He was the last person to lead Fitzroy to the premiership before their merger with the Brisbane Bears, doing so in 1944 as both captain and coach.

Hughson played as a fullback and was named in that position in Fitzroy's Team of the Century.

[2] However, he did play up forward in his debut season in 1938, kicking 62 goals in 15 games topping the club's goalkicking charts.

A long kicker of the ball, Hughson established the official and recognised world record for a drop kick at 83 yards 11 inches – at the halftime interval of a VFL game against South Melbourne at the Brunswick Street Oval.

[3] He finished third in the 1941 Brownlow Medal and sixth in 1947; but the highlight of his career was undoubtedly winning the 1944 Grand Final by 15 points over Richmond, as Captain-Coach.