CHRIS Judd's meeting with Collingwood this week could prove futile, according to Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett, who said a trade with the Magpies might not be possible.

Nisbett also flagged an AFL trade deadlock if a deal cannot be struck, while player manager Ricky Nixon has warned of legal action if the Judd deal holds up the trades of players he represents.

"If he said just Collingwood, well, it would be difficult because I don't know what they have got to offer," Nisbett said.

Carlton and Melbourne spoke to Judd and his manager Paul Connors last week and Essendon pitched its case for the 2004 Brownlow medallist yesterday. Connors said the meetings had progressed well and talks could now move ahead with Collingwood after the club bowed out of the finals.

Magpies football operations manager Geoff Walsh said the club would "set our sights on talking to Chris" in the next few days.

Nisbett wants Judd to leave his options open "for three or four clubs," so the Eagles can negotiate the best possible deal for the 24-year-old.

"If that is the case, things will work out for him," Nisbett told Southern Cross radio in Perth. "Chris wants to go back to Melbourne. Yes, there are nine clubs, and if his preference is A, B, C and D, then we can understand that. But if it is just A, it is going to make it extremely difficult."

As reported in The Age yesterday, Nisbett said the club would explore Judd living in Melbourne and playing for the Eagles. "If all else fails, we will certainly address the issue of him living in Melbourne and playing for us," he said. "(But) we haven't even thought that through, and I guess it is a real long shot."

Nixon said a complicated trade deal that dragged into trade week could have serious repercussions. "These deals have got to be done by 12 o'clock Tuesday on trade week, so that the other 10, 20, 30 deals can happen," Nixon told radio SEN.

"If the Chris Judd one (stalls other trades), I reckon we're going to be for the first time looking at some major legal action from a restraint of trade point of view. If I have players who miss out on being traded … then I'll be going down that track this year."

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou yesterday warned clubs chasing Judd not to cheat on the salary cap with side agreements.

"All clubs know they're on notice, that if they try to construct something which is over and above what … the AFL will accept, then the AFL will come down hard on them," he said on SEN.

Demetriou singled out Carlton after the Blues' president Richard Pratt hosted Judd at his Raheen mansion in Kew on Thursday.

"Carlton knows too well, and they know that from history, that those things won't be tolerated," Demetriou said. "I don't expect that's what Carlton would be doing, they're very sensible now."

He supported Judd's approach to selecting a new club.

"He's doing some due diligence," Demetriou said.

"He's going out to clubs, he's checking out the facilities, he wants to know what their plan is, he wants to meet the coaches … I think it shows some common sense."

With ARI SHARP, AAP