Hodge debate put to rest

[Matt Stevic]

Gary Shadforth your avatar makes my eyes bleed

 

[seysearles]

Gary Shadforth your avatar makes my eyes bleed

What happens to these guys? Do they quietly die and nobody knows about it or just lose interest in footy chat forums and disappear?

"Last seen: May 7, 2010" sounds ominous. We narrowly lost to West Coast on May 8th 2010. I wonder if that had something to do with it.

 

[Furn2]

I ran into Derm a few weeks before that draft at a Gold Coast nightclub and asked him about the Croad trade which he said he was against for personal reasons but felt it would be the right thing for the club in the end. I then asked him who we were taking, he said Luke Hodge, depending on whether he passed a physical and if not then Luke Ball was the next choice. He never mentioned Judd at all.

 

[eldorado]

Interesting hypothetical...would we have had three flags if we took Judd?

 

[Matt Stevic]

Interesting hypothetical...would we have had three flags if we took Judd?

No we wouldn't. I'd really be surprised if we had any.Judd doesn't fit at all into our game plan (turnover merchants are not highly valued at the Hawks). He isn't a natural leader like Hodge is, and doesn't have the same ability to lift the team around him. And finally, Gougey McChickenwing was well and truly past it when our 2 most recent flags were won.

Then again, Shitney were so pathetic that day that we probably could've beaten them with our 1961 flag side.

 

[Gunstall555]

Gougey McChickenwing

I lol'd at that and thought Hodge gouges chicken wings for breakfast!

 

[walhawk]

If we took Ball we might nave zero flags, but Judd was awesome at WCE, and we might still have won 2008.
And Hodge was not fit in 2012 GF, so a fit Judd may have won us that one.
And we would still have 13 & 14.
I'd say three flags still.

 

[kazzooka]

We would not have won 08 without Hodge. We wouldn't have even made the grand final that year without him. And wouldn't have made finals in 07 either.

One of the things that makes Hodge so great is he tells other players where to go constantly. He helps players that aren't as smart as him get the ball or be in the right spot defensively. Ball was a good leader but not really a great coach, Judd has no leadership skills.

 

[tige19]

Interesting hypothetical...would we have had three flags if we took Judd?

I think some forget how magical Judd was as a footballer, even when fit today he's carlton best mid. I'm pretty confident that we would have had enough leadership with Sammy that if Judd was a Hawk we would have won all 3 of the flags.

As footballers I love them both, as leaders Hodge will go down as one of the greatest if not the greatest this club has ever produced.

 

[Hawkas1988]

I hate these bumps.. I look back in embarrassment.

Some of your posts were interesting to say the least lol. It must be hard looking back on them but it's all good.

I do wonder though, when did you personally come around to Hodgey and love him like every other Hawks supporter does these days? Just curious

My dad and grandpa who had a few connections to the club at the time were repeatedly told to give this kid time. He will be an absolute beauty and they'd never seen a kid drafted with his kind of leadership skills mixed in with pure talent. The only player I can think of since to be the same is Joel Selwood.

If only hawks supporters back in 02-04 knew that Hodge would later become one of Hawthorns greatest ever players and become a Hall of Fame footballer. They would have rested alot easier haha.

 

[Procrastinator35]

I think some forget how magical Judd was as a footballer, even when fit today he's carlton best mid. I'm pretty confident that we would have had enough leadership with Sammy that if Judd was a Hawk we would have won all 3 of the flags.

As footballers I love them both, as leaders Hodge will go down as one of the greatest if not the greatest this club has ever produced.

One of the main points about Judd in that draft was that he went into it with Chronic shoulder issues. In 2001 he only played half a season as he was always popping his shoulders out, which is why he often has them taped up when he plays.

Anyhow, he went in for an op in the season of his draft year & much like Joel Selwood's supposedly wonky, bone-on-bone knee, he came back without so much as a hiccup!....Unsure of whether or not this played a major part in our thinking/selection at the time. Though you'd imagine it would have.

Judd always was a pure attacking midfielder, whereas Hodge can play pretty much any position on the ground....Therein lies the difference for mine.....His versatility has become synonymous with how we play our football as a team.

 

[Roddy]

Interesting hypothetical...would we have had three flags if we took Judd?

At very best it's highly debatable...

 

[tige19]

Some of your posts were interesting to say the least lol. It must be hard looking back on them but it's all good.

I do wonder though, when did you personally come around to Hodgey and love him like every other Hawks supporter does these days? Just curious

My dad and grandpa who had a few connections to the club at the time were repeatedly told to give this kid time. He will be an absolute beauty and they'd never seen a kid drafted with his kind of leadership skills mixed in with pure talent. The only player I can think of since to be the same is Joel Selwood.

