Frank Hughes (footballer, born 1894)

Frank Hughes
Personal information
Full name	Francis Vane Hughes
Nickname(s)	Checker
Date of birth	(1894-02-26)26 February 1894
Place of birth	Myrtleford, Victoria
Date of death	23 January 1978(1978-01-23) (aged 83)
Place of death	East Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s)	Burnley
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lb)
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1914–1923	Richmond	87 (51)
Coaching career3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1927–1932	Richmond	120 0(87–31–2)
1933–1941	Melbourne	173 (108–64–1)
1945–1948	Melbourne	084 0(49–34–1)
1965	Melbourne	001 00(0–1–0)
Total		378 (244–130–4)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1923. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1965.
Career highlights
Club 2× VFL premiership player: 1920, 1921 5× VFL premiership coach: 1932, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948 Australian Football Hall of Fame Melbourne Hall of Fame Richmond Hall of Fame
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Francis Vane Hughes (26 February 1894 – 23 January 1978), nicknamed Checker, was an Australian rules footballer and coach in the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League). He coached Richmond to premiership success once and the Melbourne Football Club to premiership success four times, and he was responsible for the club changing its nickname to the Demons. He also had a war-interrupted playing career that resulted in two premierships.

Hughes served in the 57th battalion of the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, was made a company quartermaster sergeant, and was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his significant contribution in France and Belgium. In 2021, the AFL honoured Hughes' combined merits as a soldier, football player, and football coach by having the Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes medal named in his honour for the player judged best afield in the Anzac Day Eve match between Melbourne and Richmond.^[1][2]