Elle...

Judd the natural footballer vs Kouta the athlete who became a footballer...

I'd take Judd......better skills, smarter...

_________________
"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Seeing as the question was in their prime, my vote is with Kouta. To put it simply, Kouta was just unstoppable in his prime. The sad fact is that injury cut him down just when he was about to peak, had he played on injury free for the rest of his career, we may have seen the best footballer in history, pity.

When Kouta was at his peak it was a case of "Kouta rises over the pack and marks the ball on the last line of defence, he plays on and passes to Kouta at half back who handballs across to Kouta who runs it down the wing and pumps it long to the square, KOUTAAAAAAA!!!"

The '99 Prelim was Kouta vs Essendon* and Kouta won.

_________________
"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

Judd

If the question had have been "...over their careers" I would have easily chosen Judd but given the phrase "...at their prime" then it would be Kouta at a canter.

Kouta's performances in 2000 have not been touched by anybody. Leading up to the round 19 (?) game Essendon* were packing themselves after being unbeaten for most of the season. If Kouta had not been cut down not only would we have beaten the Scum that day but we would also have won #17 that September - and we would not have to put up with the rubbish about the greatest team ever.

The 2000 model Kouta was an incredible supporter experience - just hope I can have it re-created sometime (except for the knee reco bit).

_________________
Carlton - Nothing's changed
I still love you, oh, I still love you
Only slightly, only slightly less
Than I used to, my love

Yeah, but the defining moment of that game goes to the Dog.

_________________
Ecclesiastes 1:4, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but The Blues abide forever."

Over the length of their careers it would be Judd easily.

I think Kouta in his prime was probably the equal of Judd circa 2005/06 however I'm not sure if he was better.

_________________
There is no footy god

Get a tape of the WCE first 8 rounds last season and watch some of Judds magic. He was too good for the competition.

Juddy has been my favourite non-Carlton player for the last 4 years so I am not discounting him and his first half of 07 was pretty special. But compared to how Kouta was individually blowing games apart in 2000 I still rate Kouta ahead of him.

_________________
Carlton - Nothing's changed
I still love you, oh, I still love you
Only slightly, only slightly less
Than I used to, my love

Very good question this, tough to answer, but i'd say at the peak of his power i'd take Kouta over Judd.

Judd is a great player no doubt and he should be really special for us, but when Kouta was up and about especially in 2000, he was simply the best footballer i've seen. He could dominate the center, dominate the forward line, dominate down back, control a wing, crumb a goal, take a pack mark, win a boundary throw in and end up on the end of his own work. There was seriously nothing he could not do on a footy ground when he was at 100% fitness.

Judd may be the better midfielder, but he can't play CHB and take a pack mark or play ruck like Kouta could, that's why Kouta at his 1999/2000 form was the best player going around, could play and dominate anywhere on the ground.

Judd

at their peaks kouta >>> judd
over their careers judd >>> kouta

I'll get back to you when I've seen him play a few times

Unfortunately I never really saw Kouta play either

Jennifer Hawkins

_________________
^^^

Don't worry Essendon* ....... We still hate your guts

^^^

Judd.

The best football to have graced the planet.

Thats per individual.

Some may remember Murphys look of elation with the ball raised above his his. Others may remember Lances goal.

My memories are Kouta - all it was was Kouta down back, in the centre, on the wing, in the square at FF - Kouta was @#$%&! everywhere - and just to reinforce the situation the commentators lost the grasp of the English language and were rendered to a one word vocabulary "Koutaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

The only other person I remember taking on and destroying the oppostion like that on their pat malone was Pluggers demolition of Sydney at the SCG. The big difference was Kouta did it at the G in a preliminary Final.

At their Peak it has to be Kouta by a mile for me.

No brainer.

Kouta (in his prime) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Judd

_________________
1. Walker,
2. Menzel,
3. Murphy,
4. Gibbs,
5. Judd.

both judd and kouta would be nice

QFT

_________________
"I had to eat"