Ed Richards (footballer)

Last updated

Ed Richards
Ed Richards 2018.6.jpg
Richards in August 2018
Personal information
Full name Edward Richards
Born (1999-07-03) 3 July 1999 (age 26)
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
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2018– Western Bulldogs 148 (58)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2025 season.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

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]

Contents

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]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2025 season. [11]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals  
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds  
  H  
 Handballs  
  M  
 Marks
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game)
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
2018 Western Bulldogs 20218516611928556510.40.27.95.713.62.72.4
2019 Western Bulldogs 20209131389523356470.50.76.94.811.72.82.4
2020 [a] Western Bulldogs 201767939018324340.40.45.55.310.81.42.0
2021 Western Bulldogs 205104325682590.208.93.213.63.21.6
2022 Western Bulldogs 202200270136406130360012.36.218.56.01.6
2023 Western Bulldogs 201913292111403107360.10.215.45.821.25.61.9
2024 Western Bulldogs 2021111227417544997770.50.613.08.321.44.63.7
2025 Western Bulldogs 2023221535324059377841.00.715.310.425.83.33.7
Career1485855162999126205633740.40.411.06.717.73.82.5

Honours & Achievements

Individual

Notes

  1. ↑ 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.

References

  1. ↑ "Oakleigh Chargers defender Ed Richards recruited to Western Bulldogs with pick No.16". Monash Leader. News Corp Australia. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  2. 1 2 Cleary, Mitch (29 March 2018). "Selection a big win for Lou's grand-nephew". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media . Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 "First-year Bulldog the latest Rising Star". afl.com.au. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Ed Richards". TGI Sport. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Ed Richards | AFL". westernbulldogs.com.au. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "Staying put: Run-and-gun Dog inks two-year extension at the Kennel". afl.com.au. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Richards enjoying pre-season change". westernbulldogs.com.au. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "Star midfielder denies skipper in Dogs B&F, Libba on the podium again". afl.com.au. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Underrated Blue caps off stellar year with maiden award — Every AFL club's B&F". Fox Sports. 5 October 2025. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "Gaz, Danger, Dusty - the elite Champion Data peers of Ed Richards". www.sen.com.au. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  11. ↑ "Ed Richards". AFL Tables. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
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