Ben Hudson

[RoosterLad]

Just a quick update on this great bloke and great ruckman. On the weekend i was told he has been training the house down at Prospect Oval and looks pretty bloody fit. Hes looking forward to playing for the Chooks again as he loves the club even though he hasnt played a lot of games, and obviously the sooner he gets back to playing good footy, the sooner hes back with the Crows.

At first we thought he would come back through North's Reserves but after that report it seems he will be straight into the As and a battle with Meesen this week.

With Perrie also training and playing well, the signs are good for the two big men, even more selection headaches ahead.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Great news about Hudson.

It will be interesting to see how he performs in his first few games back. Some talls find it genuinely difficult after a knee reconstruction to play with the same attack on the ball (ie Ben Marsh), others show minimal ill-effects (is Shaun Rehn).

Hudson strikes me as more in the Rehn mould in terms of his determination and inner-strength.

 

[Adam BK]

Hudson, van Berlo set to play
1:16:10 PM Mon 24 July, 2006
afc.com.au

Ben Hudson and Nathan van Berlo have been cleared to join full training to prepare to play this weekend.

Hudson, who has not played since damaging a knee in August last year, hopes to line up with North Adelaide while van Berlo, who broke his collarbone in round 11, is likely to make his return with South Adelaide.

 

[beartoo]

Apparently the selection meeting went for a long time last week. I reckon the lights will be burning late at West Lakes for the rest of the year.

 

[Damp Squarie]

If Ben gets through the next 4 weeks he's gotta get a gig with the Crows doesnt he? Lets put it this way...Id have Biglands and Huddo in the finals lineup. Clarkeys a great ruckman but a liability around the ground in general fieldplay despite averaging more marks per game this year.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

If Ben gets through the next 4 weeks he's gotta get a gig with the Crows doesnt he? Lets put it this way...Id have Biglands and Huddo in the finals lineup. Clarkeys a great ruckman but a liability around the ground in general fieldplay despite averaging more marks per game this year.

You forget how tough it is to come back from a knee reco and play reasonable footy ....nevermind a Ruckman who has to leap on the knee and who has less than 30 games of AFL behind him.

Hardly a compelling case for immediate reinstatement.

One average SANFL game will quell all this enthusiasm though

 

[JohnK]

I'd have Biglands and Huddo in the finals' lineup. Clarkey is a great ruckman but he's a liability around the ground in general fieldplay despite averaging more marks per game this year.

Too early to plan final line-ups. I thought Clarke's accurate taps last Friday enabled Adelaide to finally break that game open. I agree that Biglands is better around the ground -- for a big bloke he gets himself into the free space very quickly, and he takes great marks every now and again.

The best thing about Ben coming back is that Adelaide's ruck options can be opened up. This year, Adelaide has had solid options on nearly every line. Injuries have been covered quickly. Now they will have more options in ruck and on those occasions when a tall position player is needed to plug a hole or kick a couple of goals from the pocket.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I still cannot see Huddo back playing at AFL level this year, but it is great to hear he has been cleared to play!

 

[JohnK]

I still cannot see Huddo back playing at AFL level this year, but it is great to hear he has been cleared to play!

Still ten weeks to go, Kane.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Still ten weeks to go, Kane.

Hudson has had no pre-season, has no match fitness, yet people think he can come up to speed in a month or so after a major injury...

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

I still cannot see Huddo back playing at AFL level this year, but it is great to hear he has been cleared to play!

>>>>>>

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

I still cannot see Huddo back playing at AFL level this year, but it is great to hear he has been cleared to play!

As much as I would love him too, I can't understand why people still think Huddo will return this year. You don't bring a ruckman back after 12 months off and then throw him into the pressure cooker that is finals. Especially when you have 2 EXPERIENCED ruckman who are physically 100% fit. When he does come back he will probably play SANFL for a month and then be eased back into AFL footy. You're not going to go into a finals campaign with a guy who isn't 100% confident physically, which happens when players come back after having such a serious knee injury. It will take Huddo a good six months before he has 100% confidence in his knee.

 

[JohnK]

Of course, you don't SpringChoke.

I didn't think the discussion here was about whether or not Hudson would be ready. That's up to the coach and the club.

I thought the discussion was whether, if he was ready after the next month or so to resume AFL duties, he should be brough back to the side, or whether Biglands, Maric, Clarke should be the ones to go on.

What happens if there are one or two injuries to those three? If the club says that Hudson is ready, why shouldn't he be played?

 

[crowboy]

Hudson has had no pre-season, has no match fitness, yet people think he can come up to speed in a month or so after a major injury...

He seemed very confident that he would be back playing for the roosters when chatting to him on the gold coast on the friday before the Hawthorn game but wasn't as confident of making it back to the big league.

Mind you the form he was in at Melbas you would have thought he was as fit as he could possibly be. (and the coach didnt know he was even on the gold coast!!!!!!)

