Top player manager Paul Connors has lifted the lid on the Chris Judd trade from West Coast to Carlton, saying the superstar midfielder had wanted to go to Collingwood.It was in 2007 that the game’s biggest player returned home to Melbourne and was traded for Josh Kennedy.Connors told Tommy Sheridan on his Ausmerican Aces podcast that it was the biggest deal he’s been part of.“It was just so big and such a big story for him to leave West Coast,’’ Connors said. “He was a premiership captain, he was a Brownlow medallist and just loved. But in my heart he was always coming home and (coach) John Worsfold knew it. It caused angst for a long time. “It’s my job, don’t lie, tell the truth, you might not like the truth but don’t lie. And that was a bloody hard trade because you didn’t have future pics, you couldn’t go pre-season. In many respects you couldn’t get this year’s first round and second next year’s. “Carlton, in my heart I wanted him to go to Carlton. He wanted to go to Collingwood at one stage when we left the meeting. I’m like, you can’t go to Collingwood.They can’t do the deal in my head.“History says the trade worked out all right. Josh Kennedy has just kicked his 700th goal. Life is pretty good, it’s worked out well. That’s the trades you want to do that are win-win.”Connors also revealed he believes forwards Aaron Naughton and brothers Max and Ben King will be commanding salaries of $1.3m a season in five years time.Scud fires at Tony JonesTony Jones has hit the ground running after returning from his stint reporting at Wimbledon.He was back in the hosting chair on the Sunday Footy Show and didn’t hold back with a few pointed comments. During the popular “What Caught my Eye” segment he took aim at Craig Hutchison and his lowly SEN ratings with a drive-by that even took the panel by surprise.Matthew Lloyd was having a laugh at Kane Cornes who got his maths wrong while discussing the ladder, when Jones chipped in: “Think he’s taking a leaf out of Craig Hutchison’s book with the ratings, he puts that spin on them”. Jones quickly blamed jet lag but Cornes quipped: “Keep digging that hole TJ.”Jones also revealed that he had a run-in with former Aussie tennis ace Mark Philippoussis at Wimbledon.“I tell you who gave me even less (than Lleyton Hewitt) … Mark Philippoussis,’’ he said.“There was a bit of an incident. He threw a little wobbly in front of everyone when I asked him for an interview. It was just me. I don’t know (why) maybe I caught him at a bad moment. People were coming up saying ‘what was all that about’. I said ‘I don’t know’.”Fev catches the footy feels – for surgeryBrendan Fevola has the footy feels back but he’s learning the hard way that it’s not as fun in your 40s.The former star goalkicker was rushed into surgery on Friday when his arm turned purple after playing alongside Dane Swan for St Kilda City the previous weekend.“I had compartment syndrome, few torn muscles and a 50 per cent dead muscle in my forearm. All fixed now, few weeks off then back,’’ Fevola said on Sunday.He expanded on Monday morning on his FOX FM breakfast show, Fifi, Fev and Nick.“I got belted playing footy.“I did it last Saturday and then Sunday it was a little bit sore and then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday fine. It didn’t really hurt, I thought it was just bruising and it will go down.“Thursday night I couldn’t sleep, and it was just throbbing.“The pressure in my arm, I thought it was going to explode.”Crackers bouncing backPeter “Crackers” Keenan is recovering from a health scare.The popular footy and media identity was hospitalised for two days after an irregular heart beat and a lung infection.“I’m good as gold now, up and about’’ Keenan said.“Apparently people over 70 who have been athletes get irregular heartbeats. My ankle is gone and my two knees … at a certain age it just goes bang.”It was at Keenan’s 70th birthday party last November where AFL legend Ron Barassi and several other footy identities contracted Covid.Keep running, KaneKudos to commentator Kane Cornes who is taking on a mammoth feat to raise funds for the children’s cancer charity My Room.He will be running from Adelaide to Melbourne in the lead-up to this year’s grand final — 780kms over 12 days which equates to 65km a day.Cornes said he was inspired by Shane Crawford, who walked and ran from Adelaide to Melbourne in 2010 for Breast Cancer Network Australia. Jayco is the first sponsor to get on board in support.Organisations that want to get on board can email: kanes.run@nine.com.au
Powered by WPeMatico
