Chris Judd, arguably the greatest player in West Coast Eagles history, has received one of sport’s greatest honours by being inducted into Sports Australia Hall of Fame.
Judd is one of nine inductees who will now sit alongside the greats of Australian sport, including Don Bradman, Dawn Fraser, Rod Laver, Bart Cummings and Cathy Freeman.
One of the most decorated and dynamic footballers of the modern era, Judd was the first Brownlow medallist in West Coast Eagles history and was central to the club’s third premiership in 2006.
He left the Eagles to join Carlton at the end of the 2007 season where he added a second Brownlow to his name.
A six-time All-Australian, including one as captain, and a five-time club champion (two with the Eagles), Judd played 279 games and kicked 228 goals in a career that spanned from the 2001 national draft until his final game in round 10, 2015.
His capacity to reach peak performances in games that mattered was highlighted by his Norm Smith Medal win in a losing team in 2005 before he captained the Eagles to the 2006 flag. He played 134 games for the Eagles where his signature breakaway speed from stoppage was a feature.
The latest inductees include two greats of Australia’s leading football codes, two champions in their sports on the world stage and past Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallists.
The new inductees are paralympic movement pioneer Sir George Bedbrook OBE, former Australian netball captain and multiple Commonwealth Games medallist Catherine Cox AM, former Australian Rugby League captain Brad Fittler, four-time consecutive Olympic Games softball medallist Tanya Harding, triple Commonwealth Games ten-pin bowling gold medallist Cara Honeychurch, former Australian basketball coach Dr Adrian Hurley OAM, winner of 41 LPGA tour titles and two-time LPGA player of the year award winner, Karrie Webb AO, and Mark Webber AO, who broke the 28 year winning drought for Australian drivers in Formula One.
They will be honoured in a television special, ‘Sport Australia Hall of Fame - Heroes and Legends’ on Thursday, December 8 on the Seven Network.
