Bachar Houli [merged]

[gerkin greg]

Who's sitting next to Houli?
Is that Jakobi?

Dude I stuffing hope not, it's a chick. She was in the NZ photos. Dunno who she is.

[Tiger Tragic]

Who's sitting next to Houli?
Is that Jakobi?

Dude I effing hope not, it's a chick. She was in the NZ photos. Dunno who she is.

LMFAO. Draft her...she couldn't be worse than Hislop

[one-eyed]

Video of Houli

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/roar%20vision%20archive/tabid/11454/contentid/318425/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick provides an insightful summary of the selections the Tigers made in today’s pre-season and rookie drafts . . .

Bachar Houli
“Firstly, he’s a quality kid.  He has good values and is a very strong family man . . .
The thing we love about Bachar, from a football perspective, is his kicking ability.  He is an elite kick of the football.  We’ve already noticed at training the amount of times he can hit up a leading target inside-50, which is something we lacked over the course of last season.  We see him playing some half-forward, some outside wing . . . Another big plus with Bachar is he’s got the ability to kick goals, which is something else that we’ve lacked.  And, he’s also got leadership qualities.  He’s pulled our guys in a couple of times and spoken about the things we need to get better at, training-wise, which has been terrific.  Look, he’s fitted in really, really well and we think he’ll be a great addition to our footy Club.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/105981/default.aspx

Richmond has bolstered its midfield stocks by selecting Bachar Houli in the 2010 Pre-season Draft.

Houli, 22, arrives at Punt Road Oval from Essendon, where he was taken with selection 42 in the 2006 National Draft and played 26 games in four seasons.

He made his debut in 2007 and was nominated for the NAB Rising Star Award in 2008.

“Bachar is a player at the right age and pedigree, who will add more depth to our midfield,” Richmond’s General Manager of Football, Craig Cameron, said.

“We were pleased about how enthusiastic he is to join our young group, and he has already proved his credentials as a highly skilled player with good endurance.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/105969/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Houli was just on SEN with Francis Leech and Schwarz.....


* Very relieved. Been training at club for the past 3 weeks and the boys and coaches have made him feel very welcomed. Can now clear his mind now he's officially a Tiger and focus on the near-future.

* Meeting with Hird - did it just to clear his mind. Bachar said he had already made his decision. Opportunity at Richmond was great. He just wanted to hear what hird had to say and wanted to respect a great of the game by hearing what he had to say.

* Made decision as soon as season ended before Hird was appointed. Richmond offer was best for him and his family.

* He was very upset with not getting a fair go. He didn't show it though so no one at Essendon including the boys and leadership group knew. Biggest thing for him was to remain patient and finish off the year and take it from there. Ox said he showed character not showing his disappointment and not losing it with the

* Confidence in football is a massive thing. Got dropped twice and would speak with Knights. Get things right and then get dropped. Thought he was a bit unlucky. Repeated he just wanted to remain patient and finish off the year strong at Bendigo in the VFL.

* No jumper number yet. Knows half the theme song.

[Carvels Ring]

I hope Ox gave him some of those left over powerbands! 

[Penelope]

what are these powerbands?

[one-eyed]

Houli on 3BA (Ballarat) with Dr Turf......

* Biggest thing - Richmond players have been very welcoming. Young atmosphere makes me feel more comfotable. Feel like more a veteran.

* Spoke to Dimma in Sept. after the last round. Essendon only told him to be patient and things were going to happen. Told Knights sacked 3/4 time of round 21. Spoke to Dimma after round 22 and took it from there.

* Dimma went through the whole picture with Houli. Opportunity offered was too good to resist. Young team and all.

* Told himself all year to be patient. But he was worried. Spoke to his manager who did his job. A couple of clubs interested. Richmond more keen. Very glad to end up there.

* You're never comfortable playing VFL but you've just got to deal with it. He said he's a man who never gives up. If a club says it doesn't want you then there's nothing you can do about that.

* Haven't received a number yet. Want a different no. to the  #43 he had a Essendon. Joked with Dr Turf about getting #17.

