Jim Main's greatest 100: Peter Hudson
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AT THE END of the 1976 football season Peter Hudson announced that he would make a VFL comeback in 1977. The football world rejoiced, as Hudson probably was the greatest full forward of all time. Football fans watched progress reports on his fitness with keen anticipation, watching the champion shed every ounce on his way back to the top.
Hudson, who had retired from the hectic VFL scene to play in Tasmania, was overweight after several years away from the top. However, by the start of the new season he had lost almost two stone and was even lighter than his normal playing weight of about 14 and a half stone,
Hudson had an enormous reputation as a full forward even before he played VFL football. He had signed with Hawthorn well before his VFL debut in 1967, and everyone in the Apple Isle tipped a great future for him. He had been killing them for New Norfolk and when he crossed the Bass Strait in 1967 he was just 21, and ready to fire. And fire he did.
It was the birth of a new era of great full forwards, with Collingwood’s Peter McKenna also on the scene as a goal king rival. Ironically, McKenna also made a comeback to senior football in 1977 after playing in Tasmania.
Hudson had a great first season, but was still well down the VFL goalkicking list that year, top place going to Geelong’s Doug Wade with 96 goals. However, Hudson more than grabbed the limelight the following season with a sensational 125 goals. He had become the first full forward since the great John Coleman in 1952 to top a century of goals in a season.
Goals flowed from Hudson’s boot, and only a very few full backs seemed able to control him, Carlton’s Wes Lofts could handle him at times, and Richmond’s Barry Richardson proved a real bogey. But for the rest of the time Hudson was unstoppable. In fact, in one game against Melbourne in 1969 he kicked an incredible 16 goals. He kicked 10 goals or more a remarkable 11 times in VFL football. He kicked 16 once, 13 twice, 12 twice, 11 twice and 10 four times. Hudson also kicked nine goals in a match nine times, and eight goals in a match 11 times.
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From that record alone it is not difficult to understand why Hawthorn fans idolised Hudson, One wit once wrote on a wall: “What would you do if God came to Hawthorn". And the answer written underneath read; “Play him at centre half forward.” To Hawthorn fans Hudson was the king.
The great forward kicked goals galore in his years with Hawthorn, helping them to a second VFL flag in 1971. The year before he had kicked a mammoth 146 goals. But 1971 was even better for the brown and gold goal machine. He kicked 150 goals for the season to equal Bob Pratt’s VFL record. And Hudson should have broken the record. He had an easy shot for goal late in the game and inexplicably missed. A goal would have given him the full VFL goalkicking record. But not to worry; Hawthorn won the flag in a desperate grand final against St Kilda.
That year was a highlight for Hudson because of his record and the flag, and the year also marked the peak of his career. He never reached the same heights again, mainly because of an injured right knee. However, he still kicked many, many goals for the Hawks by roaming around the forward line finding space for himself. However, the inevitable happened. Hudson retired from VFL football to take control of a large hotel complex in Tasmania. The Hawks fought to retain his services, and even talked him into making a comeback in 1973.
Thousands of extra fans poured into VFL Park, Waverley, on August 26, 1973, for the comeback match with Hawthorn.
When Hudson eventually retired from the VFL scene, apparently once and for all, he became captain-coach of Tasmanian club Glenorchy, where he again set goalkicking records. Hawthorn, hearing that Hudson’s injured knee was standing up to wear and tear, asked him to return to Victoria to play in the Peter Crimmins Fund match at Waverley at the end of the 1976 season. That match showed Hawk officials they had to bring the great man back. And he came back in 1977 to again top the VFL goalkicking with 110 goals.
Footnotes
This is an excerpt from Australian Rules 100 Greatest Players, by Jim Main, published by the K.G. Murray Publishing Company in 1978. Click here to read Jim Main's 2013 article, in which he revisited and revised his 100 greatest players.
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