Sydney, Brisbane and North Melbourne are all chasing junior star Nick Blakey

YOUNG gun Nick Blakey could choose to play for either North Melbourne or Brisbane under the father-son rule. But his close personal ties with Sydney have made the Swans a real player to sign the junior star.

Nick Blakey in action during the under 18 national carnival.

SYDNEY concedes its close personal ties with Swans academy prospect Nick Blakey could help it attract the unique top-10 draft prospect in November.

But Swans coach John Longmire says his father, Sydney assistant coach John Blakey, is adamant he will leave the decision up to his son.

Blakey is a 196cm midfield prospect with a massive upside given he has also played as a key forward at times.

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His father John played 135 games at Fitzroy and 224 at the Kangaroos, meaning he is available to both Brisbane and the Roos as a father-son.

He can also choose Sydney because he has lived in that city for five years, or could even nominate for the draft.

He trained with the Swans for a week in December and has also spent time with the Lions and Kangaroos’ programs.

Nick Blakey in action during the under 18 national carnival.

Longmire is clearly taken with his talent but admits he is far from over the line at the Swans yet.

“John (Blakey) has been really clear all the way through, it’s what Nick wants to do,’’ he told the Herald Sun.

“It’s quite a unique situation. He has a number of options and I have known him for a long time, since he’s been a little fella.

“I tell you what, he’s no longer a little fella, but it’s quite a unique situation, he has these options available to him.

“He will take his time and we are hopeful, as a few others are, because we think he’s going to be a good player.”

Blakey would join Sydney academy alumni Callum Mills and Isaac Heeney, although all clubs would have to pay a fair price for him through the bidding system.

“Before Christmas there were a number of players from the AFL academy go out to clubs and he came to us and trained with us but he didn’t spend a lot of time training because he was trying to get his body right for the long season ahead,” Longmire said.

John Blakey in action for North Melbourne against the Swans during his playing career.

North Melbourne is not out of the race for Blakey given his extended family, including his sister, all live in Melbourne.

If they miss out on him they have an attractive fallback — silky Tasmanian prospect Tarryn Thomas is a likely top-10 pick tied to them through the Next Generation Academy program.

Blakey missed the second half of last season because of back stress fractures and will be heavily scrutinised in one of the best drafts in history.