CARLTON coaching director Robert Wiley is hopeful Chris Judd will play on next year, saying the two-time Brownlow medallist still has a lot to offer on and off the field.

Judd's contract with the Blues finishes at the end of this season and there has been speculation the star midfielder will retire given his bad run of injuries this year.

The former Blues skipper had Achilles tendon surgery in February and strained a hamstring just six minutes into his first game back in round five after being pushed in the back by Western Bulldog Stewart Crameri as he kicked.

Wiley told carltonfc.com.au's The Blue Print Judd was extremely unlucky to be injured against the Bulldogs, saying any player would have injured in the same circumstances.

Judd turns 31 in September and has lost the explosive pace he had in his West Coast days, but Wiley said he was far from a spent force.

"I'm hoping he'll continue because he's only 30. He's got a lot to give and the good thing is that he's prepared to give," Wiley said.

"It's not all about Chris Judd, (you should see) the amount of work that he does with our younger players.

"He's spent a lot of time with Tom Bell, he spends time with (Patrick) Cripps and (Nick) Holman, the young boys that have come in, looking at stoppages and what they can do better there.

"So not only does he give as a player, he also gives a lot to the development of our kids."

Wiley said he expected Judd to return just after the Blues' round nine bye.

Wiley joined Mick Malthouse at Carlton at the start of last season, having been an assistant to the three-time premiership coach during his decade-long West Coast stint in the 1990s.

It has been a difficult start to Malthouse's second season at Carlton, with the Blues sitting 16th on the ladder after seven rounds with a 2-5 record.

But Wiley said Malthouse, 60, was fully committed to guiding the Blues back up the ladder.

"He was pretty angry (after the Collingwood loss last Friday night) and rightly so," Wiley said.

"I saw that at West Coast and I'm seeing the same passion and the same drive that he wants to help the Carlton footy club have success again.

"People talk about age, but to me Michael has evolved over the years and in his umpteen years of coaching he's been able to go with the flow and I see no different (now).

"He's obviously got more experience, but he's certainly still got that driving ambition to be successful."

Twitter: @AFL_Nick