Eliza Reilly: Has Fremantle first-round draft pick Murphy Reid gone ahead of Neil Erasmus and Matthew Johnson?
As fourth-year midfielders Neil Erasmus and Matthew Johnson continue to battle for their spot, is a draftee about to take it from them anyway? ELIZA REILLY asks the big selection question.
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Has Murphy Reid, an uncapped first-round draftee, already jumped ahead of fourth-year midfielders Neil Erasmus and Matthew Johnson?
With one intraclub highlight, it became a question worth asking.
Starting at the back of the centre square, Reid timed his run perfectly to provide an outlet for Caleb Serong who got first hands on Luke Jackson’s delightful palm down.
One hip swivel to the left was enough to step past Erasmus and a second got him clear of ruck Aiden Riddle.
Reid then saw Serong breaking into space and fired off a perfectly weighted handball. Serong converted on the run from outside 50, finishing what he started.
As for Reid, he reminded the local media that it’s not just Harley and Archer over at West Coast worth writing about.
So what does Reid offer that Erasmus and Johnson don’t?
The gift of time.
Erasmus is an accumulator who creates time for others, if he can get the footy to them without turning it over.
Johnson has shown glimpses of the ability to slow time but when he does, he’s been guilty of trying to bite off more than he can chew.
While still raw, Reid could be the product of the pair’s best assets.
Against Melbourne in Fremantle’s final pre-season hitout before Round 1, the 18-year-old finished with 14 disposals, five inside 50s, three marks, two clearances and two score involvements.
Last year, he averaged 28 disposals for the Sandringham Dragons and 24.5 during the National Championships, where he earned All-Australian honours.
He was described as one of the most skilful players in last year’s crop and wouldn’t have slipped to pick 17 in any other draft.
But what the 11 clubs who passed on him lost will ultimately be Fremantle’s gain.
The most recent first-round draft pick to debut for the Dockers in Round 1 was Andrew Brayshaw back in 2018. The last draftee to be named for Fremantle’s season-opener was mature-ager Lachie Schultz in 2019.
Ask Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir whether Reid has moved ahead of Erasmus and Johnson and he’ll admit that Reid’s versatility to play across two lines is tempting.
“I’m not sure,” Longmuir said post-match in Mandurah. “He plays a bit of a different role to some of those other mids because he spends a lot of time forward.
“He gives us more flexibility.
“There’s elements of his game that were a bit off today as well so we’ll review it and the Round 1 team will be released in a couple of weeks.”
Added Longmuir leading into the clash: “We’ve been really happy with his growth in terms of being able to understand his role. For a young player to come in and execute multiple roles, it’s a credit to how much work he’s put in.”
The Dockers have preached a desire to be more unpredictable in the midfield this year.
So, where does that leave Erasmus?
The 21-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and played just four games last year.
He’s a top 10 draft pick from four years ago and won the Simpson Medal as best on ground in Peel Thunder’s 2024 WAFL premiership. But he’s so far failed to take the next step and translate state league form into AFL stardom.
Against the Demons, he only played the final quarter.
He finished with seven disposals but used the footy at 42 per cent efficiency, including a costly turnover when he badly missed Andrew Brayshaw by handball.
Fox Footy expert and West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson observed in commentary that some players try too hard when trying to establish themselves in a team.
But the only way for Erasmus to get confident is by Fremantle having confidence in him.
Erasmus hasn’t yet jumped ahead of Brayshaw and Serong. But with Hayden Young (hamstring) and Nat Fyfe (knee) all but certain to be unavailable in Round 1, the Dockers are in desperate need of a big-bodied midfielder.
At 190cm, Erasmus can be that for Fremantle. But he needs to simplify his role and stop playing like the axe is hovering.
As for Johnson, it’s clear the 21-year-old is still in Longmuir’s plans after a career-high 19 games last season. He started at the opening centre bounce against the Demons and finished with 13 disposals at 85 per cent efficiency, a game-high nine tackles, six score involvements, two clearances and a goal.
For now, there may be room for all three of them in Fremantle’s Round 1 team.
But when Fyfe and Young return and the selection squeeze hits, Reid’s class might just win out.
Originally published as Eliza Reilly: Has Fremantle first-round draft pick Murphy Reid gone ahead of Neil Erasmus and Matthew Johnson?
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