Motormouth Mitch: Wayalup (Fremantle) young gun Murphy Reid should win top award, Michael Voss in trouble

From the Walyalup (Fremantle) star who should be a shoo-in to win a top award to the young Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) midfielder who needs a big few weeks, football reporter Mitchell Woodcock takes a no-holds-barred look at the week in footy. Reid Race Over It’s done. Hand the Ron Evans Medal for the 2025 Rising Star to Murphy Reid. The young Walyalup (Fremantle) forward has taken to AFL football like a veteran. I’ll put my hand up and say I was wrong. I was concerned he was looking a bit tired and might have needed a rest leading into the clash against Yartapuulti (Port Adelaide). Reid made me and the Power defenders look foolish, playing on a wet Optus Stadium like it was a dry day in May to kick four goals from 18 disposals. It was his best performance so far of his short career which is saying something. The 18-year-old has kicked an incredible 14 goals in 11 games and looks like every week that goes on he is getting more confident in his abilities. Reid will eventually find himself in the midfield, but for now he is a classy addition to an electric and exciting forward line. Walyalup list boss David Walls deserves a lot of credit. Nabbing Murphy at pick No.17 last year was an absolute steal. Coach Justin Longmuir deserves a pat on the back for not rushing Reid into the midfield and instead easing him into the side as a forward to ensure he gets used to the pace of the game. There are going to plenty of youngsters in contention including Melbourne’s Harvey Langford and Brisbane father-son Levi Ashcroft. But none have had the impact on their side like Reid and should be declared the best youngster of 2025. Eagle at a crossroads Campbell Chesser is arguably the most mysterious player on Waalitj Marawar’s (West Coast’s) list. The midfielder is set to make a return from another bout of ankle surgery this week in what looms as a big month to six weeks for the 22-year-old. Chesser’s body has sadly let him down since he was drafted with pick No.14 in 2021. An ankle injury cost him his entire first season. And injury and form have restricted him to 32 games in the following two seasons. And this year we’re yet to see him at the AFL level again because of injury and he is in desperate need of some games given he is out of contract at the end of the season. Chesser is talented, there is no doubt. Before his untimely but serious ankle injury in his first pre-season the midfielder was set for an early season debut in 2022. A mix of the Eagles’ struggles as a side and the stalled development of Chesser with injuries means we are unsure as to what the Victorian is as an AFL footballer. There is a school of thought that he is a hard-running wingman. Some believe he is a line-breaking midfielder. We’re not going to find out what exactly he is straight away as he returns from injury. The first step for Chesser is likely to be limited minutes for the Eagles’ WAFL side against Swan Districts. But within the next four weeks the Eagles list management team would like a better idea of where he sits in their future plans. Based on talent the Eagles should hand him a contract extension and keep the belief. Given the injury troubles of their players over the past few seasons there is a genuine understanding as to why they may be waiting on handing him a fresh deal. It’s why the next four weeks loom as crucial for the young man – rightly or wrongly. Fingers crossed the young man gets a good run at it and shows why he was so highly touted only a few years ago. Mid-season Draft Myth There are still some who question the validity of the mid-season rookie draft which will be held this weekend. Those people are simply ignoring the facts because they’re just stuck in the past. There is no doubt it hurts the state league teams. It is an unfortunate casualty of AFL clubs looking to build their list. But to say the draft cannot impact a club’s fortunes is misinformed. Gold Coast running half back John Noble and Hawthorn star midfielder Jai Newcombe are the best examples of success stories from the controversial draft. And the list is growing. Ned Long could be a pivotal part of Collingwood’s second premiership in three seasons after being picked up last season. West Coast have two regulars in Ryan Maric and Jack Hutchinson who were taken out of nowhere despite not being on the radar of clubs months before they were drafted. Hutchinson only joined the club a year ago and is already tied down until 2029, showing just how highly they rate the young man who was playing country football only 18 months before he was taken. And this year there are some genuine gems waiting in the wings to be taken. The Magpies could add a West Australian talent in Josh Browne who is finally emerging as a talented midfielder after a few years both in the WAFL and VFL. In the WAFL, there is Michael Sellwood who at 21 looks like he could slot into an AFL team and be ready to go. If a club doesn’t think the mid-season draft is worth their while, then they are falling behind what the best are doing. The Eagles hold a bit of gold with the No.1 pick this weekend and they could find another diamond in the rough like a Maric or Hutchinson. For West Coast, it could be a crucial move in the rebuild. Let’s see what happens on Wednesday and beyond. Will Voss Still Be Boss? Carlton seemingly cannot play finals, and they might be about to blow a list that should be playing in grand finals. They should’ve beaten an injury-hit and out-of-form Greater Western Sydney on Saturday, and they didn’t look like it at all. And it has left them with only four wins from 11 games and Michael Voss in serious trouble as coach. A team with a dual Brownlow medallist in Patrick Cripps in their prime, two Coleman medallists, one of the best key defenders in the competition and a lot of talent around them shouldn’t be missing September. Voss needs to find a way in the next month to get this team back into contention because if he doesn’t there will be the wolves at the door. Tasmania’s pursuit of a coach is going to put pressure on teams who are unsure about their leaders to make a call. Adam Simpson, John Longmire and Nathan Buckley are just some of the coaches who are seemingly waiting in the wings. Simon Goodwin seems safe for now at Melbourne, the same for Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne, but the footy landscape can change quickly, and pressure could come on them as well. Voss has never faced a bigger challenge as coach, and it is almost certain that he won’t get a third shot if this one doesn’t work out. It’s now or never for one of the modern-day great players to save his job. It’s a big watch.