"I've spoken to him and I'm rapt to see him get another go, but I haven't caught up with him yet," Judd said immediately after a training session at Visy Park on Friday.
"I'm looking forward to [round one]. He's a great player and he's a player I've never played against so it's another challenge and something I haven't experienced before.
"We're both looking forward to it and hopefully he has a good year."
Judd feels he's poised for a good year with his body in much better shape compared to when he arrived at the club ahead of the 2008 season still recovering from groin surgery.
The skipper was forced to go and get his own ball a lot more in Blues' colours than he ever had as an Eagle, but he's confident the development of the likes of Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs will release him to be more damaging in open space this season.
"Certainly I'd like to run and carry the ball a bit more this year … but it just depends on circumstances, who's in there and what role I'm given on the day," he said.
"I'm a lot happier [with my body]. This time last year I was just starting to do some of the warm-ups and I wasn't training, but to be doing full training with no restrictions is great."
Judd revealed the Blues had been working away at certain areas of their game plan over the summer and may have also taken a sly glance at the approach taken by power teams Hawthorn and Geelong.
"We're keen to evolve our own game, but we're certainly keen to pick bits and pieces from other teams as well," he said.
"You watch the great sides in the comp and you pick things from their game that you think could help you, but by the same token it's no use us trying to turn into Hawthorn because by the time we become them they'll have become an even better beast."
Optimism abounds among the ranks of the Blues' faithful following the team's 2008 rejuvenation, but Judd maintained no one was feeling the burden of expectation just yet.
"We're probably unaware of that at this stage," he said.
"Every team in the competition is going well at the minute because we're all training hard and no one's losing any matches.
"I'm sure once March comes around and the media attention turns more to footy I'm sure everyone [will feel it a bit more]."
