133-527: Christopher Dylan Judd (born 8 September 1983) is a former professional Australian rules footballer and captain of both the West Coast Eagles and Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Widely regarded as one of the best footballers in the modern game, Judd twice won the league's highest individual honour,
266-533: A Toyota Prius hybrid car and switched to "green power" at his former Perth house. He is currently an environmental ambassador for Visy On 31 December 2010, Judd married speech pathologist and model Rebecca Twigley . They have three sons and a daughter. On the night of Judd's 2004 Brownlow win, Twigley wore a revealing red dress which caused national comment. Australian rules football Australian rules football , also called Australian football or Aussie rules , or more simply football or footy ,
399-606: A dominion , leagues were also established in the major cities. This renewed popularity helped encourage the formation of the Australasian Football Council , which in 1908 in Melbourne staged the first national interstate competition, the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival , with teams representing each state and New Zealand. The game was also established early on in the new territories. In
532-407: A line-out . The key differences are that with the exception of boundary throw-ins, the ball is almost always thrown straight up high into the air rather than horizontally, so in this respect, the ruck is similar to a basketball centre . The ruck needs to be able to control the ball by palm tap or fist with outstretched arms. Unlike rugby, the ruck must rely on vertical leap because lifting teammates
665-517: A century. State of Origin rules, introduced in 1977, stipulated that rather than representing the state of their adopted club, players would return to play for the state they were first recruited in. This instantly broke Victoria's stranglehold over state titles and Western Australia and South Australia began to win more of their games against Victoria. Both New South Wales and Tasmania scored surprise victories at home against Victoria in 1990. The term " Barassi Line ", named after VFL star Ron Barassi ,
798-485: A certain number of matches depending on the severity of the infringement. The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking , fast movement of both players and the ball, and high scoring. The sport's origins can be traced to football matches played in Melbourne , Victoria , in 1858, inspired by English public school football games . Seeking to develop a game more suited to adults and Australian conditions,
931-439: A combination of explosive speed, acceleration, agility and core strength which few if any players in the league could match; these attributes gave him the ability to receive the ball in traffic, then break free from or weave around taggers and opponents, allowing him to take clearing kicks in open space which were damaging to opposition teams. By the time he had joined Carlton, he had lost much of his acceleration and agility owing to
1064-419: A game for either medical or tactical reasons. Players on the playing surface can be swapped with those on the interchange bench at any time. They must though pass through a designated "Interchange Area". In the event a player fails to pass through this area correctly, or if too many players from one team are found to be on the ground at a time, a free kick will be awarded to the opposing side. While there
1197-553: A goal and save 5 points, or can remain in the field of play with no score. The ball-up has been a feature of the Laws of the Game since 1872, necessitating a "ruck" with the term entering the Australian rules vernacular around 1876. The term for the player was not initially gendered, "ruck-man" or "ruckman" did not enter general use until early in the 20th century (circa 1903). Bouncing the ball for
1330-436: A kick on goal. The extra height of the ruck means that the player has to kick higher, meaning more chance of missing, dropping short or even the possibility of actually kicking into the man on the mark (called a smother). When an opposition player is having a set shot at goal, particularly from a long distance or on an acute angle, the ruck may be instructed to run all the way to the goal square to protect it, temporarily playing
1463-399: A mark is taken, a small protected zone is established on the field, extending 10 metres (11 yd) either side of "the mark" and the player who marked the ball, with a small protected corridor between "the mark" and the player. The opposition player is permitted to jump, but is not allowed to move from their position on "the mark". Any other movements result in a distance penalty (50 metres in
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#17328838908521596-408: A player breaks a rule, a free kick is awarded to the opposing team, from the location that the misconduct occurred, or the ball's current location—whichever is closer to the team's scoring zone. As when a mark is taken, this location is called "the mark", and the same protections regarding the space apply. Ruckman (Australian rules football position) In Australian rules football , the ruck
1729-555: A proposed hybrid code of Australian football and rugby league , the predominant code of football in New South Wales and Queensland, was trialled without success. In Queensland, the state league went into recess for the duration of the war. VFL club University left the league and went into recess due to severe casualties. The WAFL lost two clubs and the SANFL was suspended for one year in 1916 due to heavy club losses. The Anzac Day match ,
1862-855: A pupil at Rugby School in England, and returned to his homeland a star athlete and cricketer. Two weeks later, Wills' friend, cricketer Jerry Bryant , posted an advertisement for a scratch match at the Richmond Paddock adjoining the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This was the first of several "kickabouts" held that year involving members of the Melbourne Cricket Club , including Wills, Bryant, W. J. Hammersley and J. B. Thompson . Trees were used as goalposts and play typically lasted an entire afternoon. Without an agreed-upon code of laws, some players were guided by rules they had learned in
1995-450: A result of the high level of physical contact of clashing with opponents in the air, many rucks have large physiques or bulk up to prevent injury. As well, due to the use of knees when jumping, many rucks wear protective thigh and shin padding, whereas players in other positions rarely do. Coaches often field more than one ruck and rotate them due to the physical pressure of the position and the endurance of having to run to ruck contests around
2128-402: A second tall or high jumping player from one of the sides contesting the ruck, typically when the taller rucks are wrestling at ground level or consistently ineffective in getting a clear tap away. The tactic became especially popular during the 2015 season. It often results in a thump forward to keep the ball moving towards goal, as it is difficult for the shorter player contesting the ruck to aim
