Tom Barrass’ wedding seating plan. Happy coincidence, or a shrewd bit of recruiting ground work?

That’s the question on the lips of the football world after The West Australian revealed West Coast sensation Harley Reid had been seated next to Hawthorn coach — and Barrass’ new boss — Sam Mitchell at his wedding in Cottesloe on Friday.

Reid’s contract is one of the biggest talking points in footy. He is the hottest young property in the sport and is yet to sign beyond his initial three-year deal with the Eagles.

The 19-year-old spent plenty of time back home during the off-season, but the Eagles and all 10 Victorian clubs are waiting to see if he wants to return home to good.

Mitchell landed some priceless time to get in Reid’s ear while they were together celebrating Barrass and his new wife Nadia.

A chance to sell the Hawks’ premiership dream, the Hokball mantra and life with Jack Ginnivan, Nick Watson, Will Day and friends.

And let me tell you, things like this can work.

When Suncorp Super Netball launched I was at a function where I was seated at the same table as Dame Noeline Taurua, who is the coach of the New Zealand national team.

Three new franchises were entering the competition and it had been announced that Taurua was going to be the coach of the Sunshine Coast Lightning team.

I had been playing at West Coast Fever for 12 years and was considering my options for the following season. Over lunch I got to sit and chat with the Kiwi coach properly for the first time.

Over a wine I learnt about her family and her transition from player to coach, it was a relaxed setting far removed from the pressure of a netball game and we discovered we had a lot in common.

A few months later I sat with her again, this time in Melbourne as she outlined the plans she for Lightning and where I would fit in on the team.

Our initial chat laid a foundation and I was certainly more open to listen to her plans given that we had already started to build a connection. I took a chance and played on the Sunshine Coast for two seasons where we won back-to-back titles.

Reid has some major decisions to make over the next two years, before his contract runs out at the end of the 2026 season.

West Coast will be throwing everything including the kitchen sink at the teen to keep him at the club, but the lure of family and friends is huge.

If he has similar offers from multiple clubs it may come down to where he feel connected.

Mitchell already has a good track record of recruiting. He played with Barrass in his one season at the Eagles and was an assistant coach during the 2018 premiership. He then travelled to Perth midway through last season as part of their sell to him at the Hawks.

He has also already got Josh Battle to jump ship from St Kilda.

It means West Coast have genuine reason to be considered by images of the pair sitting and smiling together, even if it turns out to be a coincidence.

This is not to say players and opposition coaches can’t socialise, but a smart coach knows that sometimes it’s the little things that can get a player over the line.