Chris Judd wins second Brownlow Medal in shock result

CHRIS Judd produced the biggest Brownlow shock in years, bolting to the AFL's top individual prize for the second time.

CHRIS Judd produced the biggest Brownlow Medal shock in 15 years, bolting to the AFL's most coveted individual prize for the second time.

The Carlton skipper started the count a $21 long shot with TAB Sportsbet, but enhanced his reputation as an umpires' pet by polling an extraordinary 30 votes.

Judd, the 2004 winner with West Coast, survived late-season raids by favourites Gary Ablett and Dane Swan.

He is the biggest outsider to win the Brownlow since Sydney captain Paul Kelly saluted as a $25 chance in 1995.

Pictures: 2010 Brownlow Medal winner

Judd, the 13th player to snare two medals and Carlton's fifth only winner, last night said he arrived at Crown Casino's Palladium Room with zero expectations.

"Sometimes you really come expecting not to win and that was me tonight," Judd said.

"It's a huge spin-out for me and probably a lot of people in the room, but we'll take it."

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Amazingly, Judd played in only 19 of 22 home-and-away games after missing the first three rounds with suspension.

Judd was rubbed out after a controversial incident with Brisbane Lion Michael Rischitelli in last year's finals.

He rolled the dice at the tribunal and lost after making contact to Rischitelli's face.

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Judd wasted no time on his return, polling three votes in his first five games from Rounds 4 to 8 to surge past early leader, Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands.

The run set the foundations for the shock result, with raging favourite Swan polling regularly but failing to snare enough three votes to overtake Judd.

While Swan could not get the nod for best-on-grounds, managing only two, Judd claimed eight three vote games even though the Blues won only 11 matches for the season.

Pictures: Brownlow Medal blue carpet

Some will consider Judd to be lucky to be on stage to accept the prize, given an incident involving Fremantle's Matthew Pavlich in Round 13.

Judd swung his elbow back and split Pavlich's cheek open, but escaped at the match review panel.

The decision to free Judd made headlines. If the panel had suspended Judd, he would have been ineligible for the medal.

Video: Brownlow blue carpet

Judd was adamant he had not seen a replay of the incident, but conceded it may have been a fortunate break.

"Yeah, I was probably a bit lucky," Judd said with a smile.

The last time Judd won, he counted up his potential votes in the lead-up, thinking he might be a chance. This time, he did not even bother with as many as 10 others considered better chances.

Video: Brownlow blue carpet hit and misses

Judd now has a premiership medal, a Norm Smith Medal and two Brownlows in his trophy cabinet.

His fiancee Rebecca Twigley last night said Judd had plans to build a "man room" in the couples' next house to display the Brownlows.

At 27, Judd is on the way to becoming one of the most decorated players in the game's history.

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Only three other players - Greg Williams (Sydney/Carlton), Peter Moore (Collingwood/Melbourne), Ian Stewart (St Kilda/Richmond) - won won Brownlows at two different clubs.

Williams was Carlton's last Brownlow Medal winner, back in 1994.

Judd arrived at Carlton in 2008 as the game's highest-paid player. The massive investment, believed to be close to $1 million a year, has paid off.

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He was inspirational in the Blues' elimination final loss to Sydney, but could not get his team over the line.

Judd was gutted after the loss to the Swans, but last night was a massive sweetener.