Australian Football

The outstanding Richmond player of the VFA era, Charles Backhouse was a champion centreman for more than fifteen years and 200 games (the exact total is not known) during the club’s rise to power. He showed early promise at Camberwell and was subsequently recruited by Carlton, but after several games with the Blues in 1890 he sought a clearance to Punt Road. The change of scenery did the trick, and he soon become a standout player in what was then a struggling team. 

As the club began to improve its lot in the early 1900s, leading to a first flag in 1902, Backhouse was the engine room from which many forward thrusts were initiated. In 1903, so revered was he at Punt Road that he gained the then rare distinction of life membership while still playing. By 1905, however, when Richmond claimed its second premiership, he could only manage a couple of games - including a surprise recall for the [Preliminary] final against North Melbourne - and announced his retirement shortly thereafter, only to pop up again the following year for VFA rival Preston. The comeback lasted exactly one game!

Author - Adam Cardosi