Chris Judd
Encyclopedia
Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd (born 8 September 1983) is a professional Australian rules football
er and current captain of the Carlton Football Club
in the Australian Football League
(AFL).
Widely regarded as one of the best footballers currently in the AFL, Judd has twice won the league's highest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal
, and is a dual Leigh Matthews Trophy
winner as the AFL Players Association
most valuable player. He has achieved another of the league's highest honours by captaining the West Coast Eagles
to the 2006 AFL Premiership
. Consistently recognised as one of the game's premier midfielders, Judd has been selected in the All-Australian team
six times, including as captain in 2008
. At a representative level, he played for Australia in the 2002 International Rules Series and for Victoria
in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
in 2008.
Judd is recognised as a great at two clubs, West Coast and his current club Carlton. During his 134 games with West Coast he captained the club for two seasons and won two Club Champion Award
s. After returning to Melbourne to captain the Carlton Football Club, Judd won the John Nicholls Medal
as the club's Best and Fairest three times, and become just one of four players in AFL history to win a Brownlow Medal at more than one club.
Raised in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs, where he played for the East Sandringham Junior Football Club before he attended Caulfield Grammar School
. Judd was an all round sportsman and junior track and field
star and solid cricket
player. At Caulfield Grammar he began to focus on Australian rules football and later captained the school's First team. He began playing with Sandringham in the Victorian Football League
as a bottom-age recruit.
Judd attained an ENTER
score of 96.20 on his Victorian Certificate of Education
.
Judd was a graduate of the 2000 AIS/AFL Academy and participated in the 2000 AFL National Under 18 Championships
, although due to his young age at 17, he was too young to be drafted by an AFL club.
At the 2001 Under-18 Championships Judd was named captain of the Vic Metro team, despite chronic shoulder problems. Although he missed the 2001 AFL Draft Camp, his performances at the state championships made him an obvious standout to recruiters and was tipped to be picked high in the 2001 AFL Draft
. Judd was taken by West Coast at pick #3 in what was later to be called the "super draft" due to the standout quality of the players to have developed from that draft year.
. He had an impressive debut season, winning the AFLPA Best First Year Player Award.
, Judd kicked five goals in the first half. Three weeks later against Carlton he gathered 33 disposals and kicked a further three goals. Judd finished the seasons with 29 goals, averaged 18 disposals per game and was runner up in the club best and fairest. Judd was appointed as one of the Eagles' four vice-captains, prior to the commencement of the 2004 season.
, Daniel Kerr
and ruckman
Dean Cox. Judd averaged 22 disposals and kicked 24 goals for the season and, was named to his first All Australian Team as a wingman, and won the Eagles' Club Champion award for the first time. Judd became the West Coast's first Brownlow medallist, polling 30 votes to defeat Mark Ricciuto
from Adelaide.
. The Eagles made it to the 2005 AFL Grand Final
where they were defeated by Sydney
by four points. Judd was awarded the Norm Smith Medal
as the best player afield on Grand Final day for his 29 disposals.
as the AFL's Most Valuable Player. He averaged 26 disposals, kicked 29 goals and continued to win contested possessions like few players in history. He captained the Eagles to a one-point victory over Sydney in the 2006 AFL Grand Final
, winning his first AFL Premiership medallion.
injury sidelined him for several weeks. When he returned to the game, his performance was restricted, and he was forced to play off the bench and in the forward line often. He was also rested for several games in anticipation of playing in the finals series. Judd's future at West Coast was the subject of much speculation after his declaration that he would not enter into contract discussions with the club until the completion of the season.
On 16 September 2007, two days after West Coast's semi-final elimination by Collingwood
, it was announced that Judd had quit West Coast and would be requesting a trade to his native state of Victoria, despite earlier hinting that he would stay in Perth during an interview with Shane Crawford
. He notified West Coast coach John Worsfold
and CEO Trevor Nisbett of his intentions earlier that day. As arguably the most talented player in the competition, his departure created much attention and speculation among the Melbourne-based clubs, the media and the football community.
