AFL great Chris Judd says naming and shaming footballers with drug issues doesn’t work.

Three months after retiring, the former Carlton and West Coast champ spoke about his time playing with troubled former Eagle Ben Cousins.

Judd told Neil Mitchell the media coverage surrounding Cousins’ drug addiction didn’t help the situation.

‘It turned into a good vs evil type of play, rather than what was really going on,’ Judd explained on 3AW Mornings.

‘Why was a young man, who was so successful and had the whole world at his feet ? and a really good guy, too ? why was he drawn to habitual drug use?

‘I think there’s a lot of people who’ll try drugs, I think ones who become habitual drug users are people that are less connected to their community and environment and their social relationships.’

WATCH: Chris Judd on ‘that’ sledge and his future with the AFL

Judd also revealed an article written early in his career was the catalyst behind him avoiding media where possible.

‘I remember when I was 18, I had an article written about me that was really complimentary and I remember feeling good from that article,’ he explained.

‘I remember thinking that if a positive article can make me feel good, then the inverse of that ? a negative one ? could make me feel bad.

‘I guess I just wasn’t comfortable handing over control of my emotions to journalists I didn’t know and who largely didn’t know me.’

LISTEN: Chris Judd speaks with Neil Mitchell on 3AW Mornings