* He said he was drafted as a midfielder and wants to play there. Today's game half-forward is midfield. So sees himself as an outside mid and play wing/half-forward.

* Very frustrated over the past year. Just wanted to be patient and good things will come. Dr Turf said you were patient and good things have come in Richmond drafting you.

[bojangles17]

wrapt to have this youngster in Y&B is a super talent and built like a tank

[one-eyed]

Here's the audio of Bachar's interview on 3BA with Dr Turf and Schwass

http://twaud.io/q4Hc

[WilliamPowell]

Who's sitting next to Houli?
Is that Jakobi?

Dude I effing hope not, it's a chick. She was in the NZ photos. Dunno who she is.

She's works in the Player Development dept with Tim Livingstone

[the_boy_jake]

Excited about Bachar.

And hope it peees off the islamaphobes!

[Hellenic Tiger]

Good to have Bachar on board.

Excited about Bachar.

And hope it peees off the islamaphobes!

Could not care less about the boy his own personal choices are exactly that his own. If he helps RFC up the ladder good enough for me.

[Penelope]

It seems that Bachar has his head screwed on right.

Houli looks forward to new journey at Punt Road
Emma Quayle
December 9, 2010

BY THE time Bachar Houli met James Hird in early October, it was already too late. The new Essendon coach told his former teammate what he wanted to hear: that he liked Houli, that he supported him, that he would, most importantly, play him.

But the day after his final VFL game this year, the 22-year-old had taken a call from Richmond and gone in to Punt Road. Meeting Damien Hardwick, he felt instantly comfortable with both the coach and his plans for him. Catching up with Hird was more about explaining why he wasn't going to sign on as a Bomber again, rather than having his mind changed. But that didn't make it any easier.

''I went to see James Hird to clear things up. And it was challenging, because he is a great of the game and I have so much respect for him. It was very hard for me to say, 'James, I've already made my decision' but that's what I had to do because, to be honest, my decision was already there,'' Houli said yesterday.
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''I was confused, walking away, but as I said to him, 'I've got to be a man, now.' I had to say, 'This is the best opportunity for me and my family, and it's one I really need to take'.''

Houli was frustrated during 2010, as he dipped in and out of the Essendon team. He was frustrated again when his old and new clubs failed to reach a deal during trade week, but both times reminded himself to remain patient.

While in 2009 he had needed to muster all his courage to call Matthew Knights and ask what he should be doing to get in the senior side, he didn't feel the same fear this year and, despite feeling his confidence shrink when he kept getting dropped, he holds nothing against his old coach.

''I couldn't walk up to him and say 'I should be in'. As a player, you don't do that,'' he said. ''People assumed there was a lot of tension between me and Matthew, but there was no tension. It took a bit of courage to talk to him, definitely, but when I felt like I needed to approach him I approached him and he always told me everything up front, all the time …

''I walked out with a smile every time and we were on good terms, which was the important thing. That's just my nature. I can't have any hatred towards anyone and I don't want anyone hating me. It just didn't unfold the way that I wanted it to.''

Houli kept working hard, and felt proud at the end of the season that he had not let his situation dictate how he played. Still, enduring another stop-start season left him feeling uncertain - even as he ran up the race, how he was going to play that day. That he felt so instantly comfortable around Hardwick, and that the Tigers were so determined to get him, made him feel like he would rediscover his self-belief as a Richmond player.

He got there officially on Tuesday, as the club's preseason draft selection but, having trained there for almost a month, already feels like he has made the best possible move.

''When I went into games this year, every time I picked up the footy I was second-guessing what I had to do, and that got me into a fair bit of trouble. I need to change that now so that when I run out I feel confident and know every time I get the football in my hands that I can hit any target I want to,'' Houli said.

''For me, football is so short. Of course, an element of moving comes from a financial point of view, but I've played 26 games in four years and I really, really want to play more games. I want to be a 150- or a 200-game player, that's the dream I had when I was drafted, and I feel like I could do that here. If I don't play well I only have myself to blame, but the coaches here have backed me. They've supported my talent and I owe them a lot for that. It's a new start; it's the start of a new journey now.''

