Ben Hudson

Infobox afl player


firstname = Ben
lastname = Hudson


| birthdate = birth date and age|df=yes|1979|2|24
birthplace =
originalteam = Werribee Football Club, Mount Gravatt Football Club
heightweight = 198cm / 108kg
dead = alive
deathdate =
deathplace =
debutdate = 11 April 2004
debutteam = Adelaide
debutopponent = Fremantle
debutstadium = Subiaco Oval
playingteams = Adelaide (2004-2007) 55 games, 6 goals

Western Bulldogs (2008-)

11 games, 2 goals
coach = notcoach
coachingteams =
statsend = Round 11 2008
careerhighlights =

Ben Hudson (born 24 February 1979) is an Australian rules footballer in the AFL who is currently playing for the Western Bulldogs.

Early life

Hudson was born in Victoria, but moved to Queensland at a young age where he grew up at Palm Beach, a suburb of the Gold Coast. [ [http://aflgoldcoast.com.au/GoldCoastersintheAFL/CurrentPlayers/BenHudson/tabid/12069/Default.aspx Ben Hudson ] ]

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.

AFL career

Adelaide Crows

As a mobile ruckman, Hudson enjoyed a successful debut before seriously injuring the anterior cruciate ligament in his left 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.cite web |author=Mark Stevens|title=Western Bulldogs get their man Ben Hudson| date=10 October 2007 | url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22560565-11088,00.html]

During the year he was suspended for one week by the club for breaking the team curfew [cite web | author=AAP | title=Adelaide trio suspended | date=8 August 2007 | url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,22210160-23211,00.html] . He was also allegedly upset by criticism from Adelaide coach Neil Craig [cite web | author=Michelangelo Rucci | title=McLeod proves his value | date=6 October 2007 | url=http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22538644-12428,00.html] .

On 19 September 2007 Hudson asked to be traded to the Western Bulldogs, after contract negotiations with Adelaide broke down [cite web | author=Daniel Brettig | title=Crows resigned to losing Hudson | date=19 September 2007 | url=http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22443607-21543,00.html] .

Western Bulldogs

Hudson officially joined the Western Bulldogs on a three-year contract on 12 October 2007, after the Adelaide Football Club agreed in principal to a swap. Hudson has fitted in well at his new club and his superb performance against ladder leaders Hawthorn led coach Alastair Clarkson to name him the trade of the year.

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. [cite web | title=Match review panel: round 11, 2008| date=9 June 2008 | url=http://www.afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=61096] One of the best tap ruckmen in the AFL.

References

External links

*Wbplayer|ref=15836
*AflRleague|ref=B/Ben_Hudson.html