Australian Football

Hailing from Boulder, Lindsay 'Blue' Richards was a bona fide goldfields football legend. He played a season with East Fremantle in 1927, but returned the following year to the goldfields, where he lined up with Boulder City. Richards won the competition fairest and best award that season and was a member of the Tigers' premiership team. In 1929 he resumed with Old East where, despite standing just 180cm in height, he developed into one of the most commanding centre half backs in the game. He was a member of East Fremantle premiership teams in 1929, 1930 and 1931, played for Western Australia at the 1930 Adelaide carnival, and in 1931 became the club's first ever Sandover Medallist, eliciting these words of praise from the "Western Mail":

He ..... is an ideal Sandover Medallist. Fair and clean in his methods, he shows great dash, fine marking ability and never hesitates to kick the ball as far away from danger as possible.

Richards also won the Lynn Medal as club fairest and best in 1931, but the following year, after a total of 59 games with Old Easts, he ventured back to the goldfields where he took part in two more premiership seasons with Boulder City. He completed his playing career with a successful three-season stint in the VFL with South Melbourne.

In 1997, Lin Richards was selected as a member of East Fremantle's official 'Team of the Century'.

Author - John Devaney