Photo: aflphotos.com.au
East Fremantle product Ken Judge coached West Coast for two seasons for little success after inheriting an ageing list from Mick Malthouse.
Playing career[]
Judge played six seasons for the Sharks, including the 1979 premiership, before being recruited to Hawthorn in the VFL in 1982. In his first season with the Hawks he won their best first year player award and played in the 1983 flag. Judge played 72 games for Hawthorn, generally as a half-forward, before shifting to the fledgling Brisbane Bears in 1987, where he played 17 games in two seasons.
Coaching career[]
Judge started his coaching career back at East Fremantle, where he led the Sharks to premierships in 1992 and 1994. He then got the top job at Hawthorn, where he coached the side to the finals in his first season in 1996. The team missed the finals in the next three seasons, finishing 9th in his final season. Judge then resigned to take the vacant head coaching role at West Coast after the departure of Malthouse.
In Judge's first year at the helm, the Eagles missed the finals for the first time in a decade. The club tried to rebuild for 2001 by topping up with a number of experienced players including a couple of Judge's former Hawks charges (Michael Collica and Richard Taylor), but the move did not pay off and the side fell to its lowest-ever finish in 2001, ending the year in 14th place.
Judge was then sacked, and replaced by club favourite son John Worsfold.
Post-coaching career and death[]
After his coaching career finished Judge provided special comments on ABC radio. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010, and fought the condition for a number of years before finally succumbing in January 2016, at the age of just 58.
Awards and achievements[]
Premiership medal in 1983 (with Hawthorn)