In the weeks following the announcement of his departure, Chris Judd met with four sides: Essendon, Melbourne, Collingwood and Carlton. Judd's management informed Melbourne
that Judd was surprised with their presentation, but felt that their Junction Oval
training facilities were "an issue".
On 2 October 2007 Judd announced that his preferred club was Carlton. Carlton was initially favoured as the club most likely to secure the services of Judd, because they held two early draft picks which could be used in negotiations with West Coast. On 11 October 2007 Judd was officially traded to Carlton along with a third round selection in the 2007 AFL Draft
(#46 overall) for Carlton's first and second round selections (#3 and #20) and Josh Kennedy, who was reluctant to leave Carlton. Judd was subsequently given the #5 guernsey vacated by the trade of Kennedy.
, with his presence attracting 12,000 fans; Judd scored a goal and had 20 touches.
Judd began playing with Carlton from the first round. Initially below full fitness due to a groin surgery, his ground time was limited, but in Round 3 he had 32 disposals and kicked 2 goals. His return match against West Coast at Subiaco Oval
in Round 7 was widely anticipated in the media, and Carlton won by 37 points. He was selected in the Victorian team the following week for the Hall of Fame Tribute Match. Judd played 21 of the 22 home-and-away games through the season, finished 5th in the Leigh Matthews Trophy
, and won the John Nicholls Medal
for the best and fairest of the Carlton Football Club. Through the course of the year, Judd gradually regained the explosive speed he is renowned for and played a more inside role than in previous seasons, recording the most contested possessions in the AFL.
He capped off his season when he was named All-Australian captain and ruck rover – his third All-Australian selection, and first as captain.
as the club’s best and fairest ahead of his young teammates Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs. He received 558 votes to win by a margin of 107; he became the first player in the short history of the medal's new voting structure to poll the maximum 50 votes (ten out of ten from each of the five judges) in Carlton's Round 8 victory over Collingwood.
In Carlton's elimination final loss to Brisbane
, Judd was cited by the Match Review Panel for misconduct against Michael Rischitelli
, after Judd made unnecessary contact near Rischitelli's eyes. The media initially reported the case as eye-gouging
, and Judd created a bigger controversy when he stated that his intention was not to eye-gouge, but to push a pressure point
behind Rischitelli's ear. Judd later said that his comment was intended as dry humor, but it was misinterpreted as genuine and prompted condemnation from many sources, from sports commentators to martial arts experts. After contesting the charge and appealing the penalty at the AFL Tribunal
, Judd was suspended for three weeks. In another deadpan
statement after the hearing, he stated "I've since watched a couple of Steven Seagal
movies and realised that pressure points are no laughing matter," but he also acknowledged his own "stupidity" in the controversy.
After the Blues season came to an end, Judd's leadership ability was brought into question by a number of incidents involving the Carlton playing group. First, some were led to question Judd's inability to control teammate Brendan Fevola
and his drunken antics on Brownlow night, which ultimately saw Fevola traded to Brisbane. Then, eyebrows were raised by an organised preseason "booze cruise" which saw suspensions to teammates Andrew Walker
, Eddie Betts
and Ryan Houlihan
.
. As he did in 2009, on a per game basis, Judd led the AFL in contested possessions, clearances and inside 50s. He also led Carlton with 27.0 disposals per game (12th in the AFL) and 5.25 tackles per game (17th in the AFL). On 13 September, Judd was rewarded for another fantastic season with his fifth All-Australian selection, being named on the interchange bench.
On 20 September 2010, Judd won the Brownlow Medal for the second time, finishing with 30 votes, four ahead of 2009 Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett, Jr.
. Though he missed the first three games of the season, Judd was voted best-on-ground in each of the first five games he played. From there, he maintained the lead until the conclusion of counting. He became the thirteenth VFL/AFL player to win the Brownlow more than once, the fourth VFL/AFL player to win the Brownlow at two different clubs (West Coast and Carlton), and the first VFL/AFL player to twice poll thirty or more votes in a season.
