Wreck It Ralph: The chase for Harley Reid and the trade deals that could tempt West Coast

The only way West Coast would trade an under-contract Harley Reid is by getting its socks blown off by a deal – and there’s one big Victorian club who might just do that.

Shai Bolton hunted down Nick Holman like a cheetah pursuing a gazelle.

The gazelle doesn’t always get caught but if it makes the slightest mistake it is done for.

As the final seconds ticked down at People First Stadium, Holman gave Bolton a 15-metre head start chasing Luke Jackson’s squared kick deep in Fremantle’s attack.

Then as Bolton bolted across the rain-drenched field, Holman blinked.

His failed attempt to tap the ball end-over-end saw him pause to reach down for the Sherrin.

And Bolton was onto him in a flash, his tackle spilling the ball into space for Jye Amiss to kick the sealer.

Shai Bolton is earning his worth. Picture: Getty Images

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir smashed his coaches box wall in euphoria and his list boss David Walls might have danced his own private jig.

Bolton was ‘double trouble’ at the trade period, with Fremantle giving up three first round picks before getting one back in return.

Amiss put the icing on the cake 🎂#AFLSunsFreopic.twitter.com/szPucqk0ba

— AFL (@AFL) May 31, 2025

The final deal saw the Dockers hand over 10, 11 and 18 to Richmond, getting back Bolton, 14 and a future third-rounder.

Bolton didn’t justify his full asking price against the Suns despite 20 touches, two centre square clearances, three goals and six tackles but it was a serious down payment.

Twelve months on from the Dockers’ all-in move, a series of Victorian clubs and the Dockers themselves will consider those double trouble moves.

With the price of securing bona fide stars via trades rising by the year, is it worth outlying more than two first-round picks for a single player?

And for a club like Carlton is it worth trying to dangle a Harry McKay type if it secured them two first-round picks?

Harley Reid made a good fist of suggesting he was happy at the Eagles in a recent podcast but it won’t stop Richmond, Hawthorn, Essendon and Geelong coming up with trade packages to see him move home.

And Fremantle hasn’t given up hope of trading for Kozzie Pickett given his friendships with Michael Walters, Shai Bolton, Isaiah Dudley and Quinton Narkle.

Even if the Dockers knows his price is rising by the day.

Jeremy Cameron crossed from the Giants to the Cats. Picture: Getty Images

Tim Kelly crossed from the Cats to the Eagles. Picture: Getty Images

THE HISTORY LESSON

Before Geelong and West Coast went all in on a pair of trades that changed the market forever, clubs rarely gave up two first-rounders without getting something back.

Melbourne gave up pick 10 and a future first rounder for Jake Lever with pick 35 back, Brisbane gave up picks six, 19 and 55 for Lachie Neale but got back pick 30, and Adelaide gave up 10 and 16 for Bryce Gibbs but got a future second-rounder back.

Essendon gave up pick nine (Jye Caldwell) and a future first-rounder for Dylan Shiel but got back a future second-rounder, eventually trading pick 29 and a future second-rounder to get Caldwell after overlooking him in the draft.

Then West Coast and Geelong went all in.

The Eagles sacrificed 14, 24, 37 and its 2020 first-rounder to secure Geelong star Tim Kelly, a late throwaway pick and a 2020 third-rounder.

History will show that while Kelly has given solid service it was the wrong call given the Eagles were about to hit a list cliff.

Geelong used the Kelly bounty – trading the Eagles No. 24 pick to the Suns for the Gold Coast future first-rounder.

Then they used their own 2020 first-rounder and the Eagles first-rounder as part of a trade for Cameron when GWS made clear it wouldn’t let Cameron go as a free agent.

The deal was picks 13, 15 and 20 for but with a pair of second-rounders back to Geelong in return.

The deal won Geelong a flag.

Where West Coast had mistimed its outlay of vast draft capital the Cats knew Cameron was worth the price.

Since then Port Adelaide’s deal for Jason Horne-Francis and Willie Rioli (pick eight, a future first-rounder, 43, 53 and 57 with some back-end swaps) has solidified the market as one where clubs are prepared to give up more than two first-rounders.

