Bachar Houli (, born 12 May 1988) is a former Australian rules footballer who played 232 games over a 15-year career with and in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a three-time premiership player with Richmond and was named an All-Australian half-back during his 2019 premiership winning season. Houli is the first devout Muslim and third Muslim overall to play in the AFL.
In 2025, Houli will play for the Newport Football Club in the Western Football Netball League (WFNL).
Early life and junior football Houli was born in Australia to Lebanese parents who had migrated in the 1970s. He grew up in the western Melbourne suburbs of Altona North and Tarneit, and attended high school at Werribee Islamic College. He was raised a devout Muslim, praying five times a day and observing a comprehensive fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
He followed his older brothers into Australian rules football at the age of 11, but hid his participation from his parents, who preferred he focus his efforts on schooling. In his first season of competitive junior football in 2000, he won the under-12 best and fairest award while playing for Spotswood Football Club in the Western Region Football League. After that, his parents found out what he had been doing and, by his third season, they began to support his junior football endeavours, during which time he won two league best and fairest awards and earned selection to the local representative side, the Western Jets, in the TAC Cup.
In 2004, Houli was selected play for and captain the Victorian Metropolitan region at the AFL under-16 championships. In the following year, he was selected to represent the Victorian Metropolitan region side at the AFL Under 18 Championships, but was ruled out due to a back fracture. Later that year, he also suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a bike riding accident.
In 2006, Houli suffered repeated stress fractures in his back, but was able to play through, including while serving as Vic Metro vice-captain at the 2006 AFL Under 18 Championships. He kicked one goal in a match against South Australia and another two against Western Australia and was among his side's best players in each. His performances helped keep his side undefeated through three matches and earned a premiership win at the tournament.
After consulting with a sheikh, Houli decided to break his Ramadan fast for three days during the physical endurance tests at the AFL Draft Camp, after which he recorded impressive results that included top five rankings for the three-kilometre time trial (10 minutes, 10 seconds) and beep test (14.7). Prior to the 2006 national draft, AFL Media projected Houli would be taken by Essendon with the 47th pick.
AFL career Essendon (2007–2010) 2007 season
In the 2006 AFL national draft, Houli was chosen by the Essendon Football Club as its fifth selection, and the 42nd pick overall.
He first represented Essendon in an exhibition match against the Indigenous All-Stars in Darwin in early February 2007. Houli spent the opening weeks of the season playing reserves-grade football with the club's VFL-affiliate Bendigo Bombers, where he played as a half-forward and midfielder and recorded 30 or more disposals in three of his first five matches. Following those performances, he earned an AFL debut in a round 7 match against the Kangaroos, where he recorded 15 disposals and kicked a goal with his first kick in AFL football. Houli followed that effort with a two-goal showing in round 8, before lesser performances in round 9 and 10 saw him returned to VFL level for the rest of the 2007 season. He finished the year having played four AFL matches and averaged 11 disposals and 0.75 goals per game.
2008 season Houli turned in a series of strong performances in the 2008 pre-season NAB Cup tournament, including with 17 disposals in the first half of a match against that saw AFL Media label him among his side's best players. In addition to previous roles as a half-forward and midfielder, he began playing as a half-back during this time. Those efforts saw him hold his place into the season-proper, where he played in a dual role as midfielder and half-back and recorded 26 disposals in a win over the that earned him the league's first Rising Star nomination of the year. Though he missed round 9 with a virus, Houli otherwise held his place at senior level over the first 11 weeks of the season, playing primarily on the club's half-back line, including with a two-goal, 23-disposal game in round 5 that earned him his first Brownlow Medal vote. To that point he ranked third in the club's best and fairest count. Houli missed round 12's match against West Coast with a groin injury, which after several weeks of rehabilitation and little progress, was identified as the beginning of osteitis pubis. The injury required surgery to repair and would effectively rule him out for the remainder of the season. Houli played 10 AFL matches and averaged 19 disposals per game in 2008, earning himself 17th place in the club's best and fairest count.
2009 season After returning from injury, Houli regained his spot in Essendon's best 22 for the opening round of the 2009 season. Despite six marks and 18 disposals, Houli was dropped back to reserves level immediately following that match. Houli was regularly named a non-playing AFL emergency over the following six weeks and earned media praise from Essendon officials for his VFL output, before being recalled for round 7 of the AFL season. He held his spot at senior level for a further five weeks, including in round 10 where he recorded a then career-best 31 disposals. Houli missed round 12 due to a virus, but was not immediately recalled to AFL football following his recovery. Instead, he spent another seven matches at the lower level with consistently strong performances before returning for a single match at AFL level in round 19. Houli suffered a leg injury while training in the week that followed, with scans later revealing it to be a fractured fibula that would rule him out for the rest of the 2009 season. He finished the year having played just seven matches, but again lifting his disposals output to 22.4 per game.
