Paul Hasleby has urged West Coast to get aggressive in the upcoming National Draft, suggesting they trade their future first-round pick to secure top WA prospect Dan Curtin.
Assuming they don’t trade pick one, the Eagles will likely draft Victorian midfielder Harley Reid, but Hasleby believes picking up Curtin as well would fast-track their rebuild and bring in an elite local prospect.
Jason Dover, the manager of the West Australian key defender, believes him to be the best prospect to come out of the state in over a decade.
If Curtin gets through North Melbourne at picks two and three, Hasleby believes the Eagles should attempt to trade their future first and get back into the top of the draft.
“Many, including his manager, think Curtin could be the best of all of them. Why don’t West Coast have a crack at both players (Reid and Curtin),” Hasleby told SEN WA’s The Run Home.
“You take pick number one and you choose Harley Reid. You lock him in.
“Then through live trading, you wait to see what happens. Curtin in draft boards around the place seems to fall outside the top five.
“Now, I’ve often thought North Melbourne has to take him. They need a centre half back and he’s the best in the draft.
“Jed Walter will be pick number two. Essentially North will have three and four. If he gets through the Roos, then you strike. Go in.”
Hasleby believes it will be tough to prise pick four out of Hawthorn, but feels Melbourne, the Bulldogs, GWS and Geelong could all be swayed.
“Pick four is Hawthorn, they’re in a rebuild, they need to use that pick. I don’t think they’re going to trade that,” he added.
“Then it’s the Bulldogs at five. You could argue they need Curtin as well. They could use another key defender if you look at their list that’s their weakness.
“Then it’s Melbourne at six. With the Luke Jackson scenario, would they be gun shy to select Curtin?
“But if it gets to GWS or Geelong at seven and eight. GWS I believe are a contender for the premiership next year. We’ve heard the Cats are open to trading pick eight. The Cats are in a bit of a lull. It could go well next year or it could go pear shaped.
“How about this? What if West Coast went to GWS or Geelong and offered their future first? I think only optimistic West Coast fans would have them climbing the ladder next year.
“You’d be banking on them getting the wooden spoon again. If you were Geelong and you’re entering 2024 with West Coast’s first pick … and maybe pick 23 this year, which will get pushed back a bit to about 27.
“So they still get a good player and set themselves for next year.
“If you’re West Coast, you get two elite talents in and you fast track it, bringing one in a year in advance.
“I think West Coast needs to invest early in a key position player – they have Tom Barrass, Jeremy McGovern, Oscar Allen up forward – outside of that they don’t have much.
“They’ve got Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett, plus Harley Reid, that is the nucleus right there. I think you just get it done this year and be aggressive.”
AFL Draft guru Cal Twomey has Curtin ranked sixth on his draft board, with Hasleby’s co-host Damian Martin believing there to be a gap between how the Claremont prospect is rated inside of West Australia and outside.