Speculation Harley Reid [OOC 2026]

[rado]

Richmond are in a perfect position to capture Harley imo.
Eagles topping up already so will hit their ceiling well below any true success and Harley will see this first hand.
Perfect time to switch over to a club that will finish last the next few seasons, ride the wave with a heap of talent his own age and headline the return of a big Victorian club in his home state.
Finishing last and losing all our senior players is perfect. We’ll be the only club with the trade capital AND salary to make it work. Fun times ahead.

 

[bzparkes]

Richmond are in a perfect position to capture Harley imo.
Eagles topping up already so will hit their ceiling well below any true success and Harley will see this first hand.
Perfect time to switch over to a club that will finish last the next few seasons, ride the wave with a heap of talent his own age and headline the return of a big Victorian club in his home state.
Finishing last and losing all our senior players is perfect. We’ll be the only club with the trade capital AND salary to make it work. Fun times ahead.

Richmond going all in on Harley would be the exact definition of 'topping up' considering they have next to zero proven young talent on their list currently.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Lol.

1 of those blokes can't even get on the park and is cooked(Prestia).

2 haven't even played a game yet and won't be able to play full midfield minutes for a few years, if they're any good

Reid will improve any team he goes to if he goes.

 

[bzparkes]

Reid will improve any team he goes to if he goes.

Of course he will.

But improving from 2 wins in a season to 3 probably won't be that exciting for him.

 

[rado]

Richmond going all in on Harley would be the exact definition of 'topping up' considering they have next to zero proven young talent on their list currently.

I don’t think you understand the definition of ‘topping up’ if you are including a 19 year old pick 1 as your argument.

Bit different to picking up the 26-27 year old scraps of the bottom table team like Baker and Graham I would have thought, but each to their own!

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Richmond going all in on Harley would be the exact definition of 'topping up' considering they have next to zero proven young talent on their list currently.

No talent? U23 are Gibcus, Brown, Campbell, Rioli, Clarke, Banks, McKauliff, Tresize, Fawcett, Young, Bauer, Blight, Lalor, Smilie, Faull, Sims , Hotton, Armstrong, Trainor and Algar

 

[bzparkes]

I don’t think you understand the definition of ‘topping up’ if you are including a 19 year old pick 1 as your argument.

Bit different to picking up the 26-27 year old scraps of the bottom table team like Baker and Graham I would have thought, but each to their own!

The draft capital required for Richmond to entice WCE to give him up this year would go a long way to complete their midfield setup, instead of blowing it on one bloke and leaving them positionally short of top end talent.

I get that Richmond supporters are frothing over their draft haul from last year but statistically, half of those blokes won't make it, or be role-players at best.

If Richmond wanted to throw picks 1 & 2 at us this year and say, a second rounder, I'd probably take it if Reid was non-committal. Would complete our midfield with say Sharpe and Rodriguez, plus we'd use our own first rounders on Warner, should he request a trade.

Richmond, meanwhile, would've blown their draft hand one one very good player but then would have to rely on getting lucky with late picks, whilst being down the bottom of the ladder.

That's presuming their draft haul from last year all come good.

Bad list management, IMO.

 

[bzparkes]

No talent? U23 are Gibcus, Brown, Campbell, Rioli, Clarke, Banks, McKauliff, Tresize, Fawcett, Young, Lefau, Bauer, Blight, Lalor, Smilie, Faull, Sims , Hotton, Armstrong, Trainor and Algar

Any of those 'proven' young talent, by any chance?

I too can reel off all our draft picks from last year and get laughed at, if you want?

 

[tiger_tough]

The draft capital required for Richmond to entice WCE to give him up this year would go a long way to complete their midfield setup, instead of blowing it on one bloke and leaving them positionally short of top end talent.

I get that Richmond supporters are frothing over their draft haul from last year but statistically, half of those blokes won't make it, or be role-players at best.

