Ted Richards

Ted Richards (born 11 January 1983) is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League (AFL).

He was recruited as the number 27 draft pick in the 2000 AFL Draft from Xavier College. He made his debut for Essendon in Round 2, 2002 against Richmond and played for Essendon until the end of the 2005 season.

At the end of the 2005 season he told Essendon that he wanted to be traded to continue his career at a new club. So therefore he moved to the Sydney Swans in exchange for pick No. 19 and 50. He made his debut for the Sydney Swans in Round 1, 2006, coincidentally against his former teammates at Essendon. After a disastrous opening quarter for the Swans (despite having kicked the first goal) in which Leo Barry had six goals slammed against him, coach Paul Roos put Richards onto Matthew Lloyd, who had already kicked six goals. The change paid dividends, as Richards kept his former leader goalless in the second quarter. Despite this, his old club conquered by 27 points, in what turned out to be Essendon's only win for the first half of the season. He has become a regular member of the Swans' backline, but occasionally moves forward as required.

On 30 September 2006, Richards played in the AFL Grand Final and put in a good effort for the Sydney Swans. In the game, he was knocked unconscious in the final five minutes and is said to have lost memory of parts of the game.

In 2009 he suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs when he collided with then-Carlton forward Brendan Fevola in the final 30 seconds of the Swans' loss against Carlton (its first since 2000, ending a 12-match dominance) at Etihad Stadium. Richards missed the rest of the season as a result, as the Swans missed the finals for the first time in seven years. He also was forced to travel back to Sydney by road.

In 2010, Richards initially looked like he would struggle to win a consistent spot in the 22. However Craig Bolton's injury provided a spot for Richards in the Swans' defence. His season was capped off with him winning the Best Clubman Award. At the end of the year he completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of New South Wales, and combined with his football career at the Sydney Swans he now works part time in the banking industry whilst studying for a Master of Finance degree.

After a particularly strong end to 2010, Richards continued to play consistent football throughout 2011. He became the Swans' undisputed best defender and would take on the top forwards around the AFL every week, rarely being beaten. His fine year was rewarded with a 5th place finish in the Bob Skilton Medal.

2012 proved to be an even better year than the season before, as Richards finished 2nd in the 2012 Bob Skilton Medal and helped the Swans win their fifth VFL/AFL Premiership. These came shortly after he was given his first All-Australian jumper, being named at CHB. His remarkable improvement as a tall defender helped the Sydney defensive unit become the stingiest group in the AFL.