THE REID EQUATION

For the good of the Eagles’ list build and the national competition let’s hope Reid takes up one of those long-term offers to remain at the Eagles.

Former West Coast coach Adam Simpson is known to have made clear to media organisations like The West Australian newspaper last year that if the intense focus drove him out of WA they would have to take a big share of the blame.

So as Reid settles in Perth with slightly less focus this season, West Coast will continue to negotiate with his management in good faith even as the jungle drums beat.

But if the Connors Sports stable does ask for a trade, the history of Chris Judd’s move from West Coast would be instructive.

They don’t get their man to their preferred home, they get them to a club where a trade can be brokered.

Judd wanted to go to Collingwood, they got him to Carlton because they had pick three, Josh Kennedy and the picks to throw in selection 20 as well.

Harley Reid may not get to his preferred club. Picture: Getty Images

If Reid does leave he might want to get to Hawthorn but the Tigers and Essendon would start with their noses in front because of their multiple first-round picks.

Oscar Allen’s improved form – four goals against Geelong – would give the Eagles more confidence that if he does get to the Lions it would be on a deal triggering first-round compensation.

If not, they could match his contract anyway and force a trade.

But there is definitely a world where on current ladder position West Coast finishes last, secures pick two for an Allen compensation pick and secures picks three (Richmond’s first pick) and four (linked to the Roos) from the Tigers.

It would give the Eagles the top four overall selections and one of the best draft hands since the Suns took eight of the first 13 picks in 2010 including the first three selections.

It would give them total control of the draft – where the early bids for academy talent came, whether to split one of those picks for later selections to secure more WA locals, whether to trade one into 2026 to spread out the talent haul.

It would turbo-charge their rebuild.

The question for Richmond is whether its list build still has 6-8 holes or just one Harley sized hole?

List boss Blair Hartley would be thrilled with the early progress of some of the seven players taken inside pick 30, but one of the huge positives is the progress of the lesser-lights.

Mid-season pick Campbell Gray, rookie Seth Campbell, pick 29 Sam Banks and pick 21 Thomson Dow have all shown real progress.

If Reid could be acquired it would give coach Adem Yze a future midfield of Reid (pick 1), Sam Lalor (pick 1), Josh Smillie (pick 7), Taj Hotton (pick 12) 27-year-old Tim Taranto and 28-year-old Jacob Hopper.

But it would exhaust all of the club’s draft stocks this year – the Roos have their second-rounder – and the Eagles would likely ask for another pick next year too given Reid’s talent.

But the improvements of 2025 so far make what would have seemed preposterous in round 1 a live equation given so many Tigers have shown this year they are part of the next finals side.

Richmond should be prepared to give up those top-five picks and more for Reid.

They will never regret it in the long run for a 20-year-old generational talent.

Essendon is in a similar situation.

A club that hoped Nate Caddy and Zach Reid might emerge this year has seen enough to realise they are the club’s bookends for the next decade.

Its 2025 haul right now is pick seven (the Melbourne pick) and pick nine with two second-rounders.

Reid would fit snugly into Brad Scott’s long-term vision at a club where Elijah Tsatas’ growing pains continue and the need for another elite mid is obvious.

Again – go all in, Essendon.

Hawthorn’s issue isn’t wanting Reid, it is finding the picks to satisfy him.

The club is fully aware it needs more A-grade talent (it has depth in spades) and if Reid had his choice of any suitor he might find his way to Dingley.

The Hawks could miss out on Reid. Picture: Getty Images

But even with the Hawks having acquired Carlton’s first-round pick (they traded their own first-rounder for Tom Barrass) it is hard to see how they come up with a package that would come close to tempting the Eagles.

The Carlton pick will still likely be in the teens given the Blues soft draw ahead and a welter of early academy bids and while the Hawks could throw in a future first-rounder the Eagles would believe that pick would land in the 20s.

So giving up a pick in the teens and a pick in the 20s would get them laughed out of the Harley Reid race.

The only way the Eagles would trade Reid in contract is by getting their socks blown off by a deal.