If Richmond wanted to throw picks 1 & 2 at us this year and say, a second rounder, I'd probably take it if Reid was non-committal. Would complete our midfield with say Sharpe and Rodriguez, plus we'd use our own first rounders on Warner, should he request a trade.

Richmond, meanwhile, would've blown their draft hand one one very good player but then would have to rely on getting lucky with late picks, whilst being down the bottom of the ladder.

That's presuming their draft haul from last year all come good.

Bad list management, IMO.

So would Harley Reid....

 

[stallon]

Just my opinion, but WC don’t have the replacements for McGovern and Barrass on your list yet.

And you’ve only got one “proven” young mid from recent drafts in Reid.

I didnt say theyll be stars or live up to expectations. Theyll be at least ok players at the least and keep us out of spoon contention, while having enough of a ceiling to give optimism.

A reminder we were talking about winning wooden spoons in 25/26 specifically.

You can’t be potting Brown and Gibcus for being injury prone, then in the next breath counting Hewett as a proven young player, when he’s been just as injury prone as the two young Richmond defenders.

I listed Hewett and Reid to replace Yeo, a combo of them. Doesnt matter if Hewett has been "injury prone"(he isnt, its just 1 bad injury which is fixed and cant re-occur)

Your possibly going to lose McGovern, Yeo, Kelly and Ryan over the same period as Richmond lose their senior players.

Thats fine, as I said we have a bunch of 24-29 year olds. Take out Ryan(who is having likely his best ever pre-season btw) and there is still enough to keep the squad going.
Remember by the time we lose Gov, Kelly and Yeo in 2-3 years, the likes of Ginbey, Reid, Hewett, Hough, Maric, etc will all be 22+ years old, not kids anymore.

I’m sure Richmond training ground watchers talk up the likes of Sonsie, Banks and Clarke, along with Gibcus and Brown, just much as WC watchers talk up Ginbey and Maric and your other young kids.

Sure, in a couple of years when that really matters we can revisit.
Richmond dont have the senior cattle to cover for the kids right now is the difference

Richmond in the space of two drafts, will have picked up more first round draftees than West Coast will have over four drafts.

Thats not going to make a difference for several years, as 4 of the 7 players picked were KPP. 1 of the non-KPP is injured for the next 6 months leaving just 2 kids coming in this year.
Not going to stop them winning the next 2 spoons, which is what we were talking about.

They’re going to be right behind you in terms of premiership aspirations timeline.

Disagree, they could easily be up for a long rebuild like North. Eagles and North now at least seem to be over the hump after adding some senior bodies.
They might catch up sure, if players we draft dont work out and most of Richmonds do. But I wouldnt be counting on it just yet.

I don’t see Tassie entering the draft as the biggest roadblock for developing teams, but rather current or soon to be top 8 teams being able to continually top up their list with high end father son or academy talent, combined with free agency acquisitions.

Yes, the NSW and QLD teams have a bullshit advantage that is very hard to overcome, the Pies+Geelong can always attract good players for unders, and whichever other vic teams get f/sons will stay up there too.
Still the vic teams at the least will fall at some point.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Any of those 'proven' young talent, by any chance?

I too can reel off all our draft picks from last year and get laughed at, if you want?

Gibcus, Brown, Campbell, Rioli are proven and the others will be in the team soon.

 

[stallon]

No talent? U23 are Gibcus, Brown, Campbell, Rioli, Clarke, Banks, McKauliff, Tresize, Fawcett, Young, Bauer, Blight, Lalor, Smilie, Faull, Sims , Hotton, Armstrong, Trainor and Algar

Not every single player under 23 on your list will be a long term best 23 players for you btw

 

[bzparkes]

So would Harley Reid....

Richmond aren't close to completing their midfield, because none of their picks from last year have even played a game.

 

[bzparkes]

Gibcus, Brown, Campbell, Rioli are proven and the others will be in the team soon.

Gibcus and Brown need to prove they can get over their horrid run of injuries before anything else.

Rioli's ok.

What's Seth Campbell done to think he'll be any more than a role-player at best?

