Introduction
Ken Judge (15 January 1958 – 15 January 2016) was an Australian rules footballer and coach.
Playing career
Recruited from Western Australian Football League club East Fremantle, Judge made an immediate impact for Hawthorn, playing in a premiership in his first season and winning the Hawks' Best First Year Player award. Judge also played in the Grand Finals of 1984 and 1985 but after struggling for selection in 1986, he moved to the Brisbane Bears, where he played without making much impact in 1987 and 1988.
Coaching career
In 1995 Judge was appointed as an assistant coach at Carlton, Carlton had the most successful premiership season to that time. On the strength of a recommendation from Carlton Coach David Parkin, who was also a former Hawthorn captain and premiership coach, Judge was appointed coach of Hawthorn from 1996–1999, finishing 8th and therefore reaching the finals in his first year. However, in the following years Hawthorn struggled and finished 15th and 13th before just missing out of the finals in 1999, finishing 9th. Judge then resigned as Hawthorn coach, with a year to run on his contract, to return to Western Australia as coach of the West Coast Eagles for the 2000 and 2001 AFL seasons. He was unsuccessful during his time there, with West Coast finished 13th and 14th before he was sacked and replaced by John Worsfold.
Radio career
Following the end of his coaching career, Judge worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as a sports commentator for ABC Radio Grandstand. In 2009, he apologised for an on-air gaffe when he referred to fellow commentator Jon Dorotich as "bigger than Hitler's last gas bill".
Death
Judge died on his 58th birthday in Perth, Western Australia on 15 January 2016 from multiple myeloma. He had been diagnosed with the blood condition in mid-2010 and had undergone several bouts of chemotherapy treatment. He was laid to rest on 25 January in Perth.