22 Ben Hudson

Choose another player Adcock, Jed - [7] Banfield, Todd - [18] Bartlett, Callum - [13] Beams, Claye - [17] Bewick, Rohan - [43] Black, Simon - [20] Brown, Jonathan - [16] Buchanan, Amon - [33] Cornelius, Aaron - [44] Crisp, Jack - [47] Docherty, Sam - [1] Drummond, Josh - [39] Golby, Mitchell - [41] Green, Joshua - [6] Hanley, Pearce - [11] Harwood, Ryan - [2] Hawksley, James - [12] Hudson, Ben - [22] Karnezis, Patrick - [28] Lester, Ryan - [35] Leuenberger, Matthew - [23] Lisle, Jordan - [19] Longer, Billy - [5] Maguire, Matt - [36] McGrath, Ashley - [9] McKeever, Niall - [40] Merrett, Daniel - [21] O'Brien, Jesse - [34] Patfull, Joel - [24] Polec, Jared - [4] Polkinghorne, James - [31] Raines, Andrew - [29] Redden, Jack - [30] Retzlaff, Bryce - [8] Rich, Daniel - [10] Rockliff, Tom - [38] Sheldon, Sam - [3] Staker, Brent - [14] Stiller, Cheynee - [32] Wearden, Patrick - [37] Yeo, Elliot - [26] Zorko, Dayne - [15]

Introduction
Ben Hudson is an ultra competitive ruckman who quickly established a reputation as a workhorse early in his career. He joined the Lions at the end of 2011 after eight years of senior AFL experience with Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs. 

Background
• Hudson was born in Victoria before moving to Queensland as a youngster, and grew up playing predominantly basketball on the Gold Coast.

• He didn't take up AFL until 2000, when he started university in Brisbane, and played with the UQ Bulldogs in the local State Association.

• After enjoying his first taste of football, Hudson joined local QAFL side Mount Gravatt and spent two seasons with the Vultures in 2001 and 2002. He shared Mount Gravatt's Best & Fairest in 2001 and was a member of the club’s first premiership side the following season. He also represented Queensland in a State match against WA in Perth.

• To better his chances of pursuing an AFL career, Hudson moved himself back to Victoria and joined Werribee in the VFL.

• He received his first opportunity to play at the highest level with Adelaide who drafted him with their fourth round selection (Pick No.58 overall) at the 2003 AFL National Draft.

• He played a total of 55 games with Adelaide between 2004-2007 (after missing all of 2006 with a knee injury) before eventually sparking the interest of the Western Bulldogs who trade Pick No.30 and Pick No.38 at the end of 2007 to bring Hudson to Whitten Oval.

• He went on to play arguably the best football of his career with the Western Bulldogs, establishing himself as one of the most competitive big men in the AFL who was effective both in the ruck and around the ground. 

• He played a total of 88 matches in four seasons (2007-2011) with the Bulldogs, including a stellar 2010 when he finished 6th in the Bulldogs’ Best and Fairest award, ranked 7th in the AFL for hard ball gets and won the inaugural Brad Johnson Medal as the Bulldogs’ Best Club Man.

• The 32 year-old eventually hung up the boots at the end of the 2011 to effectively allow the younger Bulldogs ruckmen more time to develop in the senior team.

• In desperate need of a back-up senior ruckman, the Brisbane Lions revived Hudson's AFL career by trading their Pick No.70 at the 2011 AFL National Draft to the Bulldogs for his services.