Carlton rings changes — dials wrong number

Chris Judd clears the ball against West Coast to get the Blues out of trouble. Source: Getty Images

WHEN former AFL powerhouse Carlton won the Chris Judd sweepstakes before the start of the 2007 season it was supposed to ignite an exciting new era for the Blues.

But giving away talented but then unproven 19-year-old key forward Josh Kennedy to West Coast to secure Judd was the start of some list management bungling which has come back to haunt the club.

Judd won a second Brownlow Medal in his fourth year at Carlton and three consecutive best and fairest awards from 2008-10.

But the Blues have not finished higher than fifth in the Judd era and after spiralling to 13th last year they have slumped to 16th after two rounds this season and their future looks bleak.

While Judd, 31, is nearing the end of his career, the man Carlton traded to secure him is, at age 27, at the peak of his powers.

Kennedy kicked 10 goals against his former club last week, while the Blues, who also traded draft picks three (Chris Masten) and 20 (Tony Notte) to get Judd, managed just nine in total.

The decision to let Kennedy go was the start of a series of poor judgment calls which has and will continue to hurt the goal-starved Blues.

While Carlton has kicked just 20 goals in the opening two rounds, players it traded, delisted or lost as free agents have been on fire at their new clubs.

Apart from Kennedy's heroics, Jarrad Waite bagged a career-high seven goals for North Melbourne in his second game for the Roos last week, Eddie Betts has been in career-best form at Adelaide and Betts' former sidekick Jeff Garlett has been in fine form for Melbourne.

Two other players that Carlton found surplus to requirements – ruckman Sam Jacobs and midfielder Shaun Grigg – have carved out strong careers at their new clubs, Adelaide and Richmond.

Jacobs – who was rated behind Matthew Kreuzer, Robert Warnock and Shaun Hampson in the ruck pecking order at the Blues – has become a star at the Crows.

He is clearly the club's No. 1 ruckman and has twice been unlucky not to be an All-Australian.

Grigg has been a Tigers regular since shifting to Punt Rd at the end of 2010, playing 83 games.

Carlton has lost four other players who are still on AFL lists and two of them look like carving out successful careers at their new clubs.

Defender Jeremy Laidler has been a solid contributor for flag contender Sydney and utility Mitch Robinson has impressed in his first two games for the Lions.

Two discarded players who have yet to make an impression at their new clubs are Hampson at Tigerland and Kane Lucas at West Coast.

Of the elite eight, seven – all but Laidler – have recorded a spike in key statistics and Champion Data ranking points since leaving the Blues.

Carlton has been the league's biggest mover and shaker when it comes to recycling players in recent years.

Of players currently still on AFL lists, it has moved out 10 and brought in 15.

Sadly for Blues fans, too many of the calls have been wrong.

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