page_title: Bachar Houli
section_title: 2007 season
hierarchical_section_title: Bachar Houli / AFL career / Essendon (2007–2010) / 2007 season
caption_attribution_description: English: Bachar Houli, Australian rules footballer
context_page_description: Bachar Houli is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League. He is a two-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. He previously played 26 matches over four seasons with Essendon after being drafted to the club from junior football with the Western Jets.
context_section_description: Houli was drafted by the Essendon Football Club with the club's fifth selection and the 42nd pick overall in the 2006 AFL national draft.
  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 one goal. 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.
caption: Houli with Essendon during his debut season in May 2007
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