2261-502: A second-tier status. The VFA merged with the former VFL reserves competition in 1998, adopting the VFL name. State of Origin also declined in importance, especially after an increasing number of player withdrawals. The AFL turned its focus to the annual International Rules Series against Ireland in 1998 before abolishing State of Origin the following year. State and territorial leagues still contest interstate matches, as do AFL Women players. In
2394-459: A select few ways as defined by the Laws of Australian Football, published by the AFL. The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a kick or a clenched fist (called a handball )—deemed a correct disposal. Failure to dispose of the ball in one of these two methods will result in a free kick to the opposing team. If the ball is not currently in a player's possession, it can be moved legally through
2527-417: A similar role to a goalkeeper in soccer or gaelic football . Despite no height limit for the goal, the ball will always have a curved trajectory and many kicks tend to drop short. Being the tallest player, it gives the ruck the best opportunity of any player to touch the ball before it goes through the goal posts and create an obstacle in area of goal to kick through. This can result in a behind instead of
2660-603: A similar situation existing in Western Australia in the sport, the VFL pursued a more national competition. Two more non-Victorian clubs, West Coast and Brisbane , joined the league in 1987 generating more than $ 8 million in license revenue for the Victorian clubs and increasing broadcast revenues which helped the Victorian clubs survive. In their early years, the Sydney and Brisbane clubs struggled both on and off-field because
2793-498: A slightly modified version of the Victorian game in 1879. The South Australian Football Association (SAFA), the sport's first governing body , formed on 30 April 1877, firmly establishing Victorian rules as the preferred code in that colony. The Victorian Football Association (VFA) formed the following month. Clubs began touring the colonies in the late 1870s, and in 1879 the first intercolonial match took place in Melbourne between Victoria and South Australia . To standardise
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#17328838908522926-524: A special comments role. In 2019, Judd alongside Rich Lister Josh Liberman and other investors backed up Thinkmarkets, a London-based online brokerage company in its pre-IPO raising. Judd joined streaming news channel Ticker News in October 2022 to host a program called 'Talk Ya Book'. Judd is currently studying for a Master of Business Administration degree and has previously completed university courses in media studies and corporate governance . He owned
3059-409: A support ruck used in short bursts to test the endurance of their opponents. This is most often used during 'pinches' - periods of frequent defensive stoppages at critical points in the game. They are rested on the bench or the forward line for long periods or rotated into the ruck and function to both relieve the primary ruck and use short burts of power to overwhelm exhausted opponents. They often lack
3192-408: A tall marking target if a player decides to "bomb" a kick into the goal square. The term resting ruck is used when a ruck is played in the forward line between stints in the ruck. As the ruck requires almost constant running, "resting" in the forward line gives the ruck much needed breaks and with their heights they do not need to run or lead as much into space to contest marks when the ball does reach
3325-510: A tap. This is because they are not able to be assisted by lifting and can often be put off balance in the air when jumping over the top of rucks. Additionally, by committing an extra player to the ruck contest, there is one less player from that team around the contest - though this can also have the effect of opening up space for more creative roving players. Some key position players are designated secondary rucks for boundary throw-ins and will sometimes be used in tandem ruckwork. During kick-ins
3458-406: A technique known shepherding when the ball is within 5 metres (5.5 yd) of an opposition player. Shepherding involves the use of a player's body to push, bump or otherwise block an opposition player, providing they do not have possession of the ball. If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than 15 metres (16 yd) from another player's kick, by way of a catch within
3591-461: A trade with West Coast, because the club held two early draft picks which could be used in negotiations. On 11 October 2007, Judd was officially traded to Carlton along with a third round selection in the 2007 AFL Draft (No. 46 overall) for Carlton's first and second round selections (No. 3 and 20) and Josh Kennedy , who was reluctant to leave Carlton. Judd was subsequently given the No. 5 guernsey vacated by
3724-427: A uniform code known as "Victorian rules". In 1866, the "first distinctively Victorian rule", the running bounce , was formalised at a meeting of club delegates chaired by H. C. A. Harrison , an influential pioneer who took up football in 1859 at the invitation of Wills, his cousin. The game around this time was defensive and low-scoring, played low to the ground in congested rugby-style scrimmages. The typical match
3857-414: Is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field , often a modified cricket ground . Points are scored by kicking the oval ball between the central goal posts (worth six points), or between a central and outer post (worth one point, otherwise known as a "behind"). During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their bodies to move
3990-405: Is analogous to a basketball center and as such rucks are typically the tallest player on the team. Lifting teammates is not allowed so the ruck may only jump to reach the ball. If the ruck does not take possession of the football, it must must be tapped or fisted, which is known as a hit-out. An effective hit-out that passes the ball to a teammate is known as a hit-out to advantage. In the event
4123-524: Is by far the best I've ever seen. He is just so consistently good, week after week – the way he's going he will win another Brownlow. It is almost super human, the way that he shrugs tackles and wins clearances and shimmies and shakes and sets up scoring opportunities and his consistency. In 2009, Judd appeared alongside other AFL footballers in an AFL television advertisement titled "AFL: In a League of its Own", which featured prominent AFL players playing Australian rules football at famous sporting venues around
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4256-405: Is called a hit out and measured as a statistic and performance indicator of effective ruckwork. Although the ruck is the primary player to score hit-outs, sometimes tall key position players fill in for the ruck around the ground if the ruck cannot run to make the contest in time. Rucking is one of the most physically demanding positions on the ground, both in terms of fitness and body contact. As
