Chris Judd retires: Jon Anderson reflects on Chris Judd’s career and rates the legend
AS Chris Judd farewells the AFL, Herald Sun footy expert Jon Anderson says the dual Brownlow medallist was perhaps the best player to watch during his time in the game.
THE best analogy for Chris Judd is Muhammad Ali, two masters of their craft who bedazzled their opponents with blinding speed before re-defining their game plans to account for injury and lay-off.
In Judd’s case there was the 2002-2006 West Coast version before groin injuries reduced his explosive bursts, forcing him to adapt a more inside role to his game at Carlton that just added to his greatness.
For Ali there was the 1961-67 model that embarrassed his opponents with hand and leg speed never seen before in the heavyweight division, and then a totally different fighter who returned after three and a half years in exile to prove he could take a punch like no other.
Aesthetically they were the best viewing in their time and from that perspective Judd sits no.1 for me when determining where the midfielders rank since he entered the game with both shoulders bandaged in 2002.
DECISION: JUDD TO ANNOUNCE RETIREMENT
LEGEND: SIX GAMES THAT MADE JUDD A GREAT
Taking it a step further I would rank Judd second only to Gary Ablett Jnr as the complete midfield package in that time, Ablett being a more natural goal-kicker while winning even more of the ball.
Judd provided a compelling argument to go to a game that didn’t involve your team, one of those rare players who took you outside your parochial boundaries. He seemed to have a sixth sense for impacting a match, and with a couple of “brain-fade” exceptions he played the game in a fashion you would encourage every child to follow.
My memories of him will be the dashing Eagle who cut through the Brisbane defence at the Gabba in 2003 and then the Carlton maestro who decided to take hold of a game against Sydney at the SCG in 2011. Different versions of the same champion.
In both instances, indeed as always seemed the case, you would notice him at stoppages grimacing as he tried to get the air back into his lungs, similar to the “hands on hips” look of another midfield great in Robert Harvey.
But Judd, despite looking exhausted, seemed to find a way to fight through it and win the vital ball that sometimes decided games. He had that sense of timing that champions seem to capture best. And he leaves the games with a level of respect rarely seen, his decision to remain distant from the norm when it comes to AFL behavioural patterns just adding to his legend. I regard myself as extremely fortunate to have witnessed his career.
ANDO’S TOP MIDFIELDERS SINCE 2002
1: Gary Ablett Jnr
2: Chris Judd
3: Simon Black
4: Joel Selwood
5: Sam Mitchell
Originally published as Chris Judd retires: Jon Anderson reflects on Chris Judd’s career and rates the legend