When Chris Judd went down clutching his knee on Saturday afternoon, I threw my head into my hands and kept it there for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, I opened my eyes and sat there numb as our club doctors hoisted him up and attempted to carry him off. The crowd was silent. The world stopped.

I knew we’d have to farewell Juddy eventually, but never in my wildest dreams did I envisage seeing one of the greatest AFL careers end like that. No way. Not like that. I’m not afraid to say that I shed a tear. I wasn’t alone.

Chris Judd is my last football hero. That’s not to say that other players don’t excite me as a supporter. Patrick Cripps firing off a handball with three players hanging off him makes me giggle with delight, and Chris Yarran slicing his way through a hapless defence makes me grin like the Cheshire Cat. To me, though, there’s a difference between “heroes” and “favourites”. It’s harder to idolise someone younger than you. You appreciate what they do, marvel at it, but it’s different when you’re a kid. It’s deeper. Footballers are gods. Untouchable. Revered.

I was still at school when he burst onto the scene for the Eagles in 2002, and I followed his career closely before he came to Carlton. Of course, I wasn’t the only one. Even captain Marc Murphy idolised “The Juddman” growing up. Juddy’s the reason Murph wears No.3 for the Blues.

Who can forget his performance as a 19-year-old in Round 12, 2003, when he booted five goals in the first half against the reigning premiers, the Brisbane Lions? Or his Norm Smith Medal-winning performance in 2005? Or his 39-possession effort (20 contested) against the Lions in 2006? He was the smoothest footballer I had ever seen. Explosive beyond belief, smart and poised, Judd endeared himself to even the harshest judges. I’d watched some brilliant players before Judd, but I’d never seen anyone do what West Coast’s No.3 was doing.

You can imagine, then, my excitement when it was announced that he’d chosen Princes Park as his new home. There are moments in Carlton history when you remember exactly where you were when the moment happened. I’d hazard a guess that all Carlton supporters recall being told the news that the best player of the early 2000s was Carlton-bound with a special fondness. I’d love to know how many guernseys were sold with the No.5 on the back during the 2008 pre-season.

Thinking back to that period in Club history, it’s hard not to feel a little sad. I firmly believe that we’re heading in the right direction, but I do look back at the 2008 line-up with a touch of melancholy. Judd/Murphy/Gibbs/Kreuzer/Stevens/Scotland/Simpson/Betts/Fevola still has a nice ring to it. Of course, circumstances dictated that we would only see those players together for two seasons, but, as a supporter, I truly felt that Juddy was going to drive us to the promised land. Excitement was building. Carlton was a threat again. They knew we were coming.

It didn’t quite turn out the way we, or he, would have liked it, but it was one hell of a ride.

There’s no point ranking him against other Carlton champions. Different player, different era. That said, few have been as consistent or as brilliant. The way he transformed himself from that cutting, weaving outside maestro to in-and-under contested ball beast virtually overnight after moving to Carlton still amazes me. There was no waiting period. That was the gap in our line-up, so he filled it… And did it better than anybody else in the league. So much so that former coach Brett Ratten, himself a Premiership hero, three-time Best & Fairest winner and Carlton Hall of Famer, used to call him “The Champ” during press conferences. Even the greats place him on a pedestal.

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There are moments that still make me shake my head in disbelief. Sliding into a pack, ripping the ball from the grasps of Melbourne players and propelling us forward with a long handball. Dancing his way through the Richmond midfield to slam home a goal from 70m out. The awareness, with four Bombers surrounding him, to dummy a handball to Jeffy and dish it to Eddie instead, resulting in an important goal. I’ve watched those highlights hundreds of times. I still don’t understand how they were humanly possible.

Then there’s the ability to influence games under duress. That pick-up and snap on the run with his left boot against Geelong in 2011 was something else. Remember, he’d badly injured his right foot moments before, but still managed to outrun Paul Chapman, break an Andrew Mackie tackle and curl home a badly-needed major. “How does he manage it? It’s supernatural!” declared Dennis Cometti. Poetry in motion.

The 2013 Elimination Final, coincidently his 30th birthday, might’ve been Judd’s greatest performance in the Navy Blue. To push through a medial injury and change a final the way he did in the second half is the stuff of legends. He was in a leg brace at the start of the week and was kicking the match-winning goal just a few days later. Awesome.

You know that saying “never meet your heroes”? Chris Judd is the exception to that rule. I still remember saying hello to him for the first time. It took me four months to work up the courage, but eventually I nodded and said “G’day Chris” as he walked past me in the administration area of Ikon Park. To my shock, he responded with “Hey Luca”.  What?! The Juddman knows my name?!

Invariably, when people find out I work at Carlton, the first question they ask is “what’s Chris Judd like as a bloke?”. Sure, it’s intimidating when you first meet him. After all, he is CHRIS JUDD. But, as time goes on, you realise that he’s not unlike most guys his age… Albeit with a talent that most of us could only dream of possessing. He’s funny, personable and genuinely interested in the lives of everyone at Carlton, not just his teammates. Nothing is ever too hard for him - he gets it. It’s been an absolute joy working with him over the past five seasons and I’m going to miss him.

So, that’s it. One of the great careers has come to an end, just like that. Kudos to the Crows supporters that gave Juddy a standing ovation as he left the MCG on the back of the motorised stretcher on Saturday afternoon. It was pure class and Carlton supporters won’t forget the gesture in a hurry.

Chris Judd deserves to go out on his terms, but football can be a cruel game sometimes. It’s devastating to see the champ bow out prematurely, but he’s done it all, and we’ve been blessed as Carlton supporters to see him don the famous old dark navy blue guernsey 145 times.

Thanks for everything, Juddman. Thank you for the countless moments of pure joy. Thank you for making me feel like a kid every time you went near the Sherrin. Thank you for choosing Carlton.

Luca Gonano is the Digital Manager at the Carlton Football Club.