Judd also won his third consecutive John Nicholls Medal
, becoming the only player other than Nicholls to win the Carlton best and fairest award three times in a row.
for the second time in his career, as well as the AFLPA's Best Captain Award
for the first time. He was named vice-captain and ruck-rover of the All-Australian team. He had entered the Brownlow Medal count as an unbackable favourite, with TAB Sportsbet electing to pay out early after Round 20, but he ultimately finished fifth.
Brownlow Medallist & Club Champion.
Club Champion.
newspaper The Age
, where Judd spoke about issues such as global warming, terrorism, superficiality in the mass media, world peace and James Surowiecki
's book The Wisdom of Crowds.
In 2009, he featured in the official advertisement for the AFL, receiving a mark from Aaron Davey
on a Basketball
court and then sprinting in front of a stampede of horses on a horse racing
track before handballing to Adam Goodes
.
degree, and has previously completed university courses in media studies
and corporate governance
. Judd owned a Toyota Prius
hybrid car and switched to "green power" at his former Perth house. He is also a registered organ donor. He is currently an environmental ambassador for Visy
and drives the Hyundai i30
.
On 31 December 2010, Judd married speech pathologist
and model Rebecca Twigley. They have a son, Oscar Dylan, born 26 July 2011. On the night of Judd's 2004 Brownlow win, Twigley wore a very revealing red dress which caused national comment.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er and current captain of the Carlton Football Club
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL).
Widely regarded as one of the best footballers currently in the AFL, Judd has twice won the league's highest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
, and is a dual Leigh Matthews Trophy
Leigh Matthews Trophy
The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League...
winner as the AFL Players Association
AFL Players Association
The AFL Players Association, or AFLPA, is the representative body for all current and past professional Australian Football League players....
most valuable player. He has achieved another of the league's highest honours by captaining the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
to the 2006 AFL Premiership
2006 AFL Grand Final
The 2006 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 2006. It was the 110th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
. Consistently recognised as one of the game's premier midfielders, Judd has been selected in the All-Australian team
All-Australian Team
The All-Australian Team is an all star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including interchange players and a coach, of the best performed during the season....
six times, including as captain in 2008
2008 All-Australian Team
The 2008 Australian rules football All-Australian selection committee provided the 40 leading players of the year in their playing positions at the conclusion of the home and away season before announcing the final 22 during the All Australian Presentation Dinner on 15 September 2008...
. At a representative level, he played for Australia in the 2002 International Rules Series and for Victoria
Victoria Australian rules football team
The Victorian Australian rules football team, also known as the Big V is the representative side of Victoria, Australia in the sport of Australian rules football....
in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
The AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match was a one-off all-star game between two representative sides organised by the Australian Football League to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Australian rules football....
in 2008.
Judd is recognised as a great at two clubs, West Coast and his current club Carlton. During his 134 games with West Coast he captained the club for two seasons and won two Club Champion Award
Club Champion Award
The Club Champion Award is the award given to the West Coast Eagles player determined to have been the "Best and Fairest" throughout an AFL season....
s. After returning to Melbourne to captain the Carlton Football Club, Judd won the John Nicholls Medal
John Nicholls Medal
The John Nicholls Medal is an Australian rules football award given to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for the Carlton Football Club for the season....
as the club's Best and Fairest three times, and become just one of four players in AFL history to win a Brownlow Medal at more than one club.
Early life
Chris Judd was born in Melbourne to Andrew Judd and Lisa Engel.Raised in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs, where he played for the East Sandringham Junior Football Club before he attended Caulfield Grammar School
Caulfield Grammar School
Caulfield Grammar School is an independent, co-educational, Anglican, day and boarding school, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1881 as a boys' school, Caulfield began admitting girls exactly one hundred years later...
