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Will North Melbourne rue beating the Gold Coast Suns to gift West Coast the grand prize of pick 1 in this year’s draft?
The answer to this question will only be solved down the track when the crop of this year’s draft fully develops.
What we do know, though, is Victorian youngster Harley Reid has been praised for being the next Dustin Martin-type operator. Every team in the competition are looking for a new explosive midfielder who can go in centre bounces and move up forward.
After dominating the NAB League and under-18 championships, Reid has already played two appearances for Carlton’s and Essendon’s VFL sides. He slotted seamlessly against men, being one of the best players on the ground for Essendon with 23 disposals and seven tackles.
The 18-year-old is certainly one player AFL recruiters would dream of drafting and would definitely give anything for the type of calibre he brings to the table.
Of course, not every time does a No.1 pick become the superstar player they are expected to be. Tom Boyd, Jonathan Patton, Tom Scully and Jack Watts are perfect examples of this, where the pressure mantled on a special number affects a player’s performance.
But there are some players who thrive on the pressure and exert confidence from the moment they head into those doors. Over the years we have heard talented prospects compare themselves to elite AFL players and acquire the self-belief and confidence you need to become the next superstar.
So, was the one extra win worth it to lose a generational talent? Tanking doesn’t seem like the right word for it because when the ball is bounced nothing should be done to alter the player’s efforts.
But would it have been in the best interests of their future for just one match for North to lose, with the club already enduring a disastrous season? The difference between two or three wins for the season after losing 20 games in a row doesn’t seem astronomical.
Giving the young North players in the reserves a game for the last game of the season where not much is to gain would certainly not be the worst idea.
It would have been great for the morale of the group to finish their season on a good note, however, it is hard to believe that come March next year the group would feel good about the upcoming season due to a Round 24 win against the 15th-placed Suns.
(Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
The argument against North losing the game being a bad idea is the previous history of the Melbourne Demons, who were alleged to have tanked during some games under Dean Bailey’s tenure.
In reality, their alleged strategy resulted in the club trying to get out of a hole they put themselves in for several years. The rut the Melbourne Football Club were in wasn’t helped by the poor drafting during those years of getting high draft picks, though.
Drafting Jack Watts at pick 1 and Sam Blease pick 17 as a priority pick in 2008 to the following year where they earned the No.1 pick from a priority pick, drafting Tom Scully and picking Jack Trengove for pick 2. They simply didn’t get these picks right.
North’s mediocrity can’t get any worse from a team who have been sub-AFL standard, finishing bottom four in their last four seasons. Maybe leaders like Luke Davies-Uniacke, who suffered an injury surfing during the season, need to lift their game instead. This clearly emphasises the absence of standards North Melbourne has lost over the years.
North might get their wish anyway with the Eagles interested in poaching local talent Dan Curtin for their pick 1. Either way, Harley Reid is no doubt the pick of the crop in 2023.
Harley Reid in action during the 2023 U18 Boys Championships. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
There are many draft models the AFL could adopt, including the BBL draft system where the bottom-placed side would have a 50 per cent chance of winning pick 1 but no guarantee. This would remove all the grey areas around the issue of tanking and reduce exploitation.
Will the Round 24 victory turn out to be the best thing that has ever happened for the club since ’99, or will it be a bitter pill to swallow? North Melbourne fans, hold your breath.
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