4389-476: Is known about these early one-off games, evidence does not support a causal link with Australian football. In Melbourne , in 1858, in a move that would help to shape Australian football in its formative years, private schools (then termed " public schools " in accordance with nomenclature in England) began organising football games inspired by precedents at English public schools . The earliest match, held on 15 June,
4522-455: Is known as the Goal Line. Around the perimeter of the field, two white lines are drawn between the set of behind posts in an arc-shape, marking the field of play. Other field markings include: The 50m arcs, centre square, centre circle and goal square are used at the beginning of each quarter or after each goal. With each team permitted a maximum of six players in each 50m arc, with one in
4655-470: Is no set uniform, the basic equipment for Australian football consists of a guernsey, shorts, socks and boots, with additional pieces of apparel such as headbands and gloves additionally being permitted. Players may wear certain pieces of protective equipment, such as helmets or arm guards, if approved by the relevant controlling body. Mouthguards are strongly recommended for all players. Players are not permitted to wear jewellery, or other materials which
4788-416: Is not allowed. Australian football rucking often involves vigorous mid-air collisions with the opposing ruck. With no offside or knock on rules, the ruck can tap the ball in any direction. Before a bounce down or ball up, rucks confer with the onballers (rovers and ruck-rovers) to pre-determine the direction of the tap so that they can position themselves to best receive it to the team's advantage. The ruck
4921-493: Is officiated by at least five match officials, known as an umpire . These match officials are placed into three categories based upon their roles and responsibilities, with varying minimum numbers of Umpires required depending on position: At AFL level, a video score review system is utilised. Only umpires are permitted to request a review, and only scoring shots and potential scoring shots are permitted to be reviewed. An Australian rules football may only be propelled forward in
5054-549: Is the second-highest-attended club championship event in the world . The sport is also played at amateur level in many countries and in several variations . Its rules are governed by the AFL Commission with the advice of the AFL's Laws of the Game Committee. Australian rules football is known by several nicknames, including Aussie rules, football and footy. In some regions, where other codes of football are more popular,
5187-472: Is the name given to both the contests for the ball initiated by a field umpire to commence play, and to the players' specialist position who nominate to contest them (sometimes gendered as a ruckman/ruckwoman ). The ruck occurs at centre bounces and stoppages when the umpire sends the into the air during a Ball-up or a boundary throw-in. According to the Laws of Australian Football only a nominated ruck may contest
5320-403: Is typically the tallest player on either team. A typical professional Australian Football League ruck is over 200 cm or 6'7. While teams historically would play one primary ruck, the relaxation of interchange and substitution rules at the professional level has allowed teams to select players for multiple ruck roles and tactics. When a ruck beats their opponent by contacting the ball, it
5453-783: Is used. The ball must be inflated to a pressure of 69 kilopascals (10.0 pounds per square inch). There are no defined laws regarding what material a ball must be made from, but standard AFL match-used balls are produced by Sherrin using cowhide leather. While there is no standard colour of the ball, red and yellow are most common and the only colours used at AFL level. Yellow is used for games beginning after 3 pm or in an enclosed stadium, due to its greater visibility, and to assist score reviews. Unlike other forms of football which are played on rectangular fields, Australian rules football playing fields are oval-shaped, and are between 135 and 185 metres (148 and 202 yd) long and 110 and 155 metres (120 and 170 yd) wide. At either end of
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5586-619: 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 Carlton. During his 134 games with West Coast, he captained the club for two seasons and won two Club Champion Awards . 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 became
5719-502: The 2008 AFL season , the AFL introduced an additional two boundary umpires which many labelled the "quick throw-in" rule. Designed to make the game faster and more attractive for television viewers, this new rule had the unintended effect of many professional rucks no longer being able to contest boundary throw-ins. The practice of "third man up" was outlawed for the 2017 season and beyond, in order to protect rucks. A player from each team must be "nominated" at each ruck contest, and only
5852-630: The AFLPA Best First Year Player Award . In his second season, he alternated between the midfield and forward line and with several dominant performances he finished runner up in the club's best and fairest. He was appointed as one of the Eagles' four vice-captains prior to the commencement of the 2004 season. 2004 was Judd's breakthrough season in which he combined with captain Ben Cousins , midfielder Daniel Kerr and ruckman Dean Cox in
5985-618: The Brownlow Medal , and was a dual Leigh Matthews Trophy winner as the AFL Players Association most valuable player. He was also a premiership captain, having captained the West Coast Eagles to the 2006 AFL Premiership . Consistently recognised as one of the game's premier midfielders, Judd was selected in the All-Australian team six times, including as captain in 2008 . At a representative level, he played for Australia in
6118-701: The Goal of the Year and won the Norm Smith Medal in West Coast's four-point loss to Sydney in the 2005 AFL Grand Final . On 1 March 2006, Judd was named captain of the club, succeeding Ben Cousins who stepped down from the role for disciplinary reasons. He led the Eagles to a one-point victory against Sydney in the 2006 AFL Grand Final , winning his only AFL Premiership medallion. Additionally, he won his second club best and fairest award, his second All-Australian selection and
6251-462: The Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Players Association 's Most Valuable Player. Judd's strong form continued into 2007 and he polled Brownlow votes in each of his first eight games for the season. However, as the year progressed, he was hampered by a chronic groin injury which sidelined him for several weeks and restricted his performance in the games he played. He was forced to play-off
6384-582: The Melbourne Football Club published the first laws of Australian football in May 1859. Australian football has the highest spectator attendance and television viewership of all sports in Australia, while the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's only fully professional competition, is the nation's wealthiest sporting body. The AFL Grand Final , held annually at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ,
