the second-best player in the league in 2025, and they even floated the idea of Richards joining their "Immortal" list, an elite group that includes legendary footballers such as Gary Ablett Jr., Patrick Dangerfield and Dustin Martin.[10]
Honours & Achievements
Individual
- Charles Sutton Medal: 2025
- All-Australian team: 2025
- Gary Dempsey Medal - Western Bulldogs: 2023
- Tony Liberatore Most Improved Player Award - Western Bulldogs: 2022
- AFL Rising Star nominee (2018)
Notes
Statistics
Updated to the end of round 16, 2026.[11]
G |
Goals | K |
Kicks | D |
Disposals | T |
Tackles |
B |
Behinds | H |
Handballs | M |
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2018 | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 166 | 119 | 285 | 56 | 51 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 7.9 | 5.7 | 13.6 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 0 |
| 2019 | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 20 | 9 | 13 | 138 | 95 | 233 | 56 | 47 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 11.7 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 0 |
| 2020[a] | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 93 | 90 | 183 | 24 | 34 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 10.8 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 25 | 68 | 16 | 9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 8.6 | 5.0 | 13.6 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0 |
| 2022 | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 270 | 136 | 406 | 130 | 36 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.3 | 6.2 | 18.5 | 5.9 | 1.6 | 0 |
| 2023 | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 292 | 111 | 403 | 107 | 36 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 15.4 | 5.8 | 21.2 | 5.6 | 1.9 | 0 |
| 2024 | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 21 | 11 | 12 | 274 | 175 | 449 | 97 | 77 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 13.0 | 8.3 | 21.4 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 6 |
| 2025 | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 23 | 22 | 15 | 353 | 240 | 593 | 77 | 84 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 15.3 | 10.4 | 25.8 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 11 |
| 2026 | Western Bulldogs | 20 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 237 | 115 | 352 | 58 | 68 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 16.9 | 8.2 | 25.1 | 4.1 | 4.9 | |
| Career | 162 | 69 | 58 | 1866 | 1106 | 2972 | 621 | 442 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 11.5 | 6.8 | 18.3 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 17 | ||
Notes
- The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
