Bachar Houli is Richmond’s next Homecoming Hero for the 2023 season.

The Tigers are set to pay tribute to their triple premiership star in the lead-up to Friday night’s Round 9 clash with Geelong at the MCG.

Houli will walk to the Punt Road end of the ground, where he’ll be warmly received by the Tiger Army.

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He’ll kick a ceremonial goal, then sign the football and present it to a Richmond fan in the crowd.

Highlights of Houli’s excellent playing career with the Tigers also will be shown on the MCG’s big screens.

Bachar Houli joined Richmond in late 2010 via the AFL’s pre-season draft following a frustrating four-year stint at Essendon, where he managed only 26 senior appearances.

The dashing defender grabbed the opportunity offered to him by the Tigers and went on to be a pivotal member of the team over the course of the next decade.

He played such a crucial role in Richmond’s line-up with his elite running ability, rebounding, and spearing, long left-foot kicks.

Runner-up to teammate Dustin Martin in two Norm Smith Medals – 2017 and 2019 – highlights the major impact he had in the Tigers’ success on the game’s biggest stage.

In the 2017 premiership-decider against Adelaide, Houli finished with 25 disposals, 11 marks, four rebound-50s, three inside-50s, five tackles, one goal, four score involvements, seven intercepts and 694 metres gained.

Two years later, in Richmond’s massive Grand Final victory over Greater Western Sydney, Houli had 28 disposals, seven marks, six rebound-50s. six score involvements, nine intercepts, six tackles and 317 metres gained.

Houli also fought valiantly throughout the 2020 Grand Final against Geelong to complete the game, despite sustaining a significant calf injury early in the match. It was particularly important for him to stay out on the field given the fact fellow Tiger defender Nick Vlastuin had been subbed out of the match early in the first quarter with concussion.

The high level of performance consistently produced by Houli across his 206-game at Tigerland is underlined by the seven top-10 finishes he managed in the Jack Dyer Medal.

He finished fourth in his 2011 debut season at the Club, equal 10^th in 2012, 10^th in 2013, ninth in 2014, eighth in 2015, equal eighth in 2017 and seventh in 2019.

Houli’s best season with Richmond was in the 2019 premiership year, when he gained All-Australian selection for the first time.

That season, he averaged 27.8 disposals, 6.5 marks, 7.0 intercepts, 5.0 rebound-50s and 481.2 metres gained per game.

And he also polled a career-high 11 Brownlow votes that season.

Throughout his time at Tigerland, Houli averaged an impressive 22.6 disposals, 5.4 marks, 5.1 intercepts, 3.7 rebound-50s and 447.8 metres gained per game.

Richmond is proud to have welcomed back Motorola as partner of our 2023 Homecoming Heroes. Motorola was recently announced as the official smartphone partner of the Richmond Football Club.

Bachar Houli profile

Born: May 12, 1988

Height: 181cm

Playing weight: 83kg

Recruited to Richmond from: Essendon

Guernsey number at Richmond: No. 14

Debut at Richmond: Round 1, 2011 v Carlton, MCG

Games at Richmond (2011-2021): 206

Goals at Richmond: 34

Playing honours at Richmond: Triple premiership player (2017, 2019, 2020), All Australian selection (2019)

Richmond's Homecoming Heroes since 2014...