6517-407: The field umpire has deemed to be either potentially dangerous or increase the risk of injury to other players. Australian rules football is played with an ellipsoid ball, between 72 and 73 cm (28 and 29 in) in long circumference, and 54.5 and 55.5 cm (21.5 and 21.9 in) in short circumference. For women's competitions, a smaller ball size of 69 and 53 cm (27 and 21 in)
6650-573: The 2000 AFL Under 18 Championships , although due to his young age at 17, he was too young to be drafted by an AFL club. He played TAC Cup football with the Sandringham Dragons through to 2001. At the 2001 AFL 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 he
6783-442: The 2010s substitute rucks and taller forwards would often combine as pinch hitters. Rucks are often used by coaches strategically. Using tandem rucks , often known as third man up , is a tactic often employed around the ground as a set play strategy (though was made illegal by the AFL from 2016 ). As only one ruck from each side can be used at centre bounces, this tactic is restricted to boundary throw-ins and bounces. It involves
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#17328838908526916-596: The 2010s, the AFL signalled further attempts at expanding into markets outside Australian football's traditional heartlands by hosting home-and-away matches in New Zealand, followed by China. After several failed bids since the early 1990s for a Tasmania-based AFL team, the Tasmania Football Club secured the 19th AFL license in 2023, and is set to compete by 2028. In a standard match, a team may consist of anywhere between 14 and 18 players who may be permitted on
7049-420: The AFL level. Another non-traditional recruit, Mike Pyke ( Canada rugby union , US Montauban and Sydney), has enjoyed somewhat more AFL success than most of the aforementioned basketballers. Jason Holmes was also recruited from a college basketball background and became the first Americans to play in the AFL. The aforementioned Mason Cox ( Oklahoma State University basketball and Collingwood ) has also had
7182-461: The AFL). The player who was awarded the mark may then choose to either dispose of the ball over "the mark" or may choose to attempt disposal via a different method, in which case the field umpire will call "play on"—a verbal instruction to continue play. "Play on" may also be called if the umpire deems the player awarded the mark to be taking an unreasonable amount of time to dispose of the football. Once
7315-468: The AFLW using 17 minutes per quarter. For any given match, two timekeepers are appointed to officiate the duration. The timekeepers record all relevant statistics for the match, such as total quarter duration and score by each team. Additionally timekeepers are required to sound a siren prior to and at the conclusion of each quarter until such time they are acknowledged by the field umpires. To stop and recommence
7448-624: The ANFC, and later the Australian Football Championships (AFC) ran a night series , which invited clubs and representative sides from around the country to participate in a knock-out tournament parallel to the premiership seasons, which Victorian sides still dominated. With the lack of international competition, state representative matches were regarded with great importance. Due in part to the VFL poaching talent from other states, Victoria dominated interstate matches for three-quarters of
7581-526: The APS U17 1500m representing Caulfield Grammar and the Ferret Track Club. At Caulfield Grammar, he began to focus on Australian rules football and later captained the school's First team. Judd attained an ENTER score of 96.20 on his Victorian Certificate of Education . He attended St Leonard's College throughout his primary school years. Judd was a graduate of the 2000 AIS/AFL Academy and participated in
7714-558: The Australian Football League include Max Gawn , Brodie Grundy , Nic Naitanui and Todd Goldstein . Aaron Sandilands stood at 2.11m (6 ft 11 in) which was the equal tallest (along with Peter Street , Mason Cox and Ned Reeves ) ruck in AFL/VFL history and was considered to be one of the most dominant rucks in the game. Due to the requirement for rucks to be very tall, in recent years clubs have often gone outside of
7847-524: The British Isles, "others by no rules at all". Another milestone in 1858 was a 40-a-side match played under experimental rules between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College , held at the Richmond Paddock. Umpired by Wills and teacher John Macadam , it began on 7 August and continued over two subsequent Saturdays, ending in a draw with each side kicking one goal. It is commemorated with a statue outside
7980-433: The Eagles' midfield. Judd averaged 22 disposals, kicked 24 goals for the season, and became West Coast's first Brownlow medallist, polling 30 votes to finish seven ahead of runner-up Mark Ricciuto . Additionally, he was named to his first All-Australian team as a wingman, and won the Eagles' Club Champion award for the first time. In 2005, he again averaged 22 disposals and was runner-up to Cousins as Club Champion; he kicked
8113-568: The Irish game evolved in a similar direction. Another theory, first proposed in 1983, posits that Wills, having grown up among Aboriginals in Victoria, may have seen or played the Aboriginal ball game of Marn Grook , and incorporated some of its features into early Australian football. There is only circumstantial evidence that he knew of the game, and according to biographer Greg de Moore's research, Wills
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#17328838908528246-599: The John Nicholls Medal for the 2012 season. Following the 2012 season, Judd took on a smaller role in the team, electing to relinquish the captaincy and step down from the leadership group. After his original six-year contract ended at the end of 2013, he began signing single-year contracts in preparation for the end of his career. In round 10, 2015, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee and subsequently announced his retirement days later, bringing an end to his 279-game career. At his peak, Judd
8379-727: The MCG at the Parade Hotel, owned by Bryant, and drafted ten rules: "The Rules of the Melbourne Football Club" . These are the laws from which Australian football evolved. The club aimed to create a simple code suited to the hard playing surfaces around Melbourne, and to eliminate the roughest aspects of English school games—such as "hacking" (shin-kicking) in Rugby School football—to reduce the risk of injuries to working men. In another significant departure from English public school football,
8512-503: The MCG, and the two schools have since competed annually in the Cordner–Eggleston Cup , the world's oldest continuous football competition . Since the 1920s, it has been suggested that Australian football may have been derived from the Irish sport of Gaelic football . However, there is no archival evidence in favour of a Gaelic influence, and the style of play shared between the two modern codes appeared in Australia long before
