Russell was born in the seaside town of Port Augusta, South Australia.
Military service
Russell enlisted in the army on 9 July 1942 and was discharged on 7 August 1946.[2]
Football
Due to his war commitments Russell made his debut for Port Adelaide at the relatively late age of 25. After his debut season he would represent South Australia in interstate football every year for the remainder of his career. During the 1950 Brisbane Carnival, Richard's performances in the back pocket for South Australia gained him a spot in the Sporting Life team, a forerunner to the modern All-Australian team concept. He would win his only premiership during the 1951 SANFL season.