West Coast star Harley Reid clips David Mundy over Derby votes
As a current AFL captain tipped Harley Reid for enormous honours, the young Eagle couldn’t resist a cheeky dig at a Freo favourite.
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Harley Reid isn’t just walking the walk, the teenage phenom is quickly showing he can also talk the talk.
The 19-year-old is the toast of the AFL world after his sensational performance in West Coast’s upset victory over Fremantle in the Western Derby on Sunday.
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An Eagles side that won a combined five games over the past two seasons has suddenly claimed two straight victories, following last week’s triumph over Richmond, to roar back into the footy landscape’s consciousness.
The key factor has been Reid, who has been linked with a huge contract extension and had 27 disposals against the Tigers to claim a Rising Star nomination.
The No. 1 draft pick backed that up with 19 touches and three key goals against the Dockers.
While he was quiet at times against Freo, failing to touch the ball in the first 23 minutes of the opening quarter, his impact on the match was undeniable.
He took a huge grab in the goalsquare, which you can see in the video player above, and kicked two goals to end that first term.
Reid finished that match with 19 touches, three goals and seven clearances.
So there was some surprise when he didn’t claim the Glendinning-Allan Medal for best on ground in the Derby.
That went to Elliot Yeo for his 26 possessions and six clearances.
Among the judges in a 3-2-1 system, journalist Mitchell Woodcock had Yeo first and Reid second, while former Eagle Andrew Embley had Reid first and Yeo in third, behind Jake Waterman.
It all came down to ex-Docker David Mundy, a former All Australian who holds the Fremantle games record with 376.
The 38-year-old, who retired in 2022, only listed Reid third behind Yeo and Waterman as Reid finished second by one vote.
And it wasn’t missed by the young star on 6PR Radio.
“I don’t think Mundy likes me, giving me the one,” Reid said cheekily, in a moment that cracked up the radio hosts.
“He’s given you a little clip on the way out,” one of them said to Mundy.
Mundy fired back in jest: “Well if he could touch the ball in the first 10 minutes, I might have given him two.”
Fans also jumped into the debate on X, formerly Twitter.
“Why did Mundy rob Harley of the medal?” was one comment.
“Wait … Harley Reid didn’t win the medal?” asked another.
“Mundy gave him only 1 vote, was he actually watching the game?” a fan replied.
“I don’t know how great (Mundy’s) point is that he didn’t touch the footy in the first 10 mins when he kicked 2 of the teams 4 goals in the first quarter,” wrote another.
The lighthearted moment came as the hype around Reid grows to enormous levels.
Melbourne skipper Max Gawn has already tipped him for huge success.
“I’m all in,” he said on Triple M’s Marty Sheargold Show. “I am right on this wagon.
“In like 4-5 years, I’m going to be over him, I daresay, because I reckon he’ll probably have two Brownlows (Medals) by then.
“But right now … I turned off the Brisbane game (against Geelong) with two finals contenders to watch the Derby with West Coast and it was enthralling.
“I was on the edge of my seat watching Harley Reid.”
Reid also wasn’t considered best on ground according to the weekly AFL Coaches’ Association votes.
Yeo and Waterman tied with nine out of a possible 10 votes in the award’s 5-4-3-2-1 system, while Reid received five votes.
Individual votes aren’t revealed, but it means one coach gave him two votes and the other three.
Originally published as West Coast star Harley Reid clips David Mundy over Derby votes
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