| Arthur Ludlow | |
| Fullname: | Arthur Edward Ludlow |
| Birth Date: | 22 July 1906 |
| Birth Place: | Northcote, Victoria |
| Originalteam: | Preston (VFA) |
| Height: | 185 cm |
| Weight: | 86 kg |
| Position: | Ruckman / Forward |
| Statsend: | 1932 |
| Years1: | 1928–1932 |
| Club1: | St Kilda |
| Games Goals1: | 48 (58) |
| Sooyears1: | 1929 |
| Sooteam1: | Victoria |
| Soogames Goals1: | 2 (1) |
| Careerhighlights: |
|
Arthur Edward Ludlow (22 July 1906 – 28 November 1968) was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Ludlow was born in Northcote, Victoria on 22 July 1906.[1] [2]
Ludlow played for Collingwood District before he joined Preston in the 1926 VFA season.[1] A ruckman, he remained with Preston in the 1927 season, after which he was recruited by St Kilda.[1]
Debuting for St Kilda in the opening round, Ludlow did not miss a game for his new club in 1928.[3] He appeared in all 18 rounds and kicked 22 goals.[4] His marking ability quickly earned praise and he was soon considered one of the best high marks in the competition.[5] [6]
In 1929 he played 16 games for St Kilda and twice represented Victoria at interstate football.[3] On 8 June he was amongst Victoria's best players in their nine-point win over South Australia on the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[7] He was then picked for the Victorian squad for a tour of Western Australia and South Australia.[8] In Perth he played in the first of two fixtures, a 23-point win over the Western Australians.[9] It was the first time Victoria had won in Perth over the home side.[10] He missed the second fixture and the game in Adelaide with injury.[11] St Kilda made the finals in 1929 and met Collingwood in a semi-final, but Ludlow missed selection as he was suffering from a "severe cold".[12] He was St Kilda's joint top vote getter in the 1929 Brownlow Medal count, his three best on grounds were enough to finish equal fifth overall.[13] [14]
Ludlow came close to returning to Preston in 1930 but remained with St Kilda and started the season with four goals against Hawthorn in the opening round.[15] [16] During the season he suffered from the first serious injury of his VFL career, a damaged shoulder injury which kept him out for five weeks, after he had appeared in the first 11 rounds.[3] [17] He finished the season how it had begun, with another four-goal effort, in a win over Essendon in round 17.[18]
In 1931 he left St Kilda to play in Sydney for the Newtown Australian Football Club.[19] At Newtown he played with two of his brothers, Geof and Frank, both former Northcote players.[20] Frank, also known as "Bill", had played VFL football for North Melbourne back in 1929.[21] Newtown lost the 1931 premiership decider to Sydney by five points.[22]
Ludlow transferred back to St Kilda for the 1932 VFL season and was straight back into the side for the opening round fixture against Richmond.[3] [23] A disappointing performance however saw him dropped to the league seconds and it would be his final VFL appearance for St Kilda.[24]
Ludlow worked as a petrol tank driver for Shell.[25]
He was married to Ethel Gladys and lived in Cheltenham, Victoria in the later years of his life.[26]