The Harley Reid offer that West Coast turned down from Melbourne revisited

A year on, the picture is clearer on what could have been if West Coast gave up the rights to Harley Reid, with one trade offer likely the best pitch ever made. See what it looks like now.

When Harley Reid collected the ball, ran clear of Christian Petracca and kicked the goal of the year in round 10 the debate was over.

West Coast fielded offers for the most highly touted No.1 pick in a generation last October and November, ultimately turning down a king’s ransom from Melbourne to keep the rights to Reid.

If the Dees offered a king’s ransom back then, even the entire contents of Jeff Bezos’ bank accounts wouldn’t get Reid out of Perth right now.

The budding superstar is untradeable and rivals fully expect him to at least be offered the biggest contract of all time once his rookie deal expires.

Melbourne wanted Harley Reid but he slipped away. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos

It is fitting that West Coast could have had likely the best offer ever for Reid, and knocked it back.

The Demons came hard last trade period for the first pick, putting pick six, 11, 42 and their 2024 first-rounder on the table.

That offer got even better as Melbourne slid into the sinkhole that was 2024, with the future first now sitting at No.5 on next month’s draft board.

Draft night bids meant Melbourne’s 2023 picks slid down to six and 13, but if you add those two in with 42 and pick five, the draft points total sits at 5129.

That is the equivalent of picks one and four, with No.1 worth 3000 points.

Only once has a team traded three first rounders for a player – that was Geelong handing over 13, 15 and 20 for Jeremy Cameron, which equals a paltry 3236 picks points by comparison.

Melbourne selected Caleb Windsor, who appears every bit a 200-game winger, and the bright Koltyn Tholstrup with its top choices last year and will be eyeing a star midfielder again with this year’s pick five.

Caleb Windsor looks like a future 200-gamer. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

The 42nd pick ended up with Gold Coast and was used to match a bid on Ethan Read.

Then list boss at West Coast, Rohan O’Brien said the offers for the No.1 pick were “really good” but not the “something extraordinary” needed to get the deal done.

It was a genuine monster offer but still, if Melbourne put Windsor, Tholstrup and pick five on the table this year for Reid, the Eagles would likely hang the phone up.

Only a handful of players would force a club to turn that offer down and Reid is clearly in that company.

North Melbourne also came for the Reid rights last year, with O’Brien confirming his club turned down pick two and “a couple picks in the teens”.

The Roos could have put picks two, 15 and 17 up for Reid.

In the end, North Melbourne drafted Colby McKercher at two, then Taylor Goad (pick 20) and Wil Dawson (22).

Adding up two, 20 and 22 equals 4274 draft points, or the equivalent of pick one and 12.

That was a good offer, but not extraordinary.

The Roos took Colby McKercher right after Reid. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

The Eagles were only ever doing the deal if the Roos stumped up both picks two and three.

Hawthorn was heavily linked as the third club putting in more calls to West Coast than a telemarketer.

The Hawks were reported to have put wantaway forward Tyler Brockman, pick four and a future first to the Eagles.

The rise of ‘Hokball’ meant the future first now sits at 14 and that 2023 early pick ended up at No.5 and used on the magical Nick Watson.

Picks five and 14 equal 3039 points, equal to No.1.

Brockman was eventually traded to the Eagles and played 10 nondescript games in his first year with Reid.

That offer was never going to be enough.

Originally published as The Harley Reid offer that West Coast turned down from Melbourne revisited