In Praise of Jude Bolton

[Primmy]

I don't think we have had a thread just on Jude Bolton, and he deserves one.

I am hoping he actually picks a Club Champion gong this year. Or some acknowledgement from the Club that they have a true champion in this man.

Who would have thought that the wide eyed, blond, bouncy puppy would turn into Tarzan. Its been a great career to watch and always entertaining whether snaking goals when he had no right to, or putting in a death stare at the umpires, or just winning his posiiton.

My mental picture of Jude is him hugging Plugger when he had kicked one of his unexpected goals. The look on Pluggers face - and Jude had no idea he had stepped over the 'manners' mark, he was so excited.

When he goes he will leave a hole. I am not writing him off now, no way. But of them all, I suspect his vacancy (I do not include Kirky at this juncture) will be gaping - for a while at least.

In the mean time, I am so glad he called Sydney home!

[Jesse Richards]

Spot on, Primmy. Jude has now made it into my personal Fav 5 2010 players as well topping My Best Boys in 2010.

[Melbourne_Blood]

His game on the weekend was like the brilliant footy he was playing over the first few rounds, only even better! I cant believe people were calling for him to have rest in the two's, and saying he was too old. He's only thirty people, and his form for the most part this year ( exlcuding the past three or four) has been probably the best of his career. What a champion and a fantastic example to the youngsters.
If he keeps playing the footy we have seen from him in 7 out of 11 games this year, i wouldn't be surprised if he is right up there in our B&F.

[Hartijon]

Fantastic Game and close to ,if not BOG. Love the unselfishness of his courageous play.He lifts the whole team with his ferocious attack on the ball or opposition. How was the "head high" he copped at a critical time for us that turned the game around

[SwansFan1972]

Love him to bits - he demonstrates every quality you could ever want in a footballer, and then some more as a person.

He rightly ranks up there amongst our best players of all time and separately in the subset of reknowned tuff nuts we have been able to enjoy watching over the years. In the last 15 years, he rightly belongs alongside Kel, Kirky, Cressa and Dunks (with apologies to any I've missed). Reckon he would stack up pretty well against the toughnuts of yesteryear too who played on muddy suburban bogs and copped all the blows fair (and otherwise) that are less of a feature these days. Though as a relative newbie - from Round 6 1996 (the draw against Essendon was the first game I'd ever been to - boy, was I having deja vu flashbacks yesterday!) onwards, I can only go on the words of others and the occasional old tape about what those times were like!

[KirkysSocks]

He was copping the past few weeks because we all know exactly how he should play and he wasnt. Yesterday was vintage Jude and he set up goodes for the sealer with a nice bit of play.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

One of my favourite Jude images is still the look on his face after he kicked that match winner against the Eagles a few years ago.

[Big Al]

In Praise of Jude Bolton

One of my favourite Jude images is still the look on his face after he kicked that match winner against the Eagles a few years ago.

Only to be beaten by the looks on the Eagles supporters faces. Both priceless.

[Dogzbody]

Tough as they come! Won the game for us, that head over the ball free was just outstanding...not many players would show that level of courage! Love him to bits, always have. I cursed him last week when he missed Burgoyne in the middle, but as far as responses go...SENSATIONAL

[troyjones2525]

I know i can't be called a hypocrit for calling for Jude to be dropped! It's amazing how little faith and tolerance some people have when a player has a couple of down weeks. You should never drop a player like Jude because he wears his heart on his sleeve and will always put his body on the line and give his best for the team! Absolute swans CHAMPION!

[Blood]

Never wrote him off but i did think he needed a rest - not a spell in the twos but a week off from footy.

Full credit to Jude and partial credit to the fan(s) who gave him that famous career wake-up call in Canberra a cuppla seasons back - we have another true champion on our list now.

[Damien]

On The Couch just said that he broke the record for most contested possesions in the history of the game (or since when the data was collected). Bolton 26, Kouta 24 in 2000, Kouta again 23 in 2003 and Judd 23 in 2006 were the Top 4.

[Doctor J.]

No arguement from me on the sentiments expressed in this thread.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, When Jude is up and going, so are Sydney. Its been like that for years.

[ugg]

World record 26 contested possessions beatng Kouta's 24

[SimonH]

That was a 4 Brownlow votes game. Just couldn't put a foot wrong (or to use a more accurate metaphor, every muddy guernsey slid into just the right spot) on the weekend. Well done.