{{short description|Australian rules footballer, born 1907}} {{For|his son who played for Fitzroy|Les Hughson, Jr}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Les Hughson | image = Les Hughson 1927.jpg | caption = Hughson in 1927 | fullname = Leslie William Mitchell Hughson | birth_date = 12 September 1907 | birth_place = Richmond, Victoria | death_date = {{death date and age|1985|10|22|1907|09|12|df=yes}} | death_place = Heidelberg West, Victoria | originalteam = Telegraph FC (Wednesday Mid Week FA)<ref>{{cite web |title=1927 - Telegraph Keen |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/275245119 |publisher=The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956) |access-date=16 February 2026 |page=17 |date=27 July 1927}}</ref> | height = 188&nbsp;cm | weight = 90&nbsp;kg | position = Ruckman | statsend = 1937 | years1 = 1927 | club1 = Collingwood | games_goals1 = {{0}}1 {{0}}(1) | years2 = 1928 | club2 = Hawthorn | games_goals2 = {{0}}4 {{0}}(3) | years3 = 1929 | club3 = Carlton Reserves | games_goals3 = ? {{0}}(?) | years4 = 1930 | club4 = Kew | games_goals4 = ? {{0}}(?) | years5 = 1931–33 | club5 = Preston | games_goals5 = 35 {{0}}(33) | years6 = 1933–34 | club6 = Carlton | games_goals6 = 12 {{0}}(7) | years7 = 1934–36 | club7 = St Kilda | games_goals7 = 41 (45) | years8 = 1937 | club8 = Fitzroy | games_goals8 = 15 (12) | years9 = 1938-40 | club9 = Stawell | games_goals9 = ? (?) | games_goalstotal = 73 (68) | careerhighlights = 1939 & 40 Wimmera FL premiership captain-coach: Stawell }}

'''Leslie William Mitchell Hughson''' (12 September 1907 – 22 October 1985) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood, Hawthorn, Carlton, St Kilda and Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Hughson is one of only four VFL/AFL footballers to have appeared for five separate clubs. His first port of call was Collingwood but he only played one game for the Magpies, which included a trip to Perth, Western Australia in August, 1927,<ref>{{cite web |title=1927 - Welcome Collingwood |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/256989281 |publisher=The Leader (Perth, WA : 1923 - 1928) |access-date=16 February 2026 |page=7 |date=12 August 1927}}</ref> before switching allegiances to Hawthorn in 1928.

After his season at Hawthorn, the ruckman then played with Carlton Reserves in 1929,<ref>{{cite web |title=1929 - Club Notes |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204108364 |publisher=The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) |access-date=16 February 2026 |page=6 |date=5 July 1929}}</ref> then he left the league and played with Kew from 1929 to 1931. Hughson them moved to Preston<ref>{{cite web |title=1931 - Football: Association Permits |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4390152 |publisher=The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) |access-date=16 February 2026 |page=10 |date=4 June 1931}}</ref> in the Victorian Football Association in June, 1931.<ref>{{cite web |title=193 - The Hughson Case |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204890135 |publisher=The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) |access-date=16 February 2026 |page=3 |date=20 April 1933}}</ref>

in 1933, Hughson was involved in a disputed clearance wrangle between the VFL, VFA and Kew, which was finally settled and he was granted a permit to play with Carlton in May, 1933.<ref>{{cite web |title=1933 - Hughson's case settled |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4738068 |publisher=The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) |access-date=16 February 2026 |page=4 |date=25 May 1933}}</ref>

He then had a stint at Carlton in 1933 and 1934 before crossing to St Kilda mid season. It was at St Kilda that he played his only full season and he kicked 27 goals for them in 1935.

His fifth and final VFL club was Fitzroy, a club that his brothers Fred and Mick also played for during their careers.

Hughson was captain-coach of Stawell<ref>{{cite web |title=1938 - Hughson Coach of Stawell |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224937571 |publisher=Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954) |access-date=16 February 2026 |page=73 |date=19 March 1938}}</ref> and were runners up in 1938,<ref>{{cite web |title=1938 - Horsham Beats Stawell to Gain Wimmera League Pennant |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/73183795 |publisher=The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954) |access-date=7 February 2026 |page=2 |date=27 September 1938}}</ref> and again when they won the 1939<ref>{{cite web |title=1939 - STAWELL WINS 1939 PREMIERSHIP |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/73141567 |publisher=The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954) |access-date=8 February 2026 |page=6 |date=26 September 1939}}</ref> and 1940<ref>{{cite web |title=1940 - Stawell 1940 premiers by eight points |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/73150607 |publisher=The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954) |access-date=8 February 2026 |page=3 |date=9 July 1940}}</ref> Wimmera Football League premierships.

Two brothers also had significant VFL careers, both for Fitzroy.<ref>{{cite book|author=Donald, Chris|title=Fitzroy: For the Love of the Jumper| publisher=Pan Macmillan Australia|year=2002|isbn=978-1-877029-18-9}}</ref> Most famous was Fred Hughson who captain-coached Fitzroy to the 1944 premiership and the other, Mick Hughson, played 95 games for the club.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Holmesby|first1=Russell|last2=Main|first2=Jim|title=The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers| publisher=BAS Publishing|year=2007|isbn=9781920910785}}</ref>

His son, Les Hughson Junior also played senior VFL football with Fitzroy too.

Hughson was enlisted with the Australian Army between 1941 and 1945.<ref>{{cite web |title=World War Two Service Record: Les Hughson |url=https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=464903&c=WW2#R |website=Veteran Affiars |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=16 February 2026 |date=4 June 1941}}</ref>

==Links== {{Commons category}} *{{AFL Tables|ref=L/Les_Hughson0.html}} *[http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Les+Hughson Les Hughson profile] from Blueseum *[https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/les-w-hughson/ Les Hughson profile] via Collingwood Forever *Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). ''The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers''. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughson, Les}} Category:1907 births Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Category:Collingwood Football Club players Category:Hawthorn Football Club players Category:Carlton Football Club players Category:St Kilda Football Club players Category:Fitzroy Football Club players Category:Preston Football Club players Category:1985 deaths Category:People from Richmond, Victoria Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen