Carlton fans could get a glimpse of Harley Reid repping the navy blue this year, with the highly-talented teenager a chance to feature for the Blues' VFL side in 2023.
Reid, seen as the clear contender to be picked atop this year's draft board, has only added to a dominant 2022 under-age campaign with the Bendigo Pioneers this season, averaging 22.3 possessions, 4.3 marks, 4.0 tackles and 1.7 goals per game from his three appearances so far in the Coates Talent League.
The 18-year-old was also a standout for the AFL Academy in South Australia over the weekend, showing his pedigree as an explosive and hard-nosed talent against Port Adelaide's SANFL side at Mt Barker Oval on Saturday.
The Tongala native trained with Essendon across the pre-season as part of the AFL Academy's experience program, which also saw top draft chances Nick Watson (Hawthorn), Zane Duursma (Melbourne), Ashton Moir (Adelaide), Kane McAuliffe (Adelaide), Koltyn Tholstrup (West Coast), Cooper Simpson (Melbourne) and Dan Curtin (Fremantle), among others, train with AFL clubs.
While Bombers fans would've been left salivating to see Reid don the red sash in January, Carlton will be the next club to get a close look at the likely No.1 pick.
According to News Corp, Reid is expected to feature for the Blues' reserves on a handful of occasions as he builds a promising draft campaign ahead of the 2023 count.
Drafts stars have looked toward the VFL as another avenue to prove their powers heading toward the draft, with last year's best onballer Will Ashcroft featuring in three games for the Lions, where he would average 29.3 disposals, 7.2 tackles and 5 clearances against experienced talent.
Watson, a top 10 draft chance for 2023, is another name expected to feature in the VFL sometime soon, with AFL.com.au reporting last month that the Eastern Ranges goalsneak may pull on a Box Hill jumper this season.
On top of the Coates Talent League, National Championships and AFL Academy commitments, the VFL offers a great challenge to draft hopefuls that are looking to strengthen their prospects and play against more mature bodies.
Both Reid and Watson could be in line for VFL debuts in the coming weeks, with both Bendigo and Eastern not scheduled to play until the weekend of May 20-21.