. Judd was an all round sportsman and junior track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
star and solid cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
player. At Caulfield Grammar he began to focus on Australian rules football and later captained the school's First team. He began playing with Sandringham in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
as a bottom-age recruit.
Judd attained an ENTER
Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
The Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank was the national Australian tertiary entrance rank, administered by Universities Australia...
score of 96.20 on his Victorian Certificate of Education
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
.
Judd was a graduate of the 2000 AIS/AFL Academy and participated in the 2000 AFL National Under 18 Championships
AFL National Under 18 Championships
The NAB AFL Under 18 Championships are the annual national Australian rules football championships for players aged 18 years or younger. The competition is seen as one of the main pathways towards being drafted into a team in the fully professional Australian Football League...
, although due to his young age at 17, he was too young to be drafted by an AFL club.
At the 2001 Under-18 Championships Judd was named captain of the Vic Metro team, despite chronic shoulder problems. Although he missed the 2001 AFL Draft Camp, his performances at the state championships made him an obvious standout to recruiters and was tipped to be picked high in the 2001 AFL Draft
2001 AFL Draft
The 2001 AFL Draft consisted of a national draft, a rookie draft, a pre-season draft and a trade period. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League .In 2001 there were 83...
. Judd was taken by West Coast at pick #3 in what was later to be called the "super draft" due to the standout quality of the players to have developed from that draft year.
2002
Judd made an early debut in Round 2 of the 2002 season2002 AFL season
-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Ladder:All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 176...
. He had an impressive debut season, winning the AFLPA Best First Year Player Award.
2003
In his second season, Judd alternated between the midfield and forward line. In the Eagles' round 12 match against BrisbaneBrisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
, Judd kicked five goals in the first half. Three weeks later against Carlton he gathered 33 disposals and kicked a further three goals. Judd finished the seasons with 29 goals, averaged 18 disposals per game and was runner up in the club best and fairest. Judd was appointed as one of the Eagles' four vice-captains, prior to the commencement of the 2004 season.
2004: First Brownlow
2004 was Judd's breakthrough season, in which he successfully combined with captain Ben CousinsBen Cousins
Benjamin Luke "Ben" Cousins is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his 270-game career with and in the Australian Football League ....
, Daniel Kerr
Daniel Kerr
Daniel Matthew Kerr is an Australian rules footballer.Kerr was recruited from East Fremantle Football Club and made his AFL debut in 2001 with the West Coast Eagles. He is a hard-running midfielder who is a vital part of the midfield at the Eagles.-Background:Kerr is of Anglo-Indian descent...
and ruckman
Ruckman (Australian rules football position)
In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...
Dean Cox. Judd averaged 22 disposals and kicked 24 goals for the season and, was named to his first All Australian Team as a wingman, and won the Eagles' Club Champion award for the first time. Judd became the West Coast's first Brownlow medallist, polling 30 votes to defeat Mark Ricciuto
Mark Ricciuto
Mark Anthony Ricciuto is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League...
from Adelaide.
2005
He once again averaged 22 disposals and was runner-up to Cousins as Club Champion; he also kicked the Goal of the YearGoal of the Year (Australia)
The Goal of the Year is a competition for the best goals kicked in the VFL/AFL during that season. It is run in conjunction with the Mark of the Year competition and is currently sponsored by Panasonic. The award is also known as the Phil Manassa Medal....
. The Eagles made it to the 2005 AFL Grand Final
2005 AFL Grand Final
The 2005 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 24 September 2005. It was the 109th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
where they were defeated by Sydney
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
by four points. Judd was awarded the Norm Smith Medal
Norm Smith Medal
The Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.-History:The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith...
as the best player afield on Grand Final day for his 29 disposals.
