SANDRINGHAM Dragons midfielder Murphy Reid is our Coates Talent League Player of the Week for Round 12, winning from a tough field for his exploits in Saturday’s 20-point win over Calder. The bottom-ager notched 30 disposals, eight tackles, and three goals to take out this week’s honours.

A tidy and evasive onballer, Reid was best afield in his side’s come-from-behind victory as his third and final major all but sealed the result. At that point, the Dragons led by eight points with under four minutes left on the clock, having trailed by as many as 28 points nearly halfway through term three.

Reid is among the array of 2006-born midfielders in Vic Metro’s Under 18 squad this year, but is biding his time at Talent League level until an opportunity arises. He has also been in strong form in the APS football competition for Caulfield Grammar.

Competition was stiff in Round 12, with a bunch of prospects in Reid’s age category going big. Oakleigh’s Jagga Smith was hard to look past after amassing 37 disposals in a win over Western, while Dandenong’s Cooper Hynes came to life with 22 touches and five goals against Gippsland.

In the same game as Hynes, teammate Sam Frangalas and opponent Tom Hanily racked up 35 disposals apiece – hauls only eclipsed by Smith. Tasmania skipper Tom Beaumont also threw his hat in the ring with a bag of five goals, as Northern ruck Flynn Riley nabbed two to go with a whopping 49 hitouts.

Reid becomes just the second bottom-ager to earn Player of the Week honours this season, after Zak Johnson did it in Round 8. He is also the first Sandringham Dragons product to do so, with only five home-and-away rounds left to play.

2023 COATES TALENT LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Round 1: Indhi Kirk (Swans Academy)
Round 2: Tom Anastasopoulos (Geelong Falcons)
Round 3: Nick Watson (Eastern Ranges)
Round 4: Joel Freijah (GWV Rebels)
Round 5: N/A
Round 6: Jed Walter (Suns Academy)
Round 7: Colby McKercher (Tasmania Devils)
Round 8: Zak Johnson (Northern Knights)
Round 9: Darcy Wilson (Murray Bushrangers)
Round 10: N/A
Round 11: Nate Caddy (Northern Knights)
Round 12: Murphy Reid (Sandringham Dragons)