FORMER Carlton Captain Chris Judd has joined elite company at the Club after being inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame.
A stalwart for the Blues in some very challenging times, Judd led the group to consecutive finals appearances, as well as winning his second Brownlow Medal in 2010.
Speaking to a room full of his former peers and other Hall of Fame members, Judd spoke fondly of his time at the Blues as well as the overwhelming honour he felt upon being inducted.
“It’s really special to be recognised and to be named among some Legends of our Club is a huge honour,” Judd said.
“It’s a bit of a full stop in a way – I haven’t played a game of footy in eight years or so and you don’t spend a heap of time thinking about it.
"You come to a night like this and you realise how special that period of your life was and also looking around the room – you remember how many people you met through that time and who you learnt from.”
Whilst the Blues couldn’t reach the ultimate success of a Premiership in Judd’s career - a fact that used to plague him - he now looks back at all he did achieve in his time as a Blue rather than what he didn’t.
Joining the Blues after celebrating a successful career at the Eagles, Judd helped the Blues get to their first final since 2001, breaking their longest finals drought at the time.
“I was harsh [on myself], when I retired at huge disappointment at not having Premiership success,” he said.
“Looking back now with pride at the fact that the group I was able to play with was able to push up the ladder, get off the bottom and win some finals and remembering them as really special moments, because they were.”
Spending his time in retirement as a part of the Carlton board, Judd now can step back and look at the Blues objectively, and believes they are on the right path.
Noting the team as a whole looks and feels more mature, Judd is hoping - like many Carlton fans - that this is the turning of the tide for his old club.
“The players look like they’re at that stage when they’re men, they look like they’re at that age when they can absorb a huge amount of training load and get through it all,” he said.
“It feels like they really recognise that while there has been growth, there’s still a whole heap more required, so that seems promising as well."