2006: Premiership
On 1 March 2006, Judd was named captain of the club, succeeding Ben Cousins. Judd won his second club best and fairest award, his second All-Australian selection and the Leigh Matthews TrophyLeigh Matthews Trophy
The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League...
as the AFL's Most Valuable Player. He averaged 26 disposals, kicked 29 goals and continued to win contested possessions like few players in history. He captained the Eagles to a one-point victory over Sydney in the 2006 AFL Grand Final
2006 AFL Grand Final
The 2006 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 2006. It was the 110th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
, winning his first AFL Premiership medallion.
2007
After 8 rounds Judd was averaging 29 disposals and had kicked 10 goals. At seasons end it was revealed that he had polled Brownlow votes in each of his first eight games. As the year progressed, however, Judd's chronic groinGroin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
injury sidelined him for several weeks. When he returned to the game, his performance was restricted, and he was forced to play off the bench and in the forward line often. He was also rested for several games in anticipation of playing in the finals series. Judd's future at West Coast was the subject of much speculation after his declaration that he would not enter into contract discussions with the club until the completion of the season.
Departure from West Coast Eagles
On 16 September 2007, two days after West Coast's semi-final elimination by Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, it was announced that Judd had quit West Coast and would be requesting a trade to his native state of Victoria, despite earlier hinting that he would stay in Perth during an interview with Shane Crawford
Shane Crawford
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
. He notified West Coast coach John Worsfold
John Worsfold
John Worsfold is a former Australian rules footballer who represented in the West Australian Football League and the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League . He also represented Western Australia in State of Origin matches...
and CEO Trevor Nisbett of his intentions earlier that day. As arguably the most talented player in the competition, his departure created much attention and speculation among the Melbourne-based clubs, the media and the football community.
In the weeks following the announcement of his departure, Chris Judd met with four sides: Essendon, Melbourne, Collingwood and Carlton. Judd's management informed Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
that Judd was surprised with their presentation, but felt that their Junction Oval
Junction Oval
The Junction Oval is an historic sports ground in the suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its location near the St Kilda Junction gave rise to its nickname...
training facilities were "an issue".
On 2 October 2007 Judd announced that his preferred club was Carlton. Carlton was initially favoured as the club most likely to secure the services of Judd, because they held two early draft picks which could be used in negotiations with West Coast. On 11 October 2007 Judd was officially traded to Carlton along with a third round selection in the 2007 AFL Draft
2007 AFL Draft
The 2007 AFL Draft consisted of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2007/08 Australian Football League off-season. These were trade week, the National Draft, the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft.- Trades :...
(#46 overall) for Carlton's first and second round selections (#3 and #20) and Josh Kennedy, who was reluctant to leave Carlton. Judd was subsequently given the #5 guernsey vacated by the trade of Kennedy.
Carlton
2008
After much deliberation over the off-season, Judd was awarded the captaincy of the club entering into his first season with the Blues. His first game in navy blue was a Friday afternoon practice match on 7 March 2008 against the Western Bulldogs at MC Labour ParkMC Labour Park
Princes Park is an Australian rules football ground located at Princes Park in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton North, Victoria....
, with his presence attracting 12,000 fans; Judd scored a goal and had 20 touches.
Judd began playing with Carlton from the first round. Initially below full fitness due to a groin surgery, his ground time was limited, but in Round 3 he had 32 disposals and kicked 2 goals. His return match against West Coast at Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
in Round 7 was widely anticipated in the media, and Carlton won by 37 points. He was selected in the Victorian team the following week for the Hall of Fame Tribute Match. Judd played 21 of the 22 home-and-away games through the season, finished 5th in the Leigh Matthews Trophy
Leigh Matthews Trophy
The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League...
, and won the John Nicholls Medal
John Nicholls Medal
The John Nicholls Medal is an Australian rules football award given to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for the Carlton Football Club for the season....
for the best and fairest of the Carlton Football Club. Through the course of the year, Judd gradually regained the explosive speed he is renowned for and played a more inside role than in previous seasons, recording the most contested possessions in the AFL.
He capped off his season when he was named All-Australian captain and ruck rover – his third All-Australian selection, and first as captain.
