Fresh twist in No.1 pick call leaves rivals bullish; Blues’ pitch pivot amid $3m chasm: Trade Whispers

With multiple rival clubs circling — and confident a trade request is coming — Harley Reid has delayed a call on his footy future.

Plus how St Kilda’s strong interest in Tom De Koning has prompted a fresh pitch from Carlton.

Get the latest player movement news and updates in AFL Trade Whispers!

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DELAY ON NO.1 PICK’S CALL AS BIG CLUBS CIRCLE

Young West Coast star Harley Reid has delayed making a call on his footy future until the end of 2025, according to Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph, who reports the Eagles are confident their Pick 1 would re-sign but rival clubs remain adamant he’ll request a trade.

Reid, one of the AFL’s most exciting emerging talents, is contracted to West Coast until the end of 2026 after being taken with Pick 1 in the 2023 draft.

West Coast across the past 12 months has worked hard to try and lock away the Tongala sensation long-term. AFL Media reported last month the club had offered Reid multiple lucrative contract extensions, including three-year and five-year extensions — the latter believed to be worth almost $2 million per season — as well as a longer-term offer.

But Victorian clubs are circling him with offers that could be worth up to $2 million per season over 10-plus years. Geelong and Hawthorn are seen as front-runners for Reid’s signature, while Collingwood and Essendon have also been linked.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, Ralph reported that Reid wouldn’t decide on his footy future “until later this year”, with multiple parties confident the 20-year-old would play for them.

“It’s a really hard story to report, because West Coast would say: ‘We’re really confident he’ll sign a deal soon. We’re confident he loves Andrew McQualter, he loves the young kids that have been brought in and the established players,’” Ralph said on Midweek Tackle.

“They’re really angry about suggestions he’s not great or the culture … they think he can take a whack when he needs to from Andrew McQualter. He doesn’t want this fanfare, he just wants to put his head down and play really good football.

“But every list boss you speak to today says: ‘No, he’s coming home. It’s not even an open secret. He will request a trade at the end of the year.’

“So it’s really challenging. You want to take on face value everyone you speak to.

“I still think it’s more likely that he comes home, but all I would say is if he does it, it’s not as a distressed asset. He’s really good kid placed in the most unusual situation you’ve ever seen – maybe Jason Horne-Francis had something similar.

“You feel for him, but I just think at the end of the year he might just say: ‘This is all too hard, get me out of here.’”

BLUES’ PITCH PIVOT IN BID TO RETAIN IN-DEMAND FREE AGENT

The Blues are leaning on the value of “sticking with Carlton to his future after football” in its pitch to retain in-demand free agent Tom De Koning, according to The Age chief football reporter Jake Niall.

De Koning, who remains unsigned beyond this season, is weighing up re-signing with Carlton on a deal estimated to be worth $1.1 million a season over seven years, or moving to St Kilda on a $1.7 million contract over the same tenure. The overall gap between the two offers is over $3 million.

Knowing it can’t compete with the Saints’ financial terms, Carlton has instead emphasised the importance of “playing for the Blues beyond his playing days”, according to The Age, including the club’s business relationships and overall brand.

Asked by The Age to elaborate on the club’s pitch, Carlton chief executive Brian Cook said only that it was “driven by management”, before adding: “We’re hoping he decides to stay.”

The Blues are prepared to wait as long as they can on De Koning, but a host of other unsigned players – including Brodie Kemp, Jack Silvagni, Jesse Motlop and Sam Docherty – remain in limbo.

Coincidentally, De Koning’s Blues take on St Kilda on Friday night.