Ken Judge

Ken Judge
Personal information
Date of birth	15 January 1958
Date of death	15 January 2016 (aged 58)
Place of death	Perth, Western Australia
Original team(s)	East Fremantle (WAFL)
Draft	No. 7, 1981 interstate draft
Debut	Round 1, 1983, Hawthorn vs. Fitzroy, at Junction Oval
Playing career^1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1975–1982, 1987 1983–1986 1987–1988	East Fremantle (WAFL) Hawthorn Brisbane Bears	120 (273) 072 (158) 017 0(18)[1]
Coaching career
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1996–1999 2000–2001	Hawthorn West Coast	89 (37–50–2) 44 (12–31–1)
^1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1988.
Career highlights
AFL premiership player: 1983 Hawthorn best first year player 1983

Ken Judge (15 January 1958 – 15 January 2016) was an Australian rules footballer and coach.

Playing career

He was recruited from East Fremantle Football Club to Hawthorn and made an immediate impact in his VFL debut in 1983, being part of a premiership side in his first season and winning the Hawks' Best First Year Player award. Judge also played in the Grand Final sides of 1984 and 1985 but after struggling for selection with the Hawks in 1986, he moved to the Brisbane Bears, where he played without making much impact in 1987 and 1988.^[1]

Coaching career

In 1995 Judge was appointed as an assistant coach at Carlton, Carlton had the most successful premiership season to that time. On the strength of a recommendation from Carlton Coach David Parkin, who was also a former Hawthorn captain and premiership coach, Judge was appointed coach of Hawthorn from 1996–1999,^[1] finishing 8th and therefore reaching the finals in his first year. However, in the following years Hawthorn struggled and finished 15th and 13th before just missing out of the finals in 1999, finishing 9th. Judge then resigned as Hawthorn coach, he still a year to run on his contract, to return to Western Australia as coach of the West Coast Eagles for the 2000 and 2001 AFL seasons.^[1] He was unsuccessful during his time there, with West Coast finished 13th and 14th before he was sacked and replaced by John Worsfold.

Radio career

Following the end of his coaching career, Judge worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as a sports commentator for ABC Radio Grandstand. In 2009, he apologised for an on-air gaffe when he referred to fellow commentator Jon Dorotich as "bigger than Hitler's last gas bill".^[2]

Death

Judge died on his 58th birthday in Perth, Western Australia on 15 January 2016 from multiple myeloma.^[3] He had been diagnosed with the blood condition in mid-2010 and had undergone several bouts of chemotherapy treatment.^[4] He was laid to rest on 25 January in Perth.

References

1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2003). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (5th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 377. ISBN 1-74095-032-1.
2. Clarke, Tim (25 May 2009). "Ken Judge apologises for 'Hitler' gaffe". The Age. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
3. "Former Hawthorn star Ken Judge dies". InDaily. Solstice Media. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
4. Nicholson, Ron (22 January 2012). "Former Hawthorn star Ken Judge fights on after cancer relapse". Sunday Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 January 2016.