2009
In 2009 he again led the AFL in contested possessions, as well as clearances and inside 50s, and was second in goal assists. He also led the Blues in tackles and averaged 26.5 disposals per game. He was named as a midfielder in the 2009 All-Australian team making it his fourth nomination and was appointed vice captain. Judd polled 22 votes in the Brownlow Medal to finish second behind winner Gary Ablett Jnr. He won his second consecutive John Nicholls MedalJohn Nicholls Medal
The John Nicholls Medal is an Australian rules football award given to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for the Carlton Football Club for the season....
as the club’s best and fairest ahead of his young teammates Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs. He received 558 votes to win by a margin of 107; he became the first player in the short history of the medal's new voting structure to poll the maximum 50 votes (ten out of ten from each of the five judges) in Carlton's Round 8 victory over Collingwood.
In Carlton's elimination final loss to Brisbane
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
, Judd was cited by the Match Review Panel for misconduct against Michael Rischitelli
Michael Rischitelli
Michael Rischitelli is an Australian rules footballer, a former Brisbane Lion player, currently contracted with the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League.-Brisbane Lions :...
, after Judd made unnecessary contact near Rischitelli's eyes. The media initially reported the case as eye-gouging
Eye-gouging
Eye-gouging is the act of pressing or tearing the eye using the fingers, other bodyparts, or instruments. Eye-gouging involves a very high risk of eye injury, such as permanent eye loss. It is disallowed in combat sports, but some self-defense systems teach it...
, and Judd created a bigger controversy when he stated that his intention was not to eye-gouge, but to push a pressure point
Pressure point
A pressure point in the field of martial arts refers to an area on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific manner...
behind Rischitelli's ear. Judd later said that his comment was intended as dry humor, but it was misinterpreted as genuine and prompted condemnation from many sources, from sports commentators to martial arts experts. After contesting the charge and appealing the penalty at the AFL Tribunal
AFL Tribunal
The AFL Tribunal is the disciplinary tribunal of the Australian Football League .-Points system:Source: AFL Tribunal 2011 Guidebook...
, Judd was suspended for three weeks. In another deadpan
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
statement after the hearing, he stated "I've since watched a couple of Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
movies and realised that pressure points are no laughing matter," but he also acknowledged his own "stupidity" in the controversy.
After the Blues season came to an end, Judd's leadership ability was brought into question by a number of incidents involving the Carlton playing group. First, some were led to question Judd's inability to control teammate Brendan Fevola
Brendan Fevola
Brendan Fevola is a professional Australian rules footballer. He played with the Carlton and Brisbane Lions football clubs in the Australian Football League....
and his drunken antics on Brownlow night, which ultimately saw Fevola traded to Brisbane. Then, eyebrows were raised by an organised preseason "booze cruise" which saw suspensions to teammates Andrew Walker
Andrew Walker (footballer)
Andrew "Tex" Walker is a professional Australian rules footballer playing with Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early life:...
, Eddie Betts
Eddie Betts
Eddie Betts is an Australian rules footballer playing for Carlton in the Australian Football League .-Early life:Betts grew up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and played for the Mines Rovers Football Club...
and Ryan Houlihan
Ryan Houlihan
Ryan Houlihan is a former Australian rules footballer who played 12 seasons and 201 games for the Carlton Football Club from 2000 to 2011.-Background:...
.
2010: Second Brownlow
After missing the opening three rounds of the 2010 season due to the "pressure point" incident, Judd played the remaining twenty games for the season, and played his 50th match for Carlton in Round 9 against HawthornHawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
. As he did in 2009, on a per game basis, Judd led the AFL in contested possessions, clearances and inside 50s. He also led Carlton with 27.0 disposals per game (12th in the AFL) and 5.25 tackles per game (17th in the AFL). On 13 September, Judd was rewarded for another fantastic season with his fifth All-Australian selection, being named on the interchange bench.
