Ben Hudson
Encyclopedia
Ben Hudson is an Australian rules footballer who played 143 games for the Adelaide Crows
and Western Bulldogs
and currently plays for the Brisbane Lions
.
at a young age where he grew up at Palm Beach
, a suburb of the Gold Coast
.
He played basketball
until 2000, when he began driving to Brisbane to study at the University of Queensland
where he played for the University of Queensland Australian Football Club
at 21 years of age as a ruckman
. His coach later recommended that he play for Mount Gravatt Football Club where he played under coach Danny Craven
.
At Mount Gravatt, he won a Best and Fairest
in 2001, before taking part in the club's 2002 premiership side. That year he represented Queensland against Western Australia.
He later returned to Victoria, where he tried out with the Werribee Football Club
, where at the relatively late age of 24, Adelaide Football Club talent scouts recognized his skills and lured him to the AFL at pick number 58 in the 2003 AFL Draft
.
in his right knee during a fall on the eve of the 2005 finals series. He required a full knee reconstruction, which resulted in the return of veteran ruckman Matthew Clarke back from the brink of retirement.
Hudson recovered well from the injury to play in the SANFL late in 2006. He returned to the Crows
in 2007 and performed well throughout the year, playing 22 games, garnering 366 hit-outs and finishing second overall in the AFL for hardball gets.
During the year he was suspended for one week by the club for breaking the team curfew. He was also allegedly upset by criticism from Adelaide coach Neil Craig
.
Hudson has been traded to the Brisbane Lions for season 2012.
On 19 September 2007 Hudson asked to be traded to the Western Bulldogs
, after contract negotiations with Adelaide broke down.
to name him the trade of the year.
Hudson was elected into the Western Bulldogs Leadership Group by the players for the 2009 Season, joining Captain Brad Johnson
, Daniel Giansiracusa
, Robert Murphy
, Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd
, Dale Morris
and Shaun Higgins
.
In the Round 11 match against St. Kilda, Hudson was charged with a Level Two striking offence against Leigh Montagna
during the second quarter, because the action was considered to be of intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point). A Level Two offence draws 125 demerit points and a one-match sanction. However, because Hudson had no existing good or bad record, an early plea could reduce the penalty by 25 percent to a reprimand and 93.75 points to wards his future record, which he accepted.
Adelaide Crows
The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....
and Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
and currently plays for the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
.
Early life
Hudson was born in Victoria, but moved to QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
at a young age where he grew up at Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Queensland
Palm Beach is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, between Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek. At the 2006 Census, Palm Beach had a population of 13,494....
, a suburb of the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
.
He played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
until 2000, when he began driving to Brisbane to study at the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
where he played for the University of Queensland Australian Football Club
University of Queensland Australian Football Club
The University of Queensland Australian Football Club is an amateur Australian rules football club playing in Divisions 1 and 2 of the AFLQ State Association competition overseen by AFL Queensland. UQAFC home games are played at the University of Queensland's No...
at 21 years of age as a ruckman
Ruckman (Australian rules football position)
In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...
. His coach later recommended that he play for Mount Gravatt Football Club where he played under coach Danny Craven
Danny Craven
Danny Craven is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda and the Brisbane Bears in the Victorian/Australian Football League ....
.
At Mount Gravatt, he won a Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
in 2001, before taking part in the club's 2002 premiership side. That year he represented Queensland against Western Australia.
He later returned to Victoria, where he tried out with the Werribee Football Club
Werribee Football Club
The Werribee Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club, based in Werribee, was formed in 1965 and currently plays in the Victorian Football League. Werribee was defeated by the Sandringham Football Club in the 2005 VFL Grand Final.-History:The Werribee Football Club...
, where at the relatively late age of 24, Adelaide Football Club talent scouts recognized his skills and lured him to the AFL at pick number 58 in the 2003 AFL Draft
2003 AFL Draft
The 2003 AFL Draft was the 2003 instance of the AFL Draft, the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League...
.
Adelaide Crows
As a mobile ruckman, Hudson enjoyed a successful debut before seriously injuring the anterior cruciate ligamentAnterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in his right knee during a fall on the eve of the 2005 finals series. He required a full knee reconstruction, which resulted in the return of veteran ruckman Matthew Clarke back from the brink of retirement.
Hudson recovered well from the injury to play in the SANFL late in 2006. He returned to the Crows
Adelaide Crows
The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....
in 2007 and performed well throughout the year, playing 22 games, garnering 366 hit-outs and finishing second overall in the AFL for hardball gets.
During the year he was suspended for one week by the club for breaking the team curfew. He was also allegedly upset by criticism from Adelaide coach Neil Craig
Neil Craig
Neil P. Craig is a former Australian rules footballer, fitness adviser and former coach of the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League . As of 2012, he will be based in a new role as the Director of Sports Performance at the Melbourne Football Club...
.
Hudson has been traded to the Brisbane Lions for season 2012.
On 19 September 2007 Hudson asked to be traded to the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
, after contract negotiations with Adelaide broke down.
Western Bulldogs
Hudson officially joined the Western Bulldogs on a three-year contract on 12 October 2007, after the Adelaide Football Club's hand was forced into a trade. Hudson has fitted in well at his new club and his superb performance against ladder leaders Hawthorn led coach Alastair ClarksonAlastair Clarkson
Alastair Clarkson is a former Australian rules footballer and current coach of the Hawthorn Football Club.- North Melbourne :...
to name him the trade of the year.
Hudson was elected into the Western Bulldogs Leadership Group by the players for the 2009 Season, joining Captain Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (Australian rules footballer)
Brad Johnson is a former Australian rules footballer who was the captain of Australian Football League team Western Bulldogs...
, Daniel Giansiracusa
Daniel Giansiracusa
Daniel Giansiracusa is an Australian rules football player for the Western Bulldogs who plays in various positions such as the midfield, half back flanks and half forward flanks....
, Robert Murphy
Robert Murphy
Robert Murphy or Bob Murphy is the name of:In sports:*Irish Bob Murphy , American light heavyweight boxer*Bob Murphy , American sports announcer...
, Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd
Matthew Boyd
Matthew Boyd is an Australian rules football player who has come through the Western Bulldogs' rookie list, debuting in 2003. Prior to that he had played for Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup and Frankston in the VFL...
, Dale Morris
Dale Morris
Dale Morris is an Australian rules footballer who currently plays for the Western Bulldogs.Morris spent four years playing for Werribee Football Club in the Victorian Football League before being added to the Bulldogs' rookie list in the 2004 Rookie Draft...
and Shaun Higgins
Shaun Higgins
Shaun Higgins is an Australian rules footballer for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League. Higgins can play a variety of positions up forward and now has been playing a lot in the midfield. He is now considered one of the Bulldogs most important players and is a key to their future...
.
In the Round 11 match against St. Kilda, Hudson was charged with a Level Two striking offence against Leigh Montagna
Leigh Montagna
Leigh Montagna is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. Montagna was recruited as the number 37 draft pick in the 2001 AFL Draft. He is a midfielder with St Kilda Football Club.-AFL career:...
during the second quarter, because the action was considered to be of intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point). A Level Two offence draws 125 demerit points and a one-match sanction. However, because Hudson had no existing good or bad record, an early plea could reduce the penalty by 25 percent to a reprimand and 93.75 points to wards his future record, which he accepted.