Wright was extremely agile; in 1894, "Observer", the football correspondent for
The Argus, noted that, among the "clever gymnasts" in the Essendon team, "Wright their forward player, can kick a boxing-glove out of a man's hand, the holder standing on a chair, and holding it higher than his own head."
Essendon (VFA) Recruited from the
Ballarat Imperials Football Club in the
Ballarat Football Association (BFA), Wright made his debut for the
Essendon Football Club in the
Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1894. He was part of the Essendon team that won the premiership that year.
Essendon (VFL) He won his second premiership in the
1897 season. During that season, he kicked the winning goal for Essendon in the
first round final against
Geelong. He also played in the first ever VFL Grand Final the following year. A centreman, Wright finished on the losing team on that occasion but took part in a winning Grand Final in 1901, winning his third premiership.
1899 team of "champions" At the end of the 1899 season, in the process of naming his own "champion player", the football correspondent for
The Argus,
Reginald Wilmot ("Old Boy"), selected a team of the best players of the 1899 VFL competition: • Backs:
Maurie Collins (Essendon),
Bill Proudfoot (Collingwood),
Peter Burns (Geelong). • Halfbacks:
Pat Hickey (Fitzroy),
George Davidson (South Melbourne),
Alf Wood (Melbourne). • Centres:
Fred Leach (Collingwood),
Firth McCallum (Geelong),
Harry Wright (Essendon). • Wings:
Charlie Pannam (Collingwood),
Eddie Drohan (Fitzroy),
Herb Howson (South Melbourne). • Forwards:
Bill Jackson (Essendon),
Eddy James (Geelong),
Charlie Colgan (South Melbourne). • Ruck:
Mick Pleass (South Melbourne),
Frank Hailwood (Collingwood),
Joe McShane (Geelong). • Rovers:
Dick Condon (Collingwood),
Bill McSpeerin (Fitzroy),
Teddy Rankin (Geelong). From those he considered to be the three best players — that is, Condon, Hickey, and Pleass — Wilmot selected Pat Hickey as his "champion player" of the season. ==Cricket==