Judd to be worked over by West Coast - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Judd to be worked over by West Coast

By Leonard Siragusa 30/04/2008 05:08:31 PM Comments (0)

Carlton captain Chris Judd is braced for a hostile reception on and off the field when he plays against his former West Coast teammates for the first time on Friday night at Subiaco.

Judd, who played 134 games for the Eagles and led them to their 2006 premiership, moved to the Blues last year in one of the biggest trades in AFL history.

Carlton coach Brett Ratten accepted Judd will be targeted in what the Blues expect will be a bruising affair against the winged Eagles.

"Former teammates will probably get into him, give him a mouthful and a hit here (and there)," Ratten said.

"But we'll support Chris 100 per cent like all the other players and we'll make sure he has a good return back to Perth.

"When you're playing a team that's 1-5 and we're 2-4, I think both teams will be pretty aggressive this week."

Judd's return to Subiaco for the first time saw the Eagles-Blues clash sell out in 29 minutes last week.

Ratten hoped the partisan West Australian crowd would treat him with respect and not boo him.

"The service he has given to the West Coast football club and the respect and what he has done over there, I would hope they (the crowd) would cheer him and not boo him," he said.

"We know they'll boo every goal we kick, so hopefully they don't boo him."

Carlton utility Richard Hadley (groin) will travel to Perth and will be given right up until game-time to prove his fitness.

West Coast - who equalled their worst start to the year after last Saturday night's 10-goal loss to the Western Bulldogs - will be without star onballer Daniel Kerr (suspension), Adam Hunter (knee) and Shannon Hurn (fibula), while All-Australian ruckman Dean Cox is in doubt with a foot complaint.

But Ratten said the Blues were wary of a wounded Eagles outfit.

"I think it makes them very dangerous," Ratten said.

"They are a very proud club - the Eagles - and their history shows their time in the AFL, they're a powerful club and they've got a lot of pride, they'll come out swinging and rightly so."

As the Blues aim to break a five-game losing streak in Perth, Ratten said his team must eradicate the "big mistakes" that cost his side against Adelaide and be more accurate in front of goal.

"Our first quarter against the Adelaide Crows, we had 12 shots on goal, which is the most any team has had against the Adelaide Crows all year in a quarter of football," Ratten said.

"We just didn't kick it through the sticks.

"Five goals seven behinds, we had a chance to be eight goals four and who knows it might have been hard for the Adelaide Crows to get it back.

"We really did shoot ourselves in the foot."

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