Joel Selwood boots a goal as Chris Judd watches on. Picture: Michael Klein. Source: News Limited
UNTIL the 2007 AFL arrival of Joel Selwood, it was hard to envisage any player producing a more extraordinary first six seasons than Chris Judd with the West Coast Eagles.
Between 2002 and 2007, Judd rewrote the record books in terms of on-field achievement, producing a first half of his career to match the deeds of players such as Royce Hart and Dick Reynolds.
Nothing was out of reach for Judd in years where he captured a premiership, Norm Smith Medal, two All-Australian selections, Brownlow Medal, AFL MVP and two best and fairests.
He combined a rare mix of explosive outside run with an extreme will to win contested ball, the latter feature now being matched by Geelong captain Selwood.
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So who is the better player at age 24? To get a clearer understanding we consulted James McDonald, a man who played on both Judd and Selwood during his 264-game career between 1997-2011.
McDonald attributes some pre-game headaches to the days leading up to a Judd match-up.
"In the early days he had that blend of speed and agility," said McDonald.
"Most onballers have one or the other but he had both. I couldn't find any weaknesses in his game when he was at the Eagles in those days you are asking about. You just couldn't let him get goalside of you.
"I don't think it was possible to actually beat him one-on-one so you had to rely on teammates to help."
And Selwood? "I didn't play on him as often but like Judd he is a player who seemed to be able to find a way to change a game.
"You can't underestimate his mental strength or his relentless attack on the ball.
"I think of him as a very smart player, obviously very courageous but also capable of finding uncontested ball.
"Simon Black was another with an amazing ability to accumulate possession and someone blessed with great footy nous. I would rank him right alongside Judd and Selwood."
So if forced to choose who was the better 24-year-old out of Judd and Selwood, which way would McDonald go?
"Because of their extreme consistency and ability to individually lift their teams, as they both did in the third quarters of Round 1, who is the better would come down to the flip of a coin and I wouldn't care which way it landed."
Geelong's 2011 premiership captain Cameron Ling admits to being "completely biased", given the five years he spent playing alongside Selwood.
"I think some might lean towards Judd because he appears to be better because of the explosive nature of his game," Ling said.
"But Joel is just incredible . . . Geelong would have been 10 goals down but for him against Hawthorn and then he played even better in the third quarter.
"I would like to have them both in my garage. But deep down I will always say Joel."
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