For seven days, Harley Reid was a Shinboner.
West Coast pulled off an unfathomable win over the Western Bulldogs in Round 23, and in the process relinquished rights to the best prospect in the land. But in the bright Hobart sunshine on Saturday, North Melbourne trounced the Suns to record their first win in five months, in the process avoiding a third-straight wooden spoon.
It leaves the top of the 2023 AFL Draft precariously poised. West Coast has first dibs on the best teenager in the country, and North remains hopeful of pick three compensation for Ben McKay, plus an assistance package that could include Tasmanian ball magnet Ryley Sanders.
The Suns have pick four on the table, GWS has two first-rounders to play with, and Melbourne is eyeing a move up the order from picks five and 15. These are the clubs that will fuel the intrigue leading into the nights of Nov. 20 and 21, when the AFL Draft is set to take place at Marvel Stadium.
The name at the centre of it all is Tongala's Harley Reid. Unlike many eventual No. 1 picks, Reid was the anointed pick one 12 months ago when he tore the national championships apart for Vic Country as a bottom-ager.
He's showcased intercepting exploits off halfback and a knack for kicking bags of goals up forward, but it's his contested proficiency that has held him above the chasing pack at every critical juncture.
Reid has thrived at each level, be it with the Bendigo Pioneers, AFL Academy, or in the VFL with Carlton and Essendon. His 2023 campaign ended with a jarred knee last weekend, and clubs don't expect him to test at the AFL Draft Combine across Oct. 6 to 8. But none of that will hurt his sky-high draft stock, with the Eagles in the box seat to claim the powerful midfielder.
West Coast has an excellent track record of retaining interstate draftees, departing club captains Luke Shuey and Shannon Hurn included. But while they hold pick one -- and Reid sits atop all club's draft boards -- the go-home factor will weigh heavily into their decision.
As will Claremont's Dan Curtin, who continues to stake his claims as a top three prospect this year. The premier WA prospect has been likened to James Sicily with his intercepting prowess down back, and he's shown genuine midfield proficiency at 195 centimetres.
Curtin's rise sets the scene for a fascinating trade period, starting on October 9th. North Melbourne has the draft capital to make a move for the No. 1 pick and Reid, with Port Adelaide's first-rounder (from the Jason Horne-Francis trade) a piece that could be included in trade offerings to the Eagles.
If North was to stay put at pick two -- and potentially add pick three via McKay's compensation -- then Curtin, Tasmanian maestro Colby McKercher, silky Gippsland forward Zane Duursma and pocket rocket Nick Watson will all come into calculations.
Those four make up the next group of elite talent on offer in 2023's AFL Draft, with Gold Coast set to welcome academy starlets Jed Walter, Ethan Read and Jake Rogers in the biggest academy haul since its inception.
It's unlikely Duursma, who is the younger brother of Port Adelaide's Xavier and Yasmin, will make it past Melbourne's pick five. The Demons attempted to trade up for Bailey Humphrey last year and are still searching for another forward-half gamechanger, with Duursma catching their eye for affiliate Casey in the VFL.
Don't discount the Demons from No. 1 pick discussions either with five, 15 and a future first the starting point for negotiations.
With Reid, Curtin, and a myriad of offers set to be thrown their way, West Coast holds all the cards in the Harley Reid sweepstakes.
Off-Season Key Dates
Oct. 6th to 8th: National AFL Draft Combine
Oct. 6th to 16th: Free Agency
Oct. 9th to 18th: Trade Period
Nov. 20th: AFL Draft Round 1
Nov. 21st: AFL Draft remaining rounds
Nov. 22nd: Pre-season & Rookie Draft