8645-576: The Melbourne rules omitted any offside law . "The new code was as much a reaction against the school games as influenced by them", writes Mark Pennings. The rules were distributed throughout the colony; Thompson in particular did much to promote the new code in his capacity as a journalist. Following Melbourne's lead, Geelong and Melbourne University also formed football clubs in 1859. While many early Victorian teams participated in one-off matches, most had not yet formed clubs for regular competition. A South Yarra club devised its own rules. To ensure
8778-409: The SANFL's Port Adelaide (1997), the only pre-existing club outside Victoria to join the league. In 2011 and 2012, respectively, two new non-Victorian clubs were added to the competition: Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney . The AFL, currently with 18 member clubs, is the sport's elite competition and most powerful body. Following the emergence of the AFL, state leagues were quickly relegated to
8911-537: The Victorian team the following week for the Hall of Fame Tribute Match. Judd again won the John Nicholls Medal and All-Australian selection in 2009. Judd had a controversial end to his 2009 season. 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
9044-561: The annual game between Essendon and Collingwood on Anzac Day, is one example of how the war continues to be remembered in the football community. The role of the Australian National Football Council (ANFC) was primarily to govern the game at a national level and to facilitate interstate representative and club competition. In 1968, the ANFC revived the Championship of Australia , a competition first held in 1888 between
9177-473: The ball from a kick (with specific conditions) are awarded unimpeded possession . Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick or mark is paid. Players can tackle using their hands or use their whole body to obstruct opponents. Dangerous physical contact (such as pushing an opponent in the back ), interference when marking, and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, distance penalties , or suspension for
9310-455: The ball to ground", so that the smaller rovers or crumbers on their team know to attack the ball from front and square positions to gain possession. This strategy is particularly effective when playing in wet weather where the slippery ball and tighter contests make it more difficult for the ruck to take clean possession. Rucks are sometimes dropped into the goal square during an attack on goals from outside scoring distance. This way they become
9443-413: The ball. The primary methods are kicking , handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled; for example, players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground . Throwing the ball is not allowed, and players must not get caught holding the ball . A distinctive feature of the game is the mark , where players anywhere on the field who catch
9576-648: The being a member of the winning 2004 AFL Grand Final team. He had previously won an NBL championship with the Adelaide 36ers . Other basketballers such as David Fanning ( Cairns Taipans and Collingwood ), Daniel Bass ( Metropolitan State University of Denver and Port Adelaide ), Seamus McNamara ( Marist College , TSV Dachau Spurs and Collingwood ), Alex Starling ( Bethune-Cookman University and Sydney ) and Ben Dowell ( Santa Clara University and Adelaide ) have all been recruited, but have not been as successful as Brogan in adapting to Australian football at
9709-573: The bench and in the forward line often and was rested for several games in anticipation of playing in the finals series. He had won one premiership and was runner-up with the West Coast Eagles in 2005. On 16 September 2007, two days after West Coast's semi-final elimination by Collingwood , it was announced that Judd had left West Coast and would be requesting a trade to a club in Victoria. He notified West Coast coach John Worsfold and CEO Trevor Nisbett of his intentions earlier that day. As arguably
9842-413: 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
9975-442: The case of Sydney , denial of access to grounds, the influence of university headmasters from Britain who favoured rugby, and the loss of players to other codes inhibited the game's growth. In 1896, delegates from six of the wealthiest VFA clubs— Carlton , Essendon , Fitzroy , Geelong, Melbourne and South Melbourne —met to discuss the formation of a breakaway professional competition. Later joined by Collingwood and St Kilda ,
10108-435: The clock, the field umpires are required to signal to the timekeepers to indicate when the clock should be stopped or restarted. Between each quarter, a break is observed to allow players a rest period. Two six-minute breaks are observed between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. A longer 20-minute break is observed between the second and third quarter, commonly known as half-time . Each game
10241-442: The club in the first round. His return match against West Coast at Subiaco Oval in round 7 was widely anticipated in the media, and Carlton won by 37 points. Judd played 21 of the 22 home-and-away games through the season was named All-Australian captain and ruck rover – his third All-Australian selection, and first as captain – and won the John Nicholls Medal for the best and fairest of the Carlton Football Club. He also represented
10374-493: The clubs formed the Victorian Football League (VFL), which held its inaugural season in 1897 . The VFL's popularity grew rapidly as it made several innovations, such as instituting a finals system, reducing teams from 20 to 18 players, and introducing the behind as a score. Richmond and University joined the VFL in 1908, and by 1925, with the addition of Hawthorn , Footscray and North Melbourne , it had become
10507-490: The code took hold during a series of gold rushes . Likewise, when New Zealand experienced a gold rush , the sport arrived with a rapid influx of Australian miners. Now known as Australian rules or Australasian rules, the sport became the first football code to develop mass spectator appeal, attracting world record attendances for sports viewing and gaining a reputation as "the people's game". Australian rules football reached Queensland and New South Wales as early as 1866;
10640-428: The contest. A notable example of this was when Adelaide Crows player Dean Gore was penalised after the ball hit him before it had been cleared. Gore was facing away from the contest. As a direct result of this and other similar incidents, the AFL clarified the rule, so that if the field umpire concluded that a player genuinely contacted the ball accidentally, a play on would be called. Examples of modern-day rucks in
10773-437: 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 Melbourne newspaper The Age , in which Judd wrote about issues such as global warming, terrorism, superficiality in