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/houli-looks-forward-to-new-journey-at-punt-road-20101208-18pss.html

[one-eyed]

New Tiger Houli hitting his stride
Martin Boulton
The Age
January 6, 2011
 

Bachar Houli sizzled in a time trial with his new club yesterday. Photo: Vince Caligiuri



RICHMOND recruit Bachar Houli wasted no time making an impact on his new coaches during the first day back in training after the Christmas break.

The former Bomber was second fastest in yesterday's time trial around the Tan track, behind fleet-footed midfielder Matt White, and said he was rapt to have a fresh start after four years at Windy Hill.

''Essendon gave me an opportunity and gave me a lot, but I've put everything behind me now to concentrate on my new club and I'm really, really enjoying it - the coaching staff and players have been very supportive,'' Houli said. ''I just want to be out there [training] and improving as a player, and I can't wait to kick-start this season.''

Houli and fellow recruit Shaun Grigg, who crossed to Punt Road from Carlton, are likely to feature in coach Damien Hardwick's use of the new interchange rule, which the coach said would lead to more midfielders pushing forward.

In the home-and-away season teams will field three interchange players and one substitute. The substitute player can be used at any time, but the player he replaces will not be eligible to return to the field.

''We've got some time to trial it, which is great, that's what the NAB Cup is for,'' Hardwick said yesterday. ''We'll see what works best for us - whether it's an impact player off the bench or another runner. Hopefully, it has a positive impact for our game.''

Grigg said he was ''ready for whatever the coach wants me to do'' and after four years and 43 games with the Blues feels confident he can play a number of positions.

''It's like I've started out fresh again and I'm really excited to be at Tigerland,'' the 22-year-old said.

Grigg and Brad Miller, who joins the club's mature-age rookie list after nine years at Melbourne, are the only two players with any finals experience and the ex-Blue said he was desperate to play finals again.

''I grew up massively through that year [when Carlton reached the '09 elimination final] and after playing in one you want to play in heaps more,'' he said.

The Tigers' trio of recruits have 202 games of senior experience between them and supply the club with important options through the midfield, forward and defensive parts of the ground.

Houli, a former Rising Star nominee who played 22 games for the Bombers, is a versatile runner, and Grigg has developed into a flexible player who has developed his strength and stamina in recent years.

Miller, who played 133 games for the Demons, said it was good to be back in training and like Houli and Grigg felt like he was ''starting all over again'' with a new opportunity at the revamped Punt Road.

Houli was quick to spruik Miller's leadership qualities and said his years of experience would be valuable as the young Tigers aim to build on last year's strong second half of the season.

''His leadership is enormous and especially among a young group we need that, he definitely fits into that category,'' he said.

After Miller was delisted, he was soon targeted as a support for emerging forward star Jack Riewoldt.

Miller said he was thrilled to be part of ''an exciting new era'' at Richmond and looked forward to again playing at the MCG after putting in a solid pre-season campaign.

''Your mind is right in it, your heart is in it and your body follows,'' the 27-year-old said. ''I've been recovering really well from training sessions and feel really enthusiastic, so it's great.

''At the moment I just have to find my feet as a player, get as fit as I can and earn a bit of respect on the training field.

''The group has been awesome, they've accepted us with open arms and just been fantastic.''

Miller is expected to form part of the Tigers' emerging forward set-up featuring Coleman medallist Riewoldt, who has returned to full training after finger surgery.

Hardwick, who enters his second year as senior coach, was thrilled to see Riewoldt working hard around the Tan and finishing inside the top five in the 500-metre test.

''He's dropped about three or four kilograms and he's down to about 90 now, which is great,'' the coach said.

''He probably got a little bit heavy towards the end of last year [and] the way the game is probably going to go this year we'd like to see him a bit more up the ground.''

Nathan Foley (Achilles) is expected to join full training later this month.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/new-tiger-houli-hitting-his-stride-20110105-19gac.html