Father Jack
Brownlow Medallist
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2006
- Posts
- 23,968
- Reaction score
- 32,882
- Location
- between hope and reality
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Other Teams
- Tottenham Hotspur FC
Judd kicks goal with sponsors
By Chip Le Grand
November 16, 2006
WEST Coast premiership captain Chris Judd is the first domestic footballer since James Hird to be ranked inside the top 10 of Australia's most marketable athletes, adding a rare and potentially lucrative distinction to his already impeccable resume.
In the latest Sweeney Sports Report, taken from a survey period of April 1 through to September 30 this year, Judd is ranked eighth in terms of his perceived value to sponsors.
This puts him in the company of global sporting brands such as Ian Thorpe, Harry Kewell, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh.
AFL, rugby union and rugby league players usually rate poorly in Sweeney reports, which are taken from survey samples drawn from all capital cities.
The only footballers to have been previously ranked inside the top 10 are Wallabies captains John Eales and George Gregan, St Kilda's dual Brownlow medal winner Robert Harvey and Hird. Former Australia rugby league captain Andrew Johns was ranked equal 10th in this year's survey while Hird was equal 20th.
"It is quite amazing to see Judd in there," Sweeney Sports director Martin Hirons said.
"The AFL, NRL and ARU players have a more difficult job getting personal endorsements because of the numbers of players and teams. It is easier for individual sports people to tap into that vein of income.
"It underlines Judd's potential. There was a lot of discussion around had he played in Melbourne, what he would be worth?
"There is no doubt there is a quality about him that everyone seems to admire.
"It always helps if you have got good looks and he certainly does. He presents well, is articulate and fairly down to earth and his approach to things is very thorough."
The other significant result was Kewell's elevation to second behind Thorpe.
Where Thorpe's appeal softened marginally due to his extended absence from competition swimming, Kewell picked up 24 rating points, confirming the increased marketing power of Australia's soccer stars.
Australia's World Cup captain Mark Viduka was ranked just outside the top 10, with Tim Cahill moving into the top 30 for the first time.
Hirons said this reflected the growing, national appeal of soccer compared to the traditional football codes.
"The problem for the football codes is they are not strong in every market," he said.
"The strength of cricket and soccer is they resonate strongly from a national standpoint."
Judd's confirmation as the AFL's most marketable commodity will depend on future surveys, which fluctuate with form and results.
When Harvey was ranked seventh in the 1998-1999 report, he had just won the second of two Brownlows. This is the first time Sweeney has published a winter survey, which favours footballers.
But on the basis of one survey, Judd has already achieved something Wayne Carey, Michael Voss and Nathan Buckley could not at the height of their careers.
Judd's manager Paul Connors said the result was "fantastic for AFL" but not totally surprising.
"The extraordinary thing about Chris is how many times young people have told me they support a team other than the Eagles but just love Juddy," he said.
Still, they manage to throw in the 'move to Melbourne' thing.