10906-724: The end of the season, and to record its first finals victory since 2001. He was awarded the Leigh Matthews Trophy 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, his fourth consecutive selection. He had entered the Brownlow Medal count as an unbackable favourite, with Sportsbet electing to pay out early after round 20, but he ultimately finished fifth. He played his 200th AFL game during
11039-409: The field of play, it is deemed as a mark . To be awarded a mark, it must be deemed that the player sufficiently controlled the ball and took possession prior to it being touched, touching the ground, or in the case of a contest, being spoiled by an opponent. Upon a mark being taken, one opposition player may choose to stand on the point on the field where the mark was taken, known as "the mark". When
11172-413: The field, two sets of posts are erected in a straight line to indicate the scoring areas on the field, each with two kinds of posts, named the goal posts and the behind posts respectively. The goal posts are placed first, located 6.4 metres (7.0 yd) apart from each other, with a behind post being placed a further 6.4 metres to the side of each goal post. The name for the field line between two goal posts
11305-463: The first VFL/AFL player to twice poll thirty or more votes in a season. Judd also won his fifth All-Australian selection, being named on the interchange bench, and 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. In 2011, Judd led Carlton to its best season in a decade, helping the team finish 5th at
11438-618: The first match in Darwin . The game went on to become the most popular sport in the Territory and build the highest participation rate for the sport nationally. Both World War I and World War II had a devastating effect on Australian football and on Australian sport in general. While scratch matches were played by Australian " diggers " in remote locations around the world, the game lost many of its great players to wartime service. Some clubs and competitions never fully recovered. Between 1914 and 1915,
11571-526: The formation of the Adelaide Football Club , the oldest football club in Australia outside Victoria. It devised its own rules, and, along with other Adelaide -based clubs, played a variety of codes until 1876, when they uniformly adopted most of the Victorian rules, with South Australian football pioneer Charles Kingston noting their similarity to "the old Adelaide rules". Similarly, Tasmanian clubs quarrelled over different rules until they adopted
11704-412: The forward line. Some coaches instruct rucks to drop back into the hole , which effectively is the open space in which a full-forward might lead. This way the tall player can cut off a low pass designed to hit a full-forward . Standing in the road of a large key forward leading out at full speed requires a lot of courage. Rucks will sometimes be designated to stand the mark when an opposition takes
11837-591: The fourth player in AFL history to win a Brownlow Medal at more than one club. In August 2021 Judd was elevated into the AFL Hall of Fame. Judd was born in Melbourne to Andrew Judd and Lisa Engel. He was raised in Melbourne's bayside 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. He won
11970-435: The goal square and four players in the centre square with one in the centre circle. If this is breached, a free kick is awarded. A game lasts for 80 minutes, split into four-quarters consisting of 20 minutes playing time, with the clock being stopped for stoppages in play such as scores, or at the umpire 's discretion, e.g. for serious injury. Leagues may choose to employ shorter quarters of play at their discretion, such as
12103-490: The groin injuries he suffered in 2007. He overcame this by converting his game style to predominantly inside ball-winning role. By virtue of his core strength and balance, he became one of the best in the league at receiving ruck tap-outs, and riding or shaking off tackles in packs and congestion to win clearing handpasses to Carlton's outside midfielders. Judd has been praised by AFL journalists and past players in addition to formal awards he has received. I'm continually amazed
12236-452: The ground and less inclined to jump, as such are sometimes referred to as "dinosaurs" and sometimes criticised for a lack of skill around the ground. Heavy rucks became the dominant rucks in the VFL/AFL in the 1890s and also the 1960s and 1970s. The early 2000s saw a brief revival of the style as the addition of third and fourth interchange players by 1998 enabled sides to field multiple rucks. One
12369-420: The ground playing effectively as a tall ruck rover and sometimes with the additional ability to kick goals while playing from the midfield or drop back into defence when required. During the 1980s and 1990s this style became dominant among professional teams and Jim Stynes was one of the first in this mould. Stynes and Scott Wynd won successive Brownlow medals playing this role, the last two rucks to be awarded
12502-433: The ground. Rucks are sometimes classified by their style of play, although many players alternate styles during a game based on strategy, the style of an opponent, their physical attributes and versatility. A tap ruck (or palm ruck ) is the most skillful and high jumping of styles. Players using this style will deftly palm the ball directly down to the advantage of a smaller teammate or rover , often making their hitouts
12635-415: The height and endurance of a primary ruckman but can be used to effectively neutralise a dominant ruck over the course of a game. This style came into prominence since the 1990s as the AFL gradually increased the interchange from 2 players to 5 allowing an additional spot for one or more rucks. Initially heavy rucks were often designated pinch hitters until the centre bounce rules were changed in 2003. During
12768-499: The honour. Most contemporary professional rucks are considered mobile rucks and require the athletic endurance to cover the entire ground. A heavy ruck (or thump ruck ) practices a more physical style of rucking. Typically, the bulkier player uses brute force (and a style often referred to as "crash and bash") to take their opponent out of the contest and punch the ball forward, often going for distance and penetration into their attacking zone. These players are typically slower around
12901-424: The knees (a low tackle or a trip ) or above the shoulders (a high tackle ), the team with possession of the football gets a free kick. Furthermore, tackles deemed to be dangerous by the umpire and those conducted from front-on while an opposition player has their head over the football are deemed to be prohibited contact, and will incur a free kick against the offending player. Additionally, players may perform
13034-483: The last successful heavy rucks to feature prominently was Clark Keating who, despite giving away significant height and leap to his opponents, used his bulky 197cm and 103kg frame to help the Brisbane Lions to three premierships from 2001. At the beginning of 2003, the AFL rules were changed so that rucks must stand at opposite sides and run towards each other. This neutralised the advantage of this type of ruckman who
