Past Ben Hudson (2012-2012)

[Grimreepah]

Rob Kerr's Trade Week Analysis

AFL lists are expected to be reduced when the CBA is finally completed. Ben’s willingness to take it a year-at-a-time assists us from a list management point of view

Since Ben was selected at age 25 to play with Adelaide, he has been regarded as a very competitive AFL ruckman. With a couple of young ruckmen on the Bulldogs’ list seeking opportunities, Ben had decided to retire to aid their development. We enquired several weeks ago to determine whether he was willing to continue his career. As it turned out, he had planned to move to Queensland and jumped at the opportunity to join the Lions should it materialise.

Ben will not only provide support for Matthew, but he will assist in the development of our young talls who we don’t want to throw to the wolves by asking more of them than they are ready to deliver. Furthermore, I’m sure whether Ben is playing at AFL level or NEAFL level, our younger brigade will walk taller with Ben’s on-field presence.

 

[Jorgo]

@Merrett21 on Twitter:

Show up to training today to find a new neighbor - #peoplesbeard http://pic.twitter.com/kK4pRHnt

Looks like Roge might have let the cat out of the bag on guernsey number there ....

 

[jackess]

The two ginger beards next to each other.

 

[Grimreepah]

Day 1 of pre-season training

Big bodies Brown, Matt Maguire, Daniel Merrett and new recruit Ben Hudson worked strongly on the track before joining the rest of the group for a grass running session following the time trial.

 

[Grimreepah]

Matthew Leuenberger

Yeah, I had a good chat with him yesterday. I went to breakfast with him. I'm rapt to have him on board. He's actually an opponent I found really difficult to play on, so I really look forward to learn off him, and get out on the park and run around with him.

 

[jackess]

Looks like he's mostly lost the beard.

 

[mINORITY]

Looks like he's mostly lost the beard.

Maybe the weather has something to do with it - it has been a bit warm.

 

[whatboutbob]

Retirement? Beard there, done that

• by: Rohan Connolly
• From: The Age
• November 13, 2011

'WELL, it was fun while it lasted,'' chuckles Ben Hudson of one of the shortest retirements AFL football has seen.

When he and his wife Rita decided to return to her native Queensland, the same place he'd grown up from the age of eight, he was more than content to do that playing with local side Labrador in the QAFL.

But that was before the Lions' national talent manager Rob Kerr came calling. And when they threw the bait of playing an important support role for emerging young ruckman Matthew Leuenberger, any sense of awkwardness about having already publicly pulled up stumps was no match for Hudson's inherent competitiveness, and the chance to continue plying his trade in the place he wanted to live.

 

[Grimreepah]

I reckon having that period where he thought there was no tomorrow would have helped him mentally freshen up a bit.

I wonder though if he will be given pre-planned breaks throughout the season to freshen his body up.

 

[BuntonRules]

Great recruiting, Dr. Kerr. A real asset to the club, even if he does not play a game in the A grade. And especially if we draft 1 or 2 young ruckmen.

 

[Crimso]

Great recruiting, Dr. Kerr. A real asset to the club, even if he does not play a game in the A grade. And especially if we draft 1 or 2 young ruckmen.

Ruck coach on the cheap?

 

[BuntonRules]

Ruck coach on the cheap?

Yeah. But just as important a good bloke to have around the place.

 

[Grimreepah]

Matthew Leuenberger

Hudson and Charman have 143 and 129 games respectively to their names, and the East Perth product believes they have plenty to offer his flourishing career.

"Ben Hudson is going to be really good to work with," Leuenberger said.

"He's an opposition player I played on for quite a while and struggled with at times, particularly early in my career. So I'm really looking forward to working with him.

"Ben plays a different style of ruck compared to me. He's very much at the contest and efficient there, and I think I can definitely learn from him. Once we ramp training up, it's going to be really handy to work with him week in and week out."

 

[Jubair]

Saw the peoples beard at the Caxton last night. He was having a great time and said he was celebrating a bucks with one of his mates and it looked like a sizable contingent.

Looks like he is bringing the beard back too, it has gotten thicker then the photo in the above post.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Club needs to give him a weekly video show like Rocky, Redden and Polks got.

Allegedly one of the funniest blokes you could ever meet.

 

[Grimreepah]

pics from yesterday's photo shoot

 

[Ironmonger]

http://www.lions.com.au/Season2011/Players/PlayerLists/tabid/5184/Default.aspx

Anyone else notice Hudson was listed as only 196cm? Seems odd.

 

[Grimreepah]

2012 Jumper Presentation

 

[Grimreepah]

'The Beard' returns in Lion skin
By Michael Whiting
9:17 AM Tue 14 Feb, 2012

Hudson - who turns 33 on the eve of the Lions' first NAB Cup fixtures against Gold Coast and Melbourne on February 25 - could not think of a better way to end his career.

"I started at uni so it was a roundabout way. And Mt Gravatt, it's our 10-year anniversary from a premiership, so that shows how old I am," he said.

"It's great. I get to finish off my career in front of family and friends. You rarely get to play footy in your home state and I get to finish here.

"I don't think most of the young blokes can believe I didn't play until I was 19. I wouldn't change it; it's been great. You get to see footy from every aspect from your social kick-about at uni, which I have great memories about, to playing at the MCG in front of 100,000.

"Footy's a great game, it doesn't matter what level you play at. If you can get paid for it, it's just a bonus."

 

[Grimreepah]

Video: Mark Harvey

"It's just good for Leuenberger and Billy Longer, and these sorts of guys, to have a guy of that sort of experience. With the ruck department you normally need four or five on your list, so for 12 months or two years, however long he's here... I'm certain he's added to the midfield in the smartness and the evolvement of what happens around stoppages."

photo courtesy of Jorgo

 

[Grimreepah]

 

[Grimreepah]

NAB Cup Round 1 vs Melbourne

What looks stranger - Ben Hudson in a Brisbane Lions jumper or Ben Hudson sans beard? It's hard to know. He teamed up with Matthew Leuenberger in the ruck but didn't see much action.

 

[Grimreepah]

Some obvious lessons from February football
Peter Hanlon
February 28, 2012

■Ben Hudson should never have been allowed to shave off his beard.

 

[Grimreepah]

Hudson's happy homecoming
10:08 AM Thu 08 Mar, 2012

“It’s good to be back home, I’m thoroughly enjoying it,” Hudson said after training on Wednesday.

“It’s nice that you’ve noticed that I’ve lost a bit of weight,” Hudson told the media.

“I think the humidity helps. And just being able to do sessions one after the other has helped a bit as well.”

Hudson said he had no set expectations as he approached his 9th AFL season, and simply hoped to provide some valuable experience in the Lions’ young ruck division.

 

[Grimreepah]

Video: Shane Woewodin

"It's been great for Leuey to have that real competition around him. Huddo's come in aided by some valuable experience. He's a very different type player to Leuey. He has more strength around the contest rather than Leuey's aerobic capacity."

photo courtesy of Jorgo