Carlton supporters have been transfixed in recent weeks as one of the biggest trade deals of the past decade – and not just from a Blues perspective – unfolded before our very eyes.
There can be little doubt that the recruitment of Chris Judd is a huge coup for the Carlton Football Club, adding to the massive on and off field turnaround that commenced in season 2007 and looks set to continue into next year.
For the moment though, the Blueseum has turned back the clock to that point in time when Carlton engineered another noted trade to land our most recent Brownlow Medallist, Greg Williams.
The year was 1991. David Parkin had just completed the second year of his second stint with the Blues, and despite the best efforts of all involved, Carlton finished in 11th place with eight wins from 22 matches (across 24 rounds, with the bye in place in 1991). The Sydney Swans, featuring ex-Carlton tryout and 1986 Brownlow Medallist Williams, finished 12th.
As a result, Carlton boasted a healthy range of draft selections with which to rebuild, including picks 5, 18, 31, 44, 57 and 70.
But the Blues were not of a mind to ‘rebuild’ in the modern sense. Their energies were instead focused not only on Williams, but two other players who would also make their mark on Carlton.
Carlton, in its wisdom, offloaded picks five and 31 to Melbourne in return for Earl “The Duke” Spalding, with Melbourne using pick five to secure Jason Norrish. The Blues also forwarded 1987 Premiership Player Richard “Rocky” Dennis and swapped 10th Round Draft Picks with North Melbourne in return for young “Rocket” Ron De Iulio, who would represent the Blues in more than 100 games for the Blues up until 1999.
But the big prize was Williams. Arrangements were made with Fitzroy, who had finished in 14th place (of 15 teams, with this being the Crows’ first year), and the Swans, that would see the following trades take place:
• Carlton exchanged Peter Satori and Ashley Matthews to Fitzroy for Darren Kappler and Fitzroy’s 3rd round pick (No.28, which Carlton used to draft Cale O’Keefe) and its 5th Round (54 which they picked up Leigh Snooks)
• Carlton then on-traded Kappler, together with emerging Full Forward Simon Minton-Connell and draft pick 70 (which became 68 due to non-utilisation of picks by other clubs) to Sydney in return for Williams and draft choices 78 (Matthew Dickson) and 109, which was not used.
The trading of Simon Minton-Connell (perhaps the Judd-trade-contemporary of Josh Kennedy), broke the hearts of many Carlton fans, who in each case could see the bright future of each player.
Interestingly, Minton-Connell remained in Melbourne after the trade and flew to Sydney on Thursday or Friday to train and then play on the weekend.
In all, Minton-Connell kicked 305 goals in his 112 games at four clubs – Carlton, Hawthorn, the Bulldogs and the Swans. Even then, he wasn’t quite finished - in his mid-late thirties Simon was still scoring many goals in the Essendon District League where he had represented several clubs since leaving the Dogs.
Overall, the trades left Carlton without Matthews, Minton-Connell, Dennis and Satori, but with Williams, Spalding and De Iulio – with Williams and Spalding to become premiership players and De Iulio a 100-gamer and fan favourite as above.
In terms of the remaining draft picks, the Blues also picked up Matthew Hogg and 1993 Grand Final player Brett Sholl:
Round 2 – Pick 18 Matthew Hogg – 114 games
Round 3 – Pick 28 (from Fitzroy) – Cale O’Keefe - 0 games
Round 4 – Pick 44 Brett Sholl – 35 games
Round 5 – Pick 54 (from Fitzroy) - Leigh Snooks – 0 games
Round 5 – Pick 57 - Anthony McDonald (0 games)
Round 7 – Pick 78 (from Sydney) - Matthew Dickson – 0 games
Round 7 – Pick 79 - Bevan Smillie - 0 games
In one strong recruiting season, the Blues acquired three key limbs to our 1995 Premiership team, and of course Williams would go on to win a second Brownlow Medal in 1994, and was horrifyingly close to winning in 1993.
Back in the 1970s, Carlton had recruited another Brownlow Medallist – our first from another club – in South Melbourne’s Peter Bedford.
Chris Judd therefore becomes the third Brownlow Medallist recruited to Carlton, and one who carries the hopes of the Carlton masses for 2008 and beyond.
