Saints to move haloes for a new star - The Australian

[locoplayaz]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 70,00.html


Saints to move haloes for a new star


WHEN Chris Judd arrived at West Coast headquarters yesterday he found his key no longer worked.

It is the quick and the dead-locked in Perth. But Judd should not worry. There are 10 doors open wide for him in Victoria.

Judd's news conference showed what a measured young man the champion midfielder is. No question rattled him. Not even the suggestion that he was being disloyal to a club that nurtured him until he blossomed into the best player in the land. He gave as good as he got. At the heart of his decision is a yearning to return home, be with family and friends.

Two things became very clear in yesterday's conference, which included Eagles coach John Worsfold and chief executive Trevor Nisbett. Judd wants to join a club that will be successful in the short term and West Coast is very keen for early draft picks as compensation.

Every Victorian club will make a bid for Judd. Yesterday St Kilda officially joined the queue.

The club's football general manager Ken Sheldon said: "We have already contacted his manager who said Chris would be delighted to talk to us. The best player in the league is out of contract and we are after him.

"While we have a strong belief in our own group, every St Kilda supporter's imagination would be fired by the thought of Judd in St Kilda colours."

Sheldon said while there was much to consider, the club would chase Judd vigorously and assemble the best possible packages to offer West Coast.

"We are already looking at what we can do to get Judd to St Kilda. We have made him a priority. I think we can make a very attractive deal to West Coast," Sheldon said.

It is believed part of the package would include contact with a group of businessmen to help Judd plan and prepare for his life after football.

Whether Judd would contemplate going to Moorabbin while there is a board challenge due in November is another matter. But Judd would slip into a skilled midfield not afraid to do the hard running of the modern game. It might just prompt dual Brownlow medallist Robert Harvey to play one more season. His form this year certainly was good enough.

A midfield rotation of Steven Baker, Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo, Lenny Hayes, Harvey, Xavier Clarke and Judd appeals. For bargaining power, St Kilda's first pick in the draft is nine but the club would be prepared to trade vigorously to get a higher pick.

Judd said he had no preferred club but would sit down with all suitors over the next few weeks. He said he had not spoken to any club yet: "I can say that with a clear conscience."

Collingwood will be in the mix. It has everything that Judd could want -- facilities, stability and he has first-hand knowledge of the exciting Collingwood list. He would also be coached by Mick Malthouse. Like Harvey at St Kilda, Nathan Buckley might be tempted to play on so that he has a season alongside Judd.

For president Eddie McGuire, he would see it as the perfect transition of power. Buckley, the great midfielder of his generation, passing the Sherrin to the present champion. That would appeal to Eddie.

Essendon, which is desperate for a player to inject speed and menace into the midfield, has no coach at all. Carlton, with picks one and three, might be favourite but it is hardly guaranteed that Judd will line up with a team that won just four games and be led by a novice coach in Brett Ratten.

Judd is the best player in the competition. Luke Hodge looked to challenge him but his performance in the first semi-final on Saturday night where he touched the ball just eight times has pushed him down a peg or two.

It is very rare that the competition's gun player is on the market and most trade deals will be deferred until Judd finds his new home.

Life will be slightly different for Judd post-Eagles. His life was scrutinised closely and uncomfortably in Perth. So much so that he was moved to write in his column on the West Coast web page that he did not consider himself a role model. Life will be a little easier in a state that has 10 clubs and a city that has nine.

With the Eagles he formed one of the great midfields in football history. Dean Cox, Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr, Judd, Chad Fletcher and Andrew Embley were unstoppable at their peak. It can be replenished with Matt Priddis, Matt Rosa and Shannon Hurn, but in quantity not quality.

Such a midfield also meant opposition teams had to plot not just against Judd but a handful of others. Nonetheless, he was always given a heavy tag, something that more than once niggled his nerves.

Whoever gets Judd will get a champion player provided the surgeon on Thursday can mend his tortured groin. And on yesterday's performance at the news conference the lucky club will get a most honorable man.

Judd knew that he would not be in Perth next year as early as 12 months ago because he wanted desperately to return to his family. He kept mum if you like, so West Coast's season would not be disturbed. Not that it wasn't anyway. Here come de Judd.

[locoplayaz]

With the Eagles he formed one of the great midfields in football history. Dean Cox, Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr, Judd, Chad Fletcher and Andrew Embley were unstoppable at their peak.

Such a midfield also meant opposition teams had to plot not just against Judd but a handful of others. Nonetheless, he was always given a heavy tag, something that more than once niggled his nerves.

The bottom half of that explains a lot IMO. If Judd goes to the Blues or a lesser club he will get hammered heavily on the tag each week because he is the best player. At WCE tag Judd and Cousins, Kerr, Embley and Fletcher tear you up.. He wants to still play in a successful team, the Blues and so on are going no where for years even with Judd.

Where at the Saints tag Judd and Dal, Harvs, Lenny, Joey, BJ, Ball will fire.

One of the great midfields in football history,

Cox
Judd
Cousins
Kerr
Embley
Fletcher

Can you imagine..

Gardiner
Judd
Hayes
Harvey
Ball
Dal Santo
Goddard
Montagna
X.Clarke
________

Armitage?
Jones?

Dammmmmnnnnnnnnnnnn

If Judd comes to the Saints we will have 45,000+ members next season!