 

[tiger_tough]

Richmond aren't close to completing their midfield, because none of their picks from last year have even played a game.

Of course. It's called projecting.

Lalor, Smille, McAuliffe, Taranto, Hopper, Ross, Hotton + Reid SHOULD be an elite group in 3 years time.

 

[bzparkes]

Of course. It's called projecting.

Lalor, Smille, McAuliffe, Taranto, Hopper, Ross, Hotton + Reid SHOULD be an elite group in 3 years time.

Wait until Lalor and Smillie play a game first.

Hopper can't even stay on the park and will be 31 by the time season 2028 rolls around.

It's massively projecting.

If I said B.Allen, Hewett, Hutchinson, Liam Duggan and Jack Graham would be an elite midfield in 3 years, you'd piss yourself laughing because there's no current evidence to base that off.

 

[tiger_tough]

Wait until Lalor and Smillie play a game first.

Hopper can't even stay on the park and will be 31 by the time season 2028 rolls around.

It's massively projecting.

If I said B.Allen, Hewett, Hutchinson, Liam Duggan and Jack Graham would be an elite midfield in 3 years, you'd piss yourself laughing because there's no current evidence to base that off.

I'm sure you were waiting for Harley Reid to play a game before you were banking on him becoming a quality player...

 

[bzparkes]

I'm sure you were waiting for Harley Reid to play a game before you were banking on him becoming a quality player...

Reid at least had 2 years of hype, plus some very strong VFL form in his draft year to give confidence in his ability to be good at the next level.

Having said that, there were plenty of people with doubts about his ability to stand up with the whole 'man vs boys' argument.

Lalor and Smillie don't even have that to fall back on.

Now I don't think they'll be bad players. They absolutely could be superstars. I hope they do well and excel. Watching young players do well is always exciting, regardless of the team.

It's just a bit too early to assume they'll be elite, is all I'm saying.

I'm not saying they won't.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Gibcus and Brown need to prove they can get over their horrid run of injuries before anything else.

Rioli's ok.

What's Seth Campbell done to think he'll be any more than a role-player at best?

Campbell is be a regular and has improved every year.
There's heaps of potential improvement on our list.
We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

[bzparkes]

Campbell is be a regular and has improved every year.
There's heaps of potential improvement on our list.
We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Seth Campbell?

Been on the list 2 years and played no games in his first.

Not saying he'll be a bad player but his exposed form doesn't scream elite just yet.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Seth Campbell?

Been on the list 2 years and played no games in his first.

Not saying he'll be a bad player but his exposed form doesn't scream elite just yet.

He played 20 games last year and averaged 67 supercoach points.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Reid at least had 2 years of hype, plus some very strong VFL form in his draft year to give confidence in his ability to be good at the next level.

Having said that, there were plenty of people with doubts about his ability to stand up with the whole 'man vs boys' argument.

Lalor and Smillie don't even have that to fall back on.

Now I don't think they'll be bad players. They absolutely could be superstars. I hope they do well and excel. Watching young players do well is always exciting, regardless of the team.

It's just a bit too early to assume they'll be elite, is all I'm saying.

I'm not saying they won't.

The important thing is that we have our key position players sorted now with this draft hopefully.

 

[bzparkes]

The important thing is that we have our key position players sorted now with this draft hopefully.

Well again, that's 'hopefully'.

They're going to take a good 5-6 years on average to be consistent performers

Still, Tigers did the right thing by actually drafting them last year and not neglecting them, like North did for 8 years.

That alone should put them ahead of North's rebuild length.

 

[stallon]

The important thing is that we have our key position players sorted now with this draft hopefully.

Aside from an actual ruckman maybe?
Do you think Samson Ryan will be a thing? or will you be joining the ruck merry-go-round in the next couple of years?

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Aside from an actual ruckman maybe?
Do you think Samson Ryan will be a thing? or will you be joining the ruck merry-go-round in the next couple of years?

We've got Colina and Hayes-Brown as well but ai think Sampson Ryan is up to it