Tigers can crumb Judd
Richmond 'Smokey'
MX - Wed, Oct 3, 2007
Settle down, Carlton fans - you haven't got Chris Judd yet.
Richmond still has a chance to secure the superstar's signature in the pre-season draft.
"Richmond is the smokey in all of this," a leading player manager told mX.
The manager said Richmond could make room for Judd in its salary cap if Carlton couldn't satisfy the Eagles.
This would send Judd to the pre-season draft, where the Tigers have the No. 1 choice.
"If Carlton can't do a deal, everyone thinks they will take him in the pre-season draft anyway (where the Blues have Pick No. 2), that they will price Richmond out of it," the manager said.
"But I'm not so sure Richmond- has as little money as they're making out.
"I think they have room in the cap if push came to shove."
While Judd is not in navy blue yet, his preference makes trade week less of a headache.
"It's going to be a lot easier than if he had said Collingwood, put it that way," the manager said.
"If he'd picked Collingwood the week would have dragged on.
"Carlton has the picks that can satisfy West Coast. It comes down to what West Coast wants in return.
"West Coast might say it's all well and good you want Judd, but we want pick one.
"It depends how long West Coast play hard ball."
The manager said the deal could drag on until next Friday's trading deadline.
"It still might go down to the death knock," he said.
"Carlton, I think, will hold their ground."