13167-481: The mass media, world peace and James Surowiecki 's book The Wisdom of Crowds . In 2009, Judd was 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 . After doing some guest commentary in 2016, in November 2016 Judd joined radio station Triple M in
13300-512: The most effective. WAFL and VFL great Polly Farmer is considered to be one of the best all-time rucks of this style. The AFL's Aaron Sandilands is a good recent example. A mobile ruck (or mobile bigman ) often describes a ruck that covers a lot of ground. Sometime this type of ruck is not as tall, as big, or effective at hit outs, but may possess a high leap and greater athletic endurance. Against less mobile rucks, this type of player can compensate with an ability to take more marks around
13433-483: 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, Judd met with four clubs: Essendon, Melbourne, Collingwood and Carlton. On 2 October 2007, Judd announced that his preferred club was Carlton, and Carlton was also considered most likely to secure
13566-548: The new national capital Canberra both soccer and rugby had a head start, but following the first matches in 1911, Australian rules football in the Australian Capital Territory became a major participation sport. By 1981 it had become much neglected and quickly lagged behind the other football codes. Australian rules football in the Northern Territory began shortly after the outbreak of the war in 1916 with
13699-496: The nominated players can contest the ruck. No other player may come into contact with the ball until it has been hit by either ruck or until the ball hits the ground, or they will have a "ruck infringement" free kick given against them. Due to initial practice phase during the JLT Community Series , many free kicks were given against players who accidentally came into contact with the ball, especially when they were not watching
13832-510: The opening three rounds of the 2010 season due to the "pressure point" incident, Judd earned three Brownlow votes in each of his first five matches for the season, going on to win his second Brownlow Medal with 30 votes, four ahead of 2009 Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett, Jr. 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
13965-581: 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. Then, his leadership was called into question when the team misbehaved during an organised Christmas booze cruise, which saw suspensions to teammates Andrew Walker , Eddie Betts and Ryan Houlihan . After missing
14098-455: The phasing out of many of the game's kicking styles and the increasing use of handball; while presentation was influenced by television. In 1982, in a move that heralded big changes within the sport, one of the original VFL clubs, South Melbourne, relocated to Sydney and became known as the Sydney Swans . In the late 1980s, due to the poor financial standing of many of the Victorian clubs, and
14231-407: The player has disposed of the ball, or "play on" is called, normal play resumes. Rucking is the only specialist skill and is performed by a ruck, the term for designated players from each side to which umpire sends the ball to commence play. Only a nominated ruck may contest ball-ups and throw-ins. They are the only player allowed within the 10 metre circle at a centre bounce. Functionally the role
14364-429: The player penalised for ' holding the ball ', except if the umpire deems there was a lack of prior opportunity to do so. The ball carrier may only be tackled between the shoulders and knees from the front or side. If the player forcefully contacts the opposing in the back while performing a tackle, the opposition player will be penalised for a push in the back . If the opposition tackles the player with possession below
14497-436: The playing surface at any given time. Each team may have up to four interchange (reserve) players who may be swapped for those on the field at any time during the game. Although some leagues in less populated areas may use as few as 12 players. In addition, some leagues notably including the AFL, have each team designate one additional player as a substitute who can be used to make a single permanent exchange of players during
14630-580: The preeminent league in the country and would take a leading role in many aspects of the sport. The time around the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901 saw Australian rules undergo a revival in New South Wales, New Zealand and Queensland. In 1903, both the Queensland Australian Football League and the NSW Australian Football Association were established, and in New Zealand, as it moved towards becoming
14763-521: The premiers of the VFA and SAFA. Although clubs from other states were at times invited, the final was almost always between the premiers from the two strongest state competitions of the time—South Australia and Victoria—with Adelaide hosting most of the matches at the request of the SAFA/SANFL. The last match took place in 1976, with North Adelaide being the last non-Victorian winner in 1972. Between 1976 and 1987,
14896-434: The ruck became common from as early as 1880; the rules formally changed to a mandate a bounce in 1887. In 2004, a new centre circle rule was introduced to reduce the ruck's run-up. The aim was to decrease the knee clashes and posterior cruciate ligament injuries experienced by many rucks. The new rules favour taller players and those with high vertical leaps, and many mobile rucks now find it difficult to contest. During
15029-428: The ruck can sometimes be a designated target. With extra height it is difficult for opposition players to take marks against them and they are an easier target to spot in a cluster. However the AFL's introduction of Gaelic Football's quick kick-in rule in 2006 tended to favour shorter passes to smaller players over set plays with high kicks involving the ruck. In a contested situation, the ruck may be instructed to "bring
15162-399: The ruck. The rucks are among the most important players on the field as they are the first to set up play for their team. As reach is instrumental to winning ruck contests, height , arm span , vertical leap and endurance are huge physical advantages so the rucks are usually the tallest on each team. The role of the ruck in Australian rules is similar to a lock in rugby union contesting
15295-447: The season. In 2012, Judd played his 100th match for Carlton as captain against Hawthorn in round 14. In round 16 against North Melbourne he was reported for misconduct in that he pulled opposition player Leigh Adams ' arm up, causing the shoulder to dislocate, in a move known as a " chicken wing tackle ". Judd denied that he intended to hurt Adams, but the tribunal found him guilty and suspended him for four matches. He finished third in
15428-467: The sport across Australia, delegates representing the football associations of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland met in 1883 and updated the code. New rules such as holding the ball led to a "golden era" of fast, long-kicking and high-marking football in the 1880s, a time which also saw players such as George Coulthard achieve superstardom, as well as the rise of professionalism , particularly in Victoria and Western Australia , where
