Martin-like prospect headlines 2023 draft

CLUBS appeared to be gearing up for the 2023 draft across the recently concluded trade period, as future picks were traded for in 22 of the 33 different transactions.

AFL Media’s draft expert Cal Twomey said that’s due to recruiters having additional information on next year’s crop who were able to play their underage campaign without COVID interruptions.

“I think the luxury of this year is that we’ve seen 17-year-old players play,” Twomey said on AFL Trade Radio.

“The last couple of years we haven’t seen that, this year’s draft in the 2022 pool is a bit of an unknown draft.

“We didn’t see them [this year’s crop] much at under 16s level, we barely saw them as well at under 17s level in a national form.

“So that’s really difficult to get weight on and I think there’s probably tax that’s been associated with that as well in terms of that lack of development over the previous couple of years.”

Twomey highlighted one teenager as the player to watch of 2023 draft-eligible players, with Bendigo Pioneers midfielder Harley Reid the cream of the crop.

While it’s a big reputation to live up to, Twomey dared to say Reid is Dustin Martin-like with the way he goes about his footy.

“Next year’s very exciting, there’s a guy called Harley Reid,” Twomey said.

“If you haven’t seen his highlights, go and find them because if he was in this year’s pool, he’d be challenging Will Ashcroft as the number one outright pick, even as a 17-year-old.

“There’s a lot of Dustin Martin about him and the way he plays, and clubs are going to go ‘ga-ga’ over him next year.”

While Reid is the current standout, Twomey mentioned multiple other names that could feature at the pointy end of the draft.

“But he’s one of only a few that are very exciting,” Twomey said. “Zane Duursma, the younger brother of course of Xavier.

“The Wizard, we love Nick ‘The Wizard’ Watson, he’s a star, Ashton Moir, so there’s a lot of players in that basket.”

While the 2023 crop will have to wait another 12 months, the 2022 group will hope to have their names read out shortly with this year’s National Draft set for 28 and 29 November.

– BY LACHLAN GELEIT/ SEN