By Aaron Cordy
NEVER has an 11-game AFL career held more talk, hype and controversy than that of former Tongala local Harley Reid. The country kid set the AFL world alight with ‘Harley Reid Mania,’ especially in Western Australia where he plays for the Eagles.
Harley was already a fixture in AFL circles in 2023 when he was long touted as the best kid in the 2023 AFL draft by a country mile, which only grew after North Melbourne won a game late in the season and saw themselves off the bottom of the ladder and losing pick one. The debate of whether West Coast should pick Harley or trade the pick to another club raged, and the suiters lined up.
West Coast held firm selecting Harley as the obvious number one and boy has he repaid the faith. Leading AFL great Matthew Lloyd to claim he has ‘made West Coast relevant again.’
Harley debuted in round one, but his breakout game came in round four against Sydney when he collected 18 disposals and kicked his first goal. Celebrating with a jumper pull to show fans he was committed to the club.
The following week he was nominated for the Rising Star Award and has averaged 17.8 disposals for his 11 games while kicking eight goals. Not since Ben Cousins has another player spent more time on the front and back pages of the West Australian newspaper.
The bull-like nature that Harley plays has been a standout for the 19-year-old. With his fend-offs and his aggressive tackling rarely seen by someone so new to the game. But it’s that aggressive nature that also cost him the chance at winning the Rising Star Award and earned him a two-week suspension. And led for calls to change the rule of the award as Harley’s act would not have been an issue in the AFL two years ago.
Award winner or not Harley Reid has more than lived up to the hype and is going to be one of the greats of the game. All eyes will be on him when he is free to play in round 16.
