Richmond and Melbourne will honour a great of the game this Anzac Day Eve, with the awarding of the Frank 'Checker' Hughes medal at the end of Friday night's clash.
A tribute to the seven-time premiership player and coach, the medal will be presented to the player voted best on ground at the conclusion of Friday night's match, which focuses on the contribution of currently serving men and women and contemporary veterans.
The medal is a fitting nod to a man who achieved so much, for the game and his country.
Long before he become a legend of the competition, Hughes joined the World War 1 effort, rising through the ranks to serve as a company quartermaster sergeant.
He enlisted as a 21-year-old in 1915, just one year after making his debut for Richmond. Hughes went on to perform his duty for almost four years.
Hughes, who served with the 57th battalion of the Australian Imperial Force, was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his significant contribution in France and Belgium.
Using football as a welcomed distraction during his downtime, Hughes joined 400 men in setting up a footy field in the village of Mametz, France in 1916 and was involved in various matches. He maintained his love for the game during the most challenging of times.
When he returned from service, he also returned to Punt Road, going on to play a total of 87 games for Richmond, between 1914 and 1923, as was a key part of the 1920 and 1921 Tigers premierships.
From there, Hughes went on to coach the Tigers in 120 matches form 1927 to 1932, coaching a flag in the year he would finish up at Richmond.
A year later, he began an eight-season coaching stint with the Demons (1933-1941), coaching Melbourne to four premierships.
He would return as Melbourne coach from 1945 to 1948, winning another premiership in 1948.
Hughes passed away in 1978 and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame a decade later, after spending over 50 years of his life at the top level.
Former Demon Christian Petracca was the inaugural recipient of the medal in 2021. It will be presented for the sixth time this Friday night, to the player judged best on ground. Previous winners include Petracca (2021), Clayton Oliver (2022), Jack Viney (2023) and Max Gawn (2024, 2025).
Richmond takes on Melbourne in Friday night's Anzac Day Eve clash at the MCG from 7.40pm (AEST).
2026 Frank 'Checker' Hughes Medal Voting Panel
Jordan Lewis (Fox Footy)
Dale Thomas (Channel 7)
Joel Selwood (3AW)
Kate McCarthy (Triple M)
