Lewis Thomas Charles "Lou" Richards, MBE (15 March 1923 – 8 May 2017) was an Australian rules footballer who played 250 games for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1941 and 1955. He captained the team from 1952 to 1955, including a premiership win in 1953. He later became a hotel manager and a highly prominent sports journalist in print, radio and television for more than 50 years, and he was known for his wit and vivacity. The Collingwood leader of the cheer squad at the time of Richards' death, Joffa Corfe, remarked that "Louie was a knockabout sort of bloke," adding that "he was easy to approach and he was easy to talk to".
Born in Collingwood, Victoria, Richards' passion for Collingwood grew out of family connections—he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Charlie Pannam and uncles Charles and Alby Pannam, both former Magpie players. His brother Ron Richards also played for the club. The Richards–Pannam dynasty made Collingwood the only club to have been captained by three generations of the one family. As a family, they played over 1,200 games between them.
Recognised for his skill and toughness, Richards played as a rover, resting in the forward pocket.

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