2010 season Houli recovered from his 2009 injury to complete a full pre-season training program ahead of the 2010 season, but he started the year outside the club's AFL 22. After playing VFL football with Bendigo, he made consecutive AFL appearances with 25 and 19 disposals in round 3 and 4 respectively, before being dropped back to the reserves ahead of round 5. Despite strong and consistently high output performances, Houli was restricted to VFL football for the longest period of his career with 13 weeks away, before finally earning an AFL recall in round 17. He played just three matches at AFL level before he was again dropped back to reserves level following a round 19 loss to . Houli featured in the club's VFL elimination final that September, a match which fell during the fasting daylight hours of Ramadan for the first time of his professional career. He committed to maintain a strict fast, a decision he would later vowed never to repeat after losing five kilograms over the course of the game and nearly passing out repeatedly during the heavy loss. In future daytime Ramadan games he would maintain minimum energy and hydration with small amounts of water and carbohydrate gell. Houli finished the year averaging 20 disposals per game over five appearances at AFL level, and placed third in the Bendigo Bombers' best and fairest count after spending most of the season at reserves level.
Houli came out of contract at the end of the 2010 season bearing significant frustration towards Essendon after failing to gain regular senior selection under departing coach Matthew Knights. Despite consulting with the newly appointed Essendon coach James Hird in October, Houli formalised his rejection of a contract extension by requesting a trade to . After protracted negotiations in which Fox Footy and the Herald Sun reported Essendon has demanded a second-round pick and Richmond had offered a third rounder in pick 46, no trade could be agreed to by the two clubs. Though Essendon retained his rights, Houli's ongoing refusal to sign with the club saw him instead nominate for the forthcoming pre-season draft. He departed Essendon after four years and 26 AFL games at the club.
Richmond (2011–2021) 2011 season
After the failed trade talks, Houli was drafted by with the club's first selection and the third pick overall in the pre-season draft.
He immediately earned AFL selection, making his debut for the club in round 1's season opening match against . In round 5, Houli recorded 30 disposals and was named by AFL Media as one of his side's best players. He played a dual role as a midfielder and defender and continued to impress over the following months, including with a two-goal haul in round 7's win over and 30 or more disposals in rounds 6, 10 and 17. Houli was also best afield and received the maximum three Brownlow Medal votes following a then career-best 32 disposals in a round 21 win over . By season's end Houli had solidified himself as an important rebounding half-back for Richmond, playing in all 22 matches that season and earning the Fred Swift Medal for fourth place in the club's best and fairest count.
2012 season Houli began the 2012 season in what AFL Media described as "good touch", averaging 25 disposals across the opening three rounds of the year. Houli signed a new two-year contract extension with the club in late June, to which point he averaged 22 disposals per game over 12 consecutive matches that year. In round 22, AFL Media named Houli one of Richmond's best players with 26 disposals in a win over , while in round 23, Houli received four Coaches' Association Award votes as the equal third best player in a draw with . Houli finished the season having played in all 22 matches for the second straight season, while recording the second most rebound 50s and fifth most disposals of any player at the club that year. He also placed equal 10th in the club's best and fairest count.
2013 season
Prior to the 2013 season, Houli was labelled "elite" by the AFL's statistical partner Champion Data who placed him in the very top category of general defenders in the league. He played a full suite of pre-season matches and started the season well, including with a career-high 13 marks in round's win over . Two weeks later he recorded 25 disposals in a win over that earned him three Coaches' Award votes as the fourth best player on the field. He bettered that output following the round 11 bye, attracting four coaches votes and one Brownlow Medal vote for 26 disposals and seven rebound-50s in a win over in round 12, before earning another two Brownlow votes for a 25 disposal and one goal performance against in round 13. Houli was named to play but eventually a late withdrawal with hamstring soreness in round 15, and would ultimately miss one further game with the injury before making a return in round 17. At the end of the home and away season, Houli underwent scans to diagnose minor abductor pain he had been dealing with for most of the season. He was declared fit enough to play in his first finals match and the club's first finals appearance in 12 years, contributing 20 disposals in a knockout elimination final loss to . Houli finished the year having played 21 matches and placed 10th in the club's best and fairest count.
2014 season