Western Australian AFL Draft prospect Cody Curtin is emerging as a player with tremendous upside, standing at two metres tall with an ability to feature at either end of the field.
The big-bodied utility has enjoyed a strong start to his draft year, booting eight goals in a pre-season game before a haul of five in his season opener for Claremont's Colts.
The positive signs in attack follow a bottom-age campaign mostly spent in defence, with Curtin positioned in the backline for WA's U18s side before showing signs up forward with a pair of six-goal outings in the Tigers' run to a premiership.
Curtin featured in both AFL Academy games this April, taking on Richmond's VFL side and Coburg, spending time at both ends of the ground to further prove his elasticity as a key position prospect.
Rooming with Swans Academy talent Noah Chamberlain and Gold Coast-tied teenager Beau Addinsall, Curtin enjoyed being part of the melting pot of prospects from across the country in his time with the AFL Academy.
In an interview with Zero Hanger's Craft of the Draft, Curtin said he took plenty away from the experiences of gelling with this year's draft class and coming up against senior opposition.
"It was the first time I've played a game against senior players. I trained with Claremont seniors in the pre-season, but aside from an intra-club I've never played against them," Curtin said.
"It was definitely a new test, with the physicality going up a lot, and definitely as a key position player it's a lot harder to play against those bigger bodies.
"I adapted pretty nicely. I struggled a bit in the first game, but I think found my feet a bit in the second half (against Coburg) by going forward. It's been good.
"I can definitely take a lot of things away from working on both sides, starting out back in both the games, and just playing alongside a few of the other boys. I'm learning lots and the trainings are so oriented around the skills you need to be using for that position."
Through the AFL Academy pathways program, Curtin and fellow Western Australian talent Fred Rodriguez were afforded the chance to train with Fremantle over the summer.
Looking to hone his forward craft after a year of promise with Claremont at the Colts level, Curtin picked the brain of breakout Dockers tall Josh Treacy, learning from one of the AFL's premier key forwards.
WA coach Marc Webb also had Curtin studying the game of GWS stopper and Sandgroper Sam Taylor in his bottom-age year, with the teenager looking to mimic the best in the land.
"In the pre-season I was working a lot on my forward craft," he said.
"Getting to train with Freo I was watching Josh Treacy - just a real competitor in the air. So being able to take a few notes out of his book and seeing how he moves definitely has helped my competitiveness in the air,"
"Early last year when I was adjusting to all the (defensive) positional stuff, I was getting to work with 'Webby' on a lot of vision and he wanted me watching Sam Taylor. So getting to learn off who I'd say is the best defender in the AFL.
"Watching his patterns definitely just helped me to know exactly where I need to be, where I need to go."
Always looking to improve, Curtin has found avenues to better his defensive game when positioned in the forward 50, and vice versa, with a chance match-up against Richmond swingman Noah Balta in the opening AFL Academy game an opportunity for the 200cm talent to study the Tiger's commanding presence on the last line.
Curtin's defensive stint against Coburg saw him positioned on ex-St Kilda forward Matt Allison, while matchups with some of last year's best forwards in Vic Country's Jack Whitlock and South Australian Charlie Nicholls have also added to his development.
"I've learnt a lot of things. Some key takeaways from last week, playing backline that I can bring (to my forward craft) and playing forward I can bring into my back craft," Curtin said on Sunday.
"I matched up on Noah Balta and he was just talking the whole time. He was giving good cues to all of his players that I took into the (Coburg) game with my communication.
"Then matching up in champs last year on some good key forwards definitely helped my full craft in the back end of the year."
Arguably the best mentor for Curtin has been his older brother Dan, who was drafted to Adelaide with Pick 8 in 2023. Noted as one of the most talented and versatile prospects to come out of WA for some time, the Crows youngster has always been a source for Cody to improve.
Whether it be studying Dan's role at the elite level, or the competitive relationship the two brothers had growing up, Cody doesn't have to look far for a fitting role model.
"I can definitely take a lot away from him and what he does, especially with how he's moved from backline to forward, going onto the wing and then even a bit of ruck on the weekend," Cody said of his older brother.
"He's just all over the place. He definitely helps.
"It's where I get all of my competitiveness from. With me and him, everything was a competition. We'd go down to the park and shoot the basketball, then nearly be throwing hands by the end of it."
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After appearing in all four games for Western Australia at the U18s National Championships as a bottom-ager, Curtin will step into a more senior role in 2025 as one of WA's top names.
The versatile key position talent will look to partner with Claremont teammate Charlie Banfield when playing forward, with the duo among 10 Tigers players named in the extended WA squad.
Having come close to an AFL Academy spot, Banfield - the son of West Coast champion Drew - has been touted as one to keep an eye on out of WA in 2025.
"I reckon Charlie Banfield (will be one to watch)," Curtin said.
"He was pretty close to making (the AFL Academy), but I reckon he's right on the verge of having a fair few good breakout games at the champs.
"He's gonna do really well."
Western Australia's carnival gets underway against Vic Country on June 7.