[SaintWodonga]

Wow, very compelling!

Bring it on!

But what would we give up? I guess Goose & X would be in the mix, since they have not signed.. And what about our salary cap?

Don't forget X was only 2 picks behind Judd.

[woooosaints]

god knows ill join to be a member (im only 18 never had the cash to be one)

[locoplayaz]

Wow, very compelling!

Bring it on!

But what would we give up? I guess Goose & X would be in the mix, since they have not signed.. And what about our salary cap?

Don't forget X was only 2 picks behind Judd.

To be honest who cares what we give up?

All our best players are newly contracted after that who ever WCE want!!

[fonz_#15]

Wow, very compelling!

Bring it on!

But what would we give up? And what about our salary cap?

the two questions that i feel will prevent judd coming to us..

[locoplayaz]

Wow, very compelling!

Bring it on!

But what would we give up? And what about our salary cap?

the two questions that i feel will prevent judd coming to us..

G-Train, Doc, Thommo all ret.

That's almost 800,000 right there

We HAVE to trade player(s) to get Judd, for example Goose/X thats another 500,000, + de-listings, + IF Hamill and Harvs ret.

That's well over the 1 mill mark. So we easily have enough cash..

Roo, Dal and co (Franchise Players) are all locked in. Goose/X are replaceable. Gilbo, Max, S.Fish, L.Fish BJ can ALL play key-back and with Judd we can let go of X, Joey and someone like that..

[SaintWodonga]

G-Train, Doc, Thommo all ret.

That's almost 800,000 right there

We HAVE to trade player(s) to get Judd, for example Goose/X thats another 500,000, + de-listings, + IF Hamill and Harvs ret.

That's well over the 1 mill mark. So we easily have enough cash..

Roo, Dal and co (Franchise Players) are all locked in. Goose/X are replaceable. Gilbo, Max, S.Fish, L.Fish BJ can ALL play key-back and with Judd we can let go of X, Joey and someone like that..

I'd have to agree with you... Can someone put this article from the Australian on the big footy forum? Would cheese alot of Carlton & Collingwood supporters off.. Which is a good thing..

[The_Dud]

and another upside, if we trade X Clarke to help us get Judd than he can keep the number 3 jumper

[matty]

i dont like giving up xman and goose but it seems there is some hicups atm with contracts, so they maybe the trade bait.

if it did happen i rekon it would be carl trade fev for dogs 1 pick and something else proabably a mid.

carl trade us the dogs first pick and there 2nd pick for goose,

we trade our 2 top 10 picks and x clarke to wce.


maybe sheldon rb and rl think gilbert can fill the goose hole and x clark doesnt fit on our list, eg his a hbf played out of position at hff. im just speculating. id rather them 2 stay but team balance in the next yr maybe benfit from judd> them 2, but 2-3 yrs from now we will suffer due to lack of kpp back man.

i personally rekon his worth to much, 800k-1 mil is excessive for an outsider merc. rather go haselby and use our 1 pick for draft for a mid. use our 3 pick for mcgreggor and 5th pick for either pettifer or sampi.

[fonz_#15]

5th pick for pettifer?!? your joking right

[cwrcyn]

Don't get too excited folks. This is Ken Sheldon handling it, remember.

I suppose he'll fax a list of just about every player in our top twenty and tell the Eagles to choose whatever they want.

Dream on, Kenny. It's not going to happen.

[Mr Magic]

This story is in The Australian and therefore is BS.

[JeffDunne]

It is believed part of the package would include contact with a group of businessmen to help Judd plan and prepare for his life after football.

[JeffDunne]

Maybe we could impress Judd with our injury management history?

I'm sure he'd be impressed.

[kaos theory]

This is a high risk play...

What do we have to offer for Judd? No low picks, so we would have to give up quality players, which are currently required and part of the fabric of the core team.

What risk is there that Judd will never recover his pre OP condition? Are we certain the operation will get him right?

A terrible outcome would be to give away quality players & picks for Judd unable to play at his best again.

I can understand the attraction, but we want to be careful we don't give away the farm, get burnt and send our club further backwards...

[kaos theory]

Maybe we could impress Judd with out injury management history?

I'm sure he'd be impressed.

sadly JD, you are correct....Under our current management system, we will be lucky to get half a season out of him.

[SaintDippa]

and while we continue to play on the Telstra Dome concrete his condition will be with him forever.

[fugazi]

pick 9 and Gram?

[spert]

Well we have a need for a class game-breaking onballer, one of the players we need to go the next step. Whatever it takes.

[fonz_#15]

pick 9 and Gram?

no thankyou

[Otiman]

This is a high risk play...

Fully agree with everything you said there, we shouldn't touch Judd with a barge pole. I don't even know if i'd give up Montagna + Pick 9.

[fonz_#15]

This is a high risk play...

Fully agree with everything you said there, we shouldn't touch Judd with a barge pole. I don't even know if i'd give up Montagna + Pick 9.

i definately wouldnt give up montagna and pick 9

[Saints94]

and another upside, if we trade X Clarke to help us get Judd than he can keep the number 3 jumper

I thought X re-sighned when the nicks did?

[Saints94]

Joey has to stay so does goose im thinking trade x pick 9 and our second rd pick