Hawthorn would need to find another first-round pick but is adamant it is desperate to keep free agent James Worpel and isn’t trying to offer him the type of mediocre deal that will see them landing quality free agency compensation.

So even if Reid wanted to get to Hawthorn it is impossible to see how they could secure the kind of top-10 selections that it would need to get close to a Reid deal.

Kysaiah Pickett. Picture: Getty Images

THE KYSAIAH PICKETT CONUNDRUM

Melbourne’s Pickett is in career-best form, even if Marcus Windhager got him with a tight tag in Alice Springs on Sunday.

He’s still more likely to ask for a trade to Fremantle than not even with a contract until 2027.

But how in god’s name do the Dockers put together a trade package for him while also retaining Luke Jackson?

As the Herald Sun has revealed, Jackson wants to play more ruck time and would be more likely to fulfil his contract if he was rucking solo without Sean Darcy alongside him.

So let’s put Jackson to one side.

A rival might give up cap space for Sean Darcy but not a high pick given his ongoing knee issues.

The Dockers could offer their current and future first-rounders but both will fall in the 20s.

So far, so very inadequate for the Demons given Pickett is contracted.

All of the Dockers A graders like Josh Treacy, Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw, Jye Amiss, are untouchable and the rest are either too old or just very good role players who don’t come close to replacing Pickett.

Kozzie Pickett is showing why he’s worth so much

The Dockers could have traded their spare 2025 first-round pick into 2026 to make a deal easier but instead nailed that pick with Murphy Reid (pick 17).

So right now if Jackson isn’t on the table a club that gave up two picks inside 11 has no way of satisfying Pickett.

Fremantle might have double trouble – their current and future first-rounders – but they are nowhere near the top 10 picks likely to get a deal done.

It means the more likely scenario is the Demons holding him to his contract and even trying to extend him past 2027.

Harry McKay. Picture: Phil Hillyard

THE McKAY CONUNDRUM

First things first.

Any discussion about trading Charlie Curnow is laughable.

A player with 64, 81 and 57 goals in the last three years has to be the centrepiece of the premiership charge.

But there is no doubt new CEO Graham Wright will shake things up, as reported by Scott Gullan in Monday’s Herald Sun.

The issue is he will already be freeing up $1.1 million of cap space – Carlton’s current offer for Tom De Koning if the free agent goes.

It gives him cap space, it gives the Blues a first-round compensation pick for another quality ball user and Carlton still has Marc Pittonet as a solid B grade ruck.

And of the four games Carlton has won this season, McKay has been the key factor in two of them.

He kicked three goals including the sealer against Geelong and three goals (including the sealer) against St Kilda.

He’s not a perfect player – he has only nine goals from seven games – but consider how ferociously clubs would double-team Curnow without McKay in that line-up.

It shapes as a recipe for disaster.

Jon Ralph says the Blues should keep McKay. Picture: Getty Images

Melbourne would love a key forward but right now doesn’t have a first-rounder in its possession.

Sydney will be aggressive and on current ladder position has pick five and will be prepared to use it.

But if Carlton hopes to win the flag it will be on pure ball movement and elite delivery inside 50 to McKay and Curnow.

Curnow has 24 goals for the year, followed by Cripps (10), Corey Durdin (10), McKay (nine) and Zac Williams (eight).

If Wright wants to clear a million bucks of salary beyond De Koning’s unrequited Blues offer he would be much better off paying some of Williams’ deal in a salary dump for a rival to take him.

So Carlton will ferociously rebuff any trade talks on McKay publicly, without privately ruling any deal out given few players are untradeable in the AFL.

Personal opinion – McKay isn’t the problem at Carlton, he is part of the solution.

It doesn’t mean the Blues shouldn’t listen to offers for him but it is hard to see Carlton winning a final in 2026 with Curnow, Jack Silvagni and a bunch of B grade small forwards.

Carlton has enough talent on its list to be playing much better football so instead of blowing up the list, fix the coaching issues first.

Originally published as Wreck It Ralph: The chase for Harley Reid and the trade deals that could tempt West Coast