After calling an end to an AFL career spanning 14 years, Chris Judd says he’s looking forward to “becoming a footy fan all over again”.
The dual Brownlow medallist announced his retirement on Tuesday after suffering a season-ending ACL injury on Saturday against Adelaide at the MCG.
As the champion leaves the AFL stage, he departs believing the game is in “good health” with young stars developing all over the country.
“You look at what Nat Fyfe is doing and he’s a young man … it’s just incredible what he’s doing – who knows where he’ll end up,” he told 3AW’s Sports Today on Tuesday.
In the twilight years of his career, Judd revealed he started to marvel at the young talent coming through the system.
“It’s been interesting what’s happened to me the last couple of years to sit and watch young players and almost become a fan when they do certain things,” Judd said.
“That was something that never really happened to me throughout the middle of my career.”
As a player who made the impossible seem possible, it seems funny to think Judd is not immune to shaking his head in disbelief on the footy field.
“I remember watching Jaeger O’Meara in round one last year kick a goal from the boundary line and just looking at him and thinking how did he do that?
“Where as I never really had that in my mid 20s, probably because I was capable of doing some skillful things myself – it’s been an interesting evolution.
“I’m sort of looking forward to that next chapter in my footy life of actually becoming a footy fan all over again,” he said.
The six-time All Australian also had some advice for young footballers: “You only get one chance at AFL footy … every decision you make has a really direct impact on your football and once you realise that, that’s when you become a really good player.”
