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As each Eagles goal painted a fresh shade of red on Mick Malthouse’s complexion, commentators and supporters alike were busily discussing online who got the better deal out of Josh Kennedy and Chris Judd?
Josh Kennedy
On Friday night, it was easy to make a case for Josh Kennedy being the one that got away for Carlton. His amazing 10-goal bag brought back great memories of the big full forward eras.
But would he have been better value at Carlton than Chris Judd? It’s not something you can truly measure. Different players thrive in different environments.
Let’s be clear, neither team has seen any success with either player. Josh Kennedy was young when he left the Blues, and has developed his game as an Eagle. That development would have been different at Carlton, maybe for the better, maybe for the worse. Who’s to say Carlton would not have traded him for lesser value a year or two down the line? Just look at some of the players they have let go in the past few seasons.
Josh Kennedy was a great pickup for the Eagles, but let’s face it, when you are trading for a future Hall of Famer, you have to part with something valuable.
Chis Judd
It really doesn’t take much to pump up Chris Judd’s tyres. He is a legend of the game, who has won almost every award possible (including a Brownlow at Carlton). Although his West Coast career bore a lot more fruit, he did have a hell of a team around him, and was fitter, healthier and a lot faster!
What Judd offers that Kennedy doesn’t is leadership and experience. Although Carlton have not been successful in his time there, it could have been a lot worse without him. He has set standards and input his experience and knowledge into the minds of the younger players at the club. Although we aren’t seeing the benefit of his wisdom right now, his legacy will transcend his time at the club.
Friday night showed that Judd is still arguably Carlton’s strongest player, and still their leader, regardless of who is captain. He is still the midfielder who gets tagged, and although that’s an indictment on Carlton’s development in the Malthouse era, it also says a lot for how important Judd has been in preventing Carlton from being a laughing stock… Well, more of one anyway.
The run down
The trade is what it is. Chris Judd was a high-value asset at the time, and the price was high.
The younger players at Carlton will, in the end, be all the better for having played with and been tutored by Judd. You simply cannot assume Josh Kennedy would have had the same career at Carlton as he is having at West Coast.
Hindsight is not an intelligent barometer, but it always sparks a good debate! Who do you think got the better of the deal?
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