I love Ben Hudson

[Twodogs]

I cant recall a player having such a pronounced effect on our team as Hudson. Inside 12 months stoppages have gone from being our biggest weakness to being arguably our greatest strength. We've long had the midfielders capable of dominating around the ground but the beauty of Hudson is he is the big body we have been lacking at ball ups and contested situations. He's a great tap ruckman and a big bodied midfielder in one package. While he might not have the ball skills and pace of the rest of the onballers he makes the most of his other attributes.


His form in the ruck has also allowed Minson to play a position which accentuates his strengths and helps cover his weaknesses. It's also a position we have been lacking in for many years-the get out option whe the quick kick forward is the only thing left. He also demands a defender's full attention so that's one less bloke to worry about running around getting kicks and taking marks at will-a la Nathan Basset or Darren Glass.


Last but not least he's great at centre square set ups. Before each bounce he'll tell the guys in the circle where to run and what he's going to be doing. I'd love to see difference in the clean breaks we get from centre bounces this year as opposed to last year. Adam Cooney and him are the best ruck and rover combination I have seen since Royal and Purser. The massive improvement in Adam's game this year is due not only to the great preseason he had but also to Hudson's arrival.

[Topdog]

Agreed, he is having a huge influence on the way we play each and every week.

Has been able to change our structure and style of play and it really is amazing to see what a big difference a ruckman can make. Makes you wonder why some coaches believe a good ruckman is not needed.

[GetDimmaBack]

Can't help thinking that Hudson has also emphasised the value of Scotty Wynd.

Been great to watch Huddo this year - no doubt he's been responsible for some of the improvement in a number of our midfielders.

Any football "expert" who thinks ruckmen are an optional extra is delusional (helloooo Grant Thomas!).

[GVGjr]

Can't help thinking that Hudson has also emphasised the value of Scotty Wynd.



Agreed but they were very different types with there playing styles though.
Wynd was nearly as good as Dempsey at dropping back behind play, taking marks and clogging up the avenue to the key forwards.
Hudson is nearly at his best once the ball hits the ground diving at it and pumping out a handball or laying a tackle. He is a good tap ruckman as well but that is the extra strength that he brings.

Hudson has more midfield type attributes than Wynd but Wynd was far better defensively.

[GetDimmaBack]

Agreed but they were very different types with there playing styles though.
Wynd was nearly as good as Dempsey at dropping back behind play, taking marks and clogging up the avenue to the key forwards.
Hudson is nearly at his best once the ball hits the ground diving at it and pumping out a handball or laying a tackle. He is a good tap ruckman as well but that is the extra strength that he brings.

Hudson has more midfield type attributes than Wynd but Wynd was far better defensively.

I take your point on this GVG.

I was thinking in terms of their ability to influence a game from the ruck.

Hudson's impact on a game is almost as profound as Wynd's, albeit in a different way...Huddo is just what we need at this time , isn't he?

[LostDoggy]

Im so glad hes finally wearing bulldog colours, having to watch him wear the crows colours was horrible.

Ever since watching him at Werribee ive wanted him in doggie colours, so yeah you could say im very happy.

[Mofra]

Clarkson was right - he's the mature age recruit of the year

Good article on him in the Age today. He must have been bitterly disappointed to be drafted by the Crows, havign grown up in the West. He was in the Victory Room at the end of round 1 with his mates as well, really wants to be at the club.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Agreed, he is having a huge influence on the way we play each and every week.

Has been able to change our structure and style of play and it really is amazing to see what a big difference a ruckman can make. Makes you wonder why some coaches believe a good ruckman is not needed.

The single biggest critic of ruckmen generally is everyone's favourite idiot - Gaddy Lyon.

[LostDog]

Pick Up Of The Year

I went and seen the dogs play west coast you can tell this fella loves wearing the dogs jumper

[GVGjr]

Hudson's impact on a game is almost as profound as Wynd's, albeit in a different way...Huddo is just what we need at this time , isn't he?

You would have to say yes. I thought we were getting a tap ruckman but we got and an extra in and under midfielder as well.

[Go_Dogs]

Adam Cooney and him are the best ruck and rover combination I have seen since Royal and Purser. The massive improvement in Adam's game this year is due not only to the great preseason he had but also to Hudson's arrival.

I think you can apply the same to Griff to - a few lovely little taps over the shoulder to him from throw-ins in recent weeks.

Hudson has really helped ease the burden for the younger guys moving through the midfield this year, and because of that we're able to have a lot more rotations than perhaps we could, successfully, in previous years. He adds that other hard body that perhaps we've lacked and had to replace with a West, Cross, Boyd type rotation which lacks the explosive running and foot skill that the Cooney and Griff combinations are offering us this year.

Don't underestimate the impact of a fit Cooney, Aker and Griffen running through the middle too - definitely helped the clearances a lot.

But yes, Hudson has been fantastic.


Welsh has been a bit of an unsung hero too imo as a mature recruit. Kicked a few goals, but more importantly his defensive efforts, chasing, tackling, blocking, creating a contest and cutting off opposition kicks in our F50 has been awesome - perhaps another thread though. ;)

[The Pie Man]

Can you remember us consistently winning the stoppages like this ever? I share the love for Hudson, a real competitor. Agree too on him making Cooney a better player.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Can you remember us consistently winning the stoppages like this ever? I share the love for Hudson, a real competitor. Agree too on him making Cooney a better player.

Yep. When Scotty Wynd was doing the same kind of thing as Hudson is doing.

[LostDoggy]

Yep. When Scotty Wynd was doing the same kind of thing as Hudson is doing.

And when Luke Darcy was doing the same sort of thing as Hudson and Wynd and winning the Players Association MVP award in recognition of those efforts.

[dog town]

Amazing that he has polled hardly any votes in most of the media awards.

The biggest plus for me is that he has brought Minson along with him. Minson has been a work in progress as a forward this season but his work in the ruck has been almost as effective as Hudsons. He is playing a similar style to Hudson when he is in their and always impacts the contests he is involved in.

[Mantis]

Amazing that he has polled hardly any votes in most of the media awards.

The biggest plus for me is that he has brought Minson along with him. Minson has been a work in progress as a forward this season but his work in the ruck has been almost as effective as Hudsons. He is playing a similar style to Hudson when he is in their and always impacts the contests he is involved in.

Half of those clowns only look at the number of possessions each player has post game and give votes based on these. There too busy eating party pies in the media box when the game is on to actually take notice on who is influencing the game.

[The Coon Dog]

Half of those clowns only look at the number of possessions each player has post game and give votes based on these. There too busy eating party pies in the media box when the game is on to actually take notice on who is influencing the game.
Never more evident than Friday night when McPhee had 23 possessions & got 3 votes in the Herald Sun on Saturday. 13 of his 23 were clangers!!