If only hawks supporters back in 02-04 knew that Hodge would later become one of Hawthorns greatest ever players and become a Hall of Fame footballer. They would have rested alot easier haha.

If you read my posts you'll actually notice I was never against Hodge.. I actually played against both Hodge and Judd at under 18s and I can safely say Judd was the best footballer I had ever witnessed on a ground, th guy was unbelievably good. Another guy who was almost as memorising at juniors was David Rodan, he was a bloody jet.

 

[Hawkas1988]

If you read my posts you'll actually notice I was never against Hodge.. I actually played against both Hodge and Judd at under 18s and I can safely say Judd was the best footballer I had ever witnessed on a ground, th guy was unbelievably good. Another guy who was almost as memorising at juniors was David Rodan, he was a bloody jet.

Sorry I didn't mean to sound as if you hated him. I meant like when were you happy Hawthorn made that decision? Not trying to be a dick, just curious.

I have a mate who only this year was happy with Hodge, not due to the draft and Judd thing but he believed his training and diet/alcohol habits still hindered him lots throughout 2011 and 2012. He finally admits he is a champ now, he was the only Hawks supporter I knew that wasn't a big fan of Hodgey.

Even our non Hawthorn supporting friends couldn't understand how he didn't rate him that highly.

 

[Flukey!]

Interesting hypothetical...would we have had three flags if we took Judd?

Judd was an unbelievable player at WCE.

 

[lickmerocks]

Hodge gave me hope in some dark days at our club.

I think he took a lot longer than supporters hoped because he loved KFC and beer.

When he finally figured it all out and realised what he had to do away from footy to become elite his game went to another level.

 

[Agent Smith]

I hate these bumps.. I look back in embarrassment.

I'm sure a lot of current posters are thankful they weren't on BigFooty at that period of time. One question though... why did you stop using the 'My Man Croad' alias?

 

[QuietB]

I think some forget how magical Judd was as a footballer, even when fit today he's carlton best mid. I'm pretty confident that we would have had enough leadership with Sammy that if Judd was a Hawk we would have won all 3 of the flags.

As footballers I love them both, as leaders Hodge will go down as one of the greatest if not the greatest this club has ever produced.

It is an interesting thought. My first thought was that Judd was surrounded by a stellar midfield at West Coast. But then at Hawthorn he would have had Mitchell feeding him the ball, Crawford as the alternative, Chick doing the grunt work/blocking. It could have worked out just as well.

We will never ever know.

But no one associated with the Hawks would ever swap Hodge. When it is all said and done, if you asked Judd (or anyone) who's career he would prefer, and if he was honest, he would choose Hodge's. It's all about the premierships baby.

 

[tige19]

I'm sure a lot of current posters are thankful they weren't on BigFooty at that period of time. One question though... why did you stop using the 'My Man Croad' alias?

Ehhh? No idea what you're on about...

 

[tige19]

It is an interesting thought. My first thought was that Judd was surrounded by a stellar midfield at West Coast. But then at Hawthorn he would have had Mitchell feeding him the ball, Crawford as the alternative, Chick doing the grunt work/blocking. It could have worked out just as well.

We will never ever know.

But no one associated with the Hawks would ever swap Hodge. When it is all said and done, if you asked Judd (or anyone) who's career he would prefer, and if he was honest, he would choose Hodge's. It's all about the premierships baby.

110%.. If we win a 3rd flag surely he will be our greatest ever captain.

 

[Rushed_Behind]

110%.. If we win a 3rd flag surely he will be our greatest ever captain.

4th or 3rd straight i think you mean, but doesnt matter, the guy is a beast.

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

Judd was better 04-06 and Hodge has been better 07-14, but because Judd shanked his kicks a lot faster when he played for West Coast he is rated better.

 

[Davo23]

Judd was better 04-06 and Hodge has been better 07-14, but because Judd shanked his kicks a lot faster when he played for West Coast he is rated better.

I always go back to that commentary in one of his Grand Finals:

"Judd takes the ball, breaks clear, shrugs off two tackles, accelerates away from the pack brilliantly, kicks to half forward ... and the ball rolls out of bounds for a throw in."

 

[arupist]

110%.. If we win a 3rd flag surely he will be our greatest ever captain.

Don't be so quick to sell Tucky short.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Don't be so quick to sell Tucky short.

Different style of Captain altogether was Tucky, but yeah....4 Flags trumps 2 as Captain every-time....Seems even his own teams supporters forget about olde 'Friar Tuck'!

P.S Luv da Sig. Can definitely relate....Car & house keys can be a bugger too!