15561-467: The sport experienced a period of dominance in the former, and in the latter, several regions remain strongholds of Australian rules, such as the Riverina . However, by the late 1880s, rugby football had become the dominant code in both colonies, as well as in New Zealand. This shift was largely due to rugby's spread with British migration, regional rivalries and the lack of strong local governing bodies. In
15694-406: The sport is most often called AFL after the Australian Football League , while the league itself also uses this name for local competitions in some areas. Primitive forms of football were played sporadically in the Australian colonies in the first half of the 19th century. Compared to cricket and horse racing , football was considered a mere "amusement" by colonists at the time, and while little
15827-414: The substantial TV revenues they generated by playing on a Sunday went to the VFL. To protect these revenues the VFL granted significant draft concessions and financial aid to keep the expansion clubs competitive. The VFL changed its name to the Australian Football League (AFL) for the 1990 season , and over the next decade, three non-Victorian clubs gained entry: Adelaide (1991), Fremantle (1995) and
15960-587: The supremacy of the Melbourne rules, the first-club level competition in Australia, the Caledonian Society's Challenge Cup (1861–64), stipulated that only the Melbourne rules were to be used. This law was reinforced by the Athletic Sports Committee (ASC), which ran a variation of the Challenge Cup in 1865–66. With input from other clubs, the rules underwent several minor revisions, establishing
16093-514: The trade of Kennedy, and he signed a six-year, $ 6,000,000 contract with the club. During 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 Park , with his presence attracting 12,000 fans, and he began his senior career with
16226-490: The traditional junior football leagues to recruit rucks. Cameron Jackson was recruited by Fremantle in the 1998 Rookie Draft after previously playing in the National Basketball League , but never played an AFL game. Dean Brogan who was picked by Port Adelaide with the 26th selection in the 1999 AFL Draft was much more successful, with Brogan playing for Port for 12 seasons and playing 174 games, including
16359-412: The usage of other means, such as punching. While in possession of the ball, players may run with the ball, but are required to either bounce or touch the ball on the ground at least once every 15 metres (16 yd). Tackling is a technique employed by players used to force opposition players to dispose of the ball when they are in possession. Failure to dispose of the ball when legally tackled may see
16492-501: The way he plays his game... You hear him interviewed and you think what an unbelievably together, mature, young guy he is. He's a fantastic guy to have. He is the hardest opponent I've ever played on. I remember watching him when he first burst onto the scene, I actually would look at him as someone I wanted to base my game around. His speed, his accuracy with his skills, his contested football. It's just fantastic. I played with magnificent players. Nicholls , Doull , Jesaulenko , but Judd
16625-437: The world, and in the middle of other sports being played, including basketball , Association football and American football . Judd is featured in a scene where he receives a kick from Aaron Davey on a racecourse in front of a group of racehorses. Shortly before he is overrun by the racehorses, he handballs the ball to Sydney Swans player Adam Goodes . In 2022, he was inducted into Sport Australia Hall of Fame . Towards
16758-429: Was "almost solely influenced by his experience at Rugby School". A loosely organised Melbourne side, captained by Wills, played against other football enthusiasts in the winter and spring of 1858. The following year, on 14 May, the Melbourne Football Club was officially established, making it one of the world's oldest football clubs . Three days later, Wills, Hammersley, Thompson and teacher Thomas H. Smith met near
16891-545: Was a 20-per-side affair, played with a ball that was roughly spherical, and lasted until a team scored two goals. The shape of the playing field was not standardised; matches often took place in rough, tree-spotted public parks, most notably the Richmond Paddock ( Yarra Park ), known colloquially as the Melbourne Football Ground. Wills argued that the turf of cricket fields would benefit from being trampled upon by footballers in winter, and, as early as 1859, football
17024-478: Was allowed on the MCG. However, cricket authorities frequently prohibited football on their grounds until the 1870s, when they saw an opportunity to capitalise on the sport's growing popularity. Football gradually adapted to an oval-shaped field, and most grounds in Victoria expanded to accommodate the dual purpose—a situation that continues to this day. Football became organised in South Australia in 1860 with
17157-514: Was between Melbourne Grammar and St Kilda Grammar. On 10 July 1858, the Melbourne-based Bell's Life in Victoria and Sporting Chronicle published a letter by Tom Wills , captain of the Victoria cricket team , calling for the formation of a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter. Born in Australia, Wills played a nascent form of rugby football while
17290-435: Was coined by scholar Ian Turner in 1978 to describe the "fictitious geographical barrier" separating the rugby-following parts of New South Wales and Queensland from the rest of the country, where Australian football reigned. It became a reference point for the expansion of Australian football and for establishing a national league. The way the game was played had changed dramatically due to innovative coaching tactics, with
17423-401: Was no longer able to outbody their opponents, with players must now required to maximise their jump and reach if they are to win the tap. While some such as Brendon Lade were able to successfully adapt, the rule changes helped end the careers of the likes of Keating and many others and saw a generation of taller and athletic mobile rucks dominate. A backup ruck (or pinch hitting ruck ) is
17556-426: Was the best midfielder in the game and is widely regarded as one of the best players of the 2000s decade. The strengths and traits of Judd's playing style were different between his time at West Coast and his time at Carlton, and he has been widely lauded for his proficiency at both. At West Coast, while he was a strong ball-winner, it was as an outside midfielder and ball-user where he distinguished himself. He possessed
17689-399: Was tipped to be picked high in the 2001 AFL Draft . Judd was taken by West Coast with its priority draft pick (No. 3 overall) 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. Judd played only one WAFL match before making his debut for West Coast in round 2, 2002 . He had an impressive debut season, winning
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