Richmond three-time premiership player Bachar Houli is set to return to football, with local football club Newport announcing the massive signing coup.
Houli was a 232-game player for Essendon (26 games, 2007-2011) and the Tigers (206, 2011-2021), playing pivotal roles in bringing the premiership cup back to Punt Road.
The signing news comes as the 36-year-old has overcome a nasty car crash last year in Canberra, where he was hospitalised for weeks with serious injuries in June when the car he was in rolled.
Now, the left-footer will return to the game he spent 15 seasons playing at the elite level, donning the Newport guernsey in the Western Football Netball League (WRFL).
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โWe are super excited to announce that Bachar Houli will be playing with Newport in 2025,โ the club announced in an Instagram post on Sunday.
โA local man, a great man, an icon of the game. We cant wait to see him in the maroon, black and gold in 2025."
Houli was initially drafted by the Bombers in 2006 with Pick 42 from Spotswood in the WRFL and the Western Jets in the TAC Cup.
Struggling to cement his spot in the backline at Essendon, he crossed to Richmond through the pre-season draft ahead of the 2011 season and immediately become a favourite under Damien Hardwick.
His elite kicking and dare off half back was a key ingredient to the Tigers' rise from mediocrity to dynasty, securing three flags between 2017 and 2020.
During that time, Houli would receive All-Australian honours (2019) and the Yiooken Award (2019) for his efforts in the Dreamtime at the G' clash against his former side.
The following year, Houli was also rewarded with the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award for his efforts outside of football.