On 20 September 2010, Judd won the Brownlow Medal for the second time, finishing with 30 votes, four ahead of 2009 Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr. is a professional Australian rules football player and current captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
. Though he missed the first three games of the season, Judd was voted best-on-ground in each of the first five games he played. From there, he maintained the lead until the conclusion of counting. He became the thirteenth VFL/AFL player to win the Brownlow more than once, the fourth VFL/AFL player to win the Brownlow at two different clubs (West Coast and Carlton), and the first VFL/AFL player to twice poll thirty or more votes in a season.
Judd also won his third consecutive John Nicholls Medal
John Nicholls Medal
The John Nicholls Medal is an Australian rules football award given to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for the Carlton Football Club for the season....
, becoming the only player other than Nicholls to win the Carlton best and fairest award three times in a row.
2011
After another strong season, Judd was awarded the Leigh Matthews TrophyLeigh Matthews Trophy
The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League...
for the second time in his career, as well as the AFLPA's Best Captain Award
AFLPA Awards
The AFL Players' Association Awards are a group of awards given annually to players in the Australian Football League, voted for by all AFL players.-Leigh Matthews Trophy:...
for the first time. He was named vice-captain and ruck-rover of the All-Australian team. He had entered the Brownlow Medal count as an unbackable favourite, with TAB Sportsbet electing to pay out early after Round 20, but he ultimately finished fifth.
Footballing recognition
Judd's has been praised by AFL journalists and past players, in addition to formal awards he has received.Statistics
- Statistics are correct as of end of 2011 season. (1 October 2011)
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Goals | Behinds | Kicks | Marks Mark (Australian football) A mark is a skill in Australian rules football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground.... |
Handballs Handball (Australian rules football) Handball is a term in the sport of Australian rules football which describes a method of disposing of possession of the football by hand. It is the most frequently used alternative to kicking the ball... |
Disposals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 2002 AFL season -Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Ladder:All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 176... |
West Coast Eagles | 3 | 22 | 21 | 12 | 222 | 48 | 109 | 331 |
| 2003 2003 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2003.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:... |
West Coast Eagles | 3 | 23 | 29 | 15 | 268 | 52 | 150 | 418 |
| 2004 2004 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2004.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Wizard Home Loans Cup:The Wizard Home Loans Cup Final saw St... |
West Coast Eagles | 3 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 330 | 51 | 171 | 501 |
| 2005 2005 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2005.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:... |
West Coast Eagles | 3 | 24 | 15 | 24 | 336 | 77 | 200 | 536 |
| 2006 2006 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2006.-National Cup: 3.10.5 defeated 1.10.15 in the 2006 NAB Cup Final... |
West Coast Eagles | 3 | 23 | 29 | 20 | 332 | 61 | 263 | 595 |
| 2007 2007 AFL season The 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia... |
West Coast Eagles | 3 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 240 | 37 | 197 | 437 |
| 2008 2008 AFL season -Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6 :-Round 7:-AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match:-Round 8:... |
Carlton Blues | 5 | 21 | 15 | 9 | 250 | 41 | 258 | 508 |
| 2009 2009 AFL season -Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9 :-Round 10:... |
Carlton Blues | 5 | 23 | 12 | 19 | 319 | 54 | 290 | 609 |
| 2010 2010 AFL season -Premiership season:The draw for the 2010 AFL Premiership Season is not a random selection of matches, but rather is planned by the AFL. It is intended to produce a balanced draw while also providing the fans and television networks with blockbuster games. In a competition with 16 teams and 22... |
Carlton Blues | 5 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 291 | 61 | 248 | 539 |
| 2011 2011 AFL season The 2011 Australian Football League season was the 115th season of the Australian rules football competition. It was the debut year for , and was scheduled to be the only season to be played with 17 teams... |
Carlton Blues | 5 | 24 | 14 | 16 | 301 | 69 | 332 | 633 |
| Totals | 222 | 193 | 155 | 2889 | 551 | 2218 | 5107 | ||
| Averages per game | 0.9 | 0.7 | 13.0 | 2.5 | 10.0 | 23.0 | |||
Brownlow Medallist & Club Champion.
