Three-time Richmond premiership player Bachar Houli will make a comeback to footy after narrowly escaping death in a horrific car crash last year.
The 36-year-old Tigers champion was hospitalised for weeks with serious injuries in June last year when the ute he was in rolled.
He was taken to a local hospital in Canberra, where he was on a camping trip, before being airlifted to Melbourne where he underwent surgery on a broken pelvis.
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Now, the 232-game AFL champion will pull on the boots again for Victorian local club Newport in the Western Football Netball League.
“We are super excited to announce that Bachar Houli will be playing with Newport in 2025,” the club announced in an Instagram post on Sunday.“A local man, a great man, an icon of the game. We cant wait to see him in the maroon, black and gold in 2025.”
At the time of the accident last year, then Tigers chief executive Brendon Gale said Houli was “in a pretty bad way” and had a long road ahead to fully recover.
Houli’s brother-in-law Khaled was also injured.
Houli posted a video of thanks to his supporters about two weeks after being admitted to hospital, sharing his relief that the accident was not fatal.
“I hope everyone’s having a fantastic day. I just wanted to share this short message as a means of gratitude,” the father-of-three said last year.
“I just wanted to show my gratitude for all those caring people out here who have asked about my progress. I’ve had a successful operation for my pelvis, which had a fair bit of damage in it. That’s obviously taken care of.”
Houli said it was “frustrating” to be in hospital for a fortnight but said he is “still grateful”.
“The fact that I’m able to breathe again, to have another opportunity in life that the Almighty has given me,” said Houli, a devout Muslim.
“Because it could’ve been very well been much worse.
“He truly tests those who he loves. I’m taking it to mean that the Almighty loves me and he’s put me through this test. And there’s wisdom behind it.
“Someone who truly loves Allah, the one and only, someone who is faithful, and Allah puts him through this test, he wants to see how they respond.
“Allah wants to see that even in times of hardship each, are you still grateful? By Allah, I am so grateful. By Allah, I am so, so grateful.”