 

[Crow-mo]

Hudson has had no pre-season, has no match fitness, yet people think he can come up to speed in a month or so after a major injury...

why not? if it were that simple, there would be no mid season returns for any player who suffered a serious injury.

players have been coming back from injuries without preseasons since the game began.

who knows how he'll go, but there isn't any reason why he can't come back this year.

 

[maccas_no1]

If Ben gets through the next 4 weeks he's gotta get a gig with the Crows doesnt he? Lets put it this way...Id have Biglands and Huddo in the finals lineup. Clarkeys a great ruckman but a liability around the ground in general fieldplay despite averaging more marks per game this year.

Would have to play, I think with the finals we can afford to go in with three ruckmen, rotate them between the forwardline and the bench, a three man ruck combo such as that would be formidable. We did it in 1997 and 1998 with Rehn, Pittman and Robran.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I don't think we'd play three ruckmen.

In 97/98 our ruckmen were pretty verstaile. Pittman played at CHB, Rehn played CHF in the second half of the 97 WB Prelim and Ben Marsh played up forward in 98.

Hudson, Biglands and Clarke are pretty much ruckmen-only.

 

[maccas_no1]

I don't think we'd play three ruckmen.

In 97/98 our ruckmen were pretty verstaile. Pittman played at CHB, Rehn played CHF in the second half of the 97 WB Prelim and Ben Marsh played up forward in 98.

Hudson, Biglands and Clarke are pretty much ruckmen-only.

Hudson can play anywhere around the ground that is what we have missed so much about him since he has been out injuried.

Biglands as he proved on Friday night can drift forward and do damage.

Clarke is just about the best tap ruckman in the AFL, he is limited to what he can do around the ground but out of those three he would be the only one.

 

[Vader]

Several Point:

• Hudson is not an automatic inclusion. Nobody knows how he will play after coming back from a knee reconstruction.
• If he plays in the SANFL and absolutely dominates then he will come back into the seniors quickly because of how much he offers around the ground. If not, he will be given more time in the SANFL.
• He is not match fit, but the lack of a pre-season is not a concern - he's been doing a pre-season of sorts for the past 3 months, just waiting for the club to give him the OK to return to active duty.
• I very much doubt that Adelaide would play 3 ruckmen at any stage. Hudson would be a 1-for-1 swap with Clarke.

 

[Damp Squarie]

As much as I would love him too, I can't understand why people still think Huddo will return this year. You don't bring a ruckman back after 12 months off and then throw him into the pressure cooker that is finals. Especially when you have 2 EXPERIENCED ruckman who are physically 100% fit. When he does come back he will probably play SANFL for a month and then be eased back into AFL footy. You're not going to go into a finals campaign with a guy who isn't 100% confident physically, which happens when players come back after having such a serious knee injury. It will take Huddo a good six months before he has 100% confidence in his knee.

He'll be back before the finals...you'll see

 

[maccas_no1]

Several Point:

• Hudson is not an automatic inclusion. Nobody knows how he will play after coming back from a knee reconstruction.
• If he plays in the SANFL and absolutely dominates then he will come back into the seniors quickly because of how much he offers around the ground. If not, he will be given more time in the SANFL.
• He is not match fit, but the lack of a pre-season is not a concern - he's been doing a pre-season of sorts for the past 3 months, just waiting for the club to give him the OK to return to active duty.
• I very much doubt that Adelaide would play 3 ruckmen at any stage. Hudson would be a 1-for-1 swap with Clarke.

Agree with all accept your last point, can play Clarke and Huddo in the same line up.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

As much as I would love him too, I can't understand why people still think Huddo will return this year. You don't bring a ruckman back after 12 months off and then throw him into the pressure cooker that is finals. Especially when you have 2 EXPERIENCED ruckman who are physically 100% fit. When he does come back he will probably play SANFL for a month and then be eased back into AFL footy. You're not going to go into a finals campaign with a guy who isn't 100% confident physically, which happens when players come back after having such a serious knee injury. It will take Huddo a good six months before he has 100% confidence in his knee.

Think your spot on with that assessment

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Several Point:

• Hudson is not an automatic inclusion. Nobody knows how he will play after coming back from a knee reconstruction.
• If he plays in the SANFL and absolutely dominates then he will come back into the seniors quickly because of how much he offers around the ground. If not, he will be given more time in the SANFL.
• He is not match fit, but the lack of a pre-season is not a concern - he's been doing a pre-season of sorts for the past 3 months, just waiting for the club to give him the OK to return to active duty.
• I very much doubt that Adelaide would play 3 ruckmen at any stage. Hudson would be a 1-for-1 swap with Clarke.

Again a rationale argument.

Macca No 1... I think your letting emotion get the better of your judgement mate

 

[The Crows Truth]

Think your spot on with that assessment

just out of interest do you know what round Rehn came back in 97 following his knee/s? I cant remember but thought it may have only been in the few wks leading to finals

 

[WaynesWorld19]

just out of interest do you know what round Rehn came back in 97 following his knee/s? I cant remember but thought it may have only been in the few wks leading to finals

I'll stand corrected but I believe he played the whole year from game 1 or early season having returned from the reco the previous year

Certainly wasn't anywhere near this late in the season.