Club Champion.
Honours
- Team
- AFL Premiership with West Coast: 2006 (Captain)
- AFL McClelland TrophyMcClelland TrophyThe McClelland Trophy is an Australian rules football trophy, currently awarded to the minor premiers in the Australian Football League each year...
With West Coast: 2006 (Captain)
- Individual
- Brownlow MedalBrownlow MedalThe Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
: 2004, 2010 - Runner-Up Brownlow Medal: 2009
- Leigh Matthews TrophyLeigh Matthews TrophyThe Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League...
: 2006, 2011 - All-Australian: 2004, 2006, 2008 (Captain), 2009 (Vice-Captain), 2010, 2011 (Vice-Captain)
- Norm Smith MedalNorm Smith MedalThe Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.-History:The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith...
: 2005 - Victorian Team representative honours in AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match: 2008
- International Rules Series representative honours: 2002
- AFLPA Best First Year Player Award: 2002
- Brownlow Medal
- Carlton
- John Nicholls Medal: 2008, 2009, 2010
- Captain of Carlton: 2008–present
- West Coast
- West Coast Club Champion Award: 2004, 2006
- Ross Glendinning Medal: 2005 (twice), 2006
- Captain of West Coast Eagles: 2006–2007
- Other achievements
- AFL Goal of the Year: 2005
- The Age Player of the Year: 2009
Media appearances
Towards the end of 2003, Judd began writing a column on the West Coast Eagles official website called "Juddy's Jibe". Some of his opinions presented in these columns prompted extensive media commentary, such as his view that footballers should not be role models. Throughout the 2006 season, the column was also published in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
newspaper The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, where Judd spoke about issues such as global warming, terrorism, superficiality in the mass media, world peace and James Surowiecki
James Surowiecki
James Michael Surowiecki is an American journalist. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he writes a regular column on business and finance called "The Financial Page".-Background:...
's book The Wisdom of Crowds.
In 2009, he featured in the official advertisement for the AFL, receiving a mark from Aaron Davey
Aaron Davey
Aaron Davey is a professional Australian rules football player of Indigenous Australian heritage. He currently plays for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
on a Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
court and then sprinting in front of a stampede of horses on a horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
track before handballing to Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes is a professional Australian rules football player with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League ....
.
Personal life
Judd is currently studying for a Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree, and has previously completed university courses in media studies
Media studies
Media studies is an academic discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history and effects of various media; in particular, the 'mass media'. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass...
and corporate governance
Corporate governance
Corporate governance is a number of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions which have impact on the way a company is controlled...
. Judd owned a Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
hybrid car and switched to "green power" at his former Perth house. He is also a registered organ donor. He is currently an environmental ambassador for Visy
Visy Industries
Visy Industries was established in Melbourne, Australia in 1948 and is headquartered at Level 11, 2 Southbank Boulevard,Melbourne, Australia. It has grown to become one of the world’s largest privately-owned paper recycling and packaging companies. In 2003, Visy employed more than 8000 people...
and drives the Hyundai i30
Hyundai i30
The Hyundai i30 is a small family car by South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Company. The i30 shares its platform with the Kia cee'd, available as a five-door hatchback or estate, with a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines, either with manual or automatic transmissions.The i30 wagon is...
.
On 31 December 2010, Judd married speech pathologist
Speech and language pathology
Speech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.The main components of speech production include: phonation, the process of sound production; resonance, opening and closing of the vocal folds; intonation, the variation of pitch; and voice, including aeromechanical components of...
and model Rebecca Twigley. They have a son, Oscar Dylan, born 26 July 2011. On the night of Judd's 2004 Brownlow win, Twigley wore a very revealing red dress which caused national comment.