Carlton captain Chris Judd wins second AFL Players' Association MVP award
CARLTON captain Chris Judd added to his already glittering trophy cabinet, winning his second AFLPA MVP award.
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CARLTON captain Chris Judd added to his already glittering trophy cabinet, winning his second AFL Players' Association MVP award.
Judd became the fifth player to claim the prestigious award twice.
The masterful midfielder was a tearaway winner, polling 1347 votes to beat Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury (456) and inaugural Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett (389). Judd also won the best captain award.
They could be the first of many individual honours this year for Judd, who is a raging $1.80 favourite to win his third Brownlow Medal in a fortnight.
Judd, 28, is aiming to become only the fifth player in AFL/VFL history to win three Brownlows after saluting in 2004 and last year, but the Leigh Matthews Trophy, voted by the players, has been something of a Brownlow jinx in recent years.
Over the past decade, only two players (Ablett in 2009 and Ben Cousins in 2005) have taken out the AFLPA MVP-Brownlow double in the same year.
Judd averaged 27 possessions a game this season, ranking fourth in the league for contested possessions and clearances.
His onball drive was a major reason for Carlton's most successful season of the past decade.
In their 29th year, the MVP awards aim to recognise players' versatility, ability to play under pressure, skill, leadership, courage, respect for all players and overall value to a team.
The voting process begins when each team nominates the three players most deserving.
Each player then must vote in a 3-2-1 preference from the list of nominees.
Judd's 2011 gongs come on top of a premiership (2006) and five club best-and-fairest awards - two at West Coast and three at Carlton.
Judd said this year was one of his most complete seasons.
"It would probably be right up there," he said last night.
"I think it's been a really consistent year and I guess how you reflect on the year has a lot to do with what happens in the next period of time (in finals)."
AFLPA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Chris Judd (Carlton) 1347*
Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) 456
Gary Ablett (Gold Coast) 389
Adam Goodes (Sydney) 300
Dean Cox (West Coast) 276
BEST CAPTAIN
Chris Judd (Carlton) 240
Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) 127
Adam Goodes (Sydney) 78
MOST COURAGEOUS
Jonathan Brown (Brisbane) 242
Joel Selwood (Geelong) 107
Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) 88
BEST FIRST-YEAR PLAYER
Dyson Heppell (Essendon)
* votes
