Media Street: Peter Sumich quits The West Australian after being stopped from publishing Harley Reid column

A WA footy legend has quit his regular newspaper gig and hit out at the state’s obsession with Harley Reid after being stopped from publishing a column criticising the No.1 draft pick.

West Coast champion Peter Sumich has quit his weekly newspaper column after they refused to publish an article criticising boom recruit Harley Reid.

Sumich has been writing for the West Australian for 18 months with the paper promoting him as not holding back and offering an “insightful, no-holds-barred perspective” on all footy matters.

It turns out the two-time premiership spearhead went too hard on the Eagles new golden boy who has been the newspaper’s obsession since he arrived in Perth in December.

“I’m not writing for the West anymore,” Sumich told Media Street.

“I had a bit of a run-in with them. I wanted to put this article in and they reckon I was too harsh.

“It was on Harley Reid, I gave the kid a pump-up and said he is going to be a good player but everyone is carrying on like he’s going to be Chris Judd.

“I put down, he is no Chris Judd. I was there when Chris Judd was there and what I saw of Chris Judd in his first two or three years, this kid doesn’t even compare to Chris Judd so I don’t know why people are carrying on.

“The kid is going to be a good player, don’t get me wrong, but you are no Chris Judd mate.”

Peter Sumich has quit his role writing for the West Australian. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Media

Sumich said WA media’s obsession with Reid had been over the top. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

Sumich revealed part of the article focussed on Reid’s body saying he used the term “puppy fat” when describing the No.1 draft pick’s conditioning.

“I said he has got a little bit of puppy fat and he needs to tidy up this and that but that was it,” he said. “Other than that I pumped the kid up, there wasn’t anything disastrous or bad.”

The former Eagles assistant coach said the hype around Reid was over the top.

“He has been here since December or so, let’s say 50 days and I reckon he has been in the paper for 40 of those 50 days.

“And on the back page probably 20 of them . . . seriously c’mon where is WA football going? It’s not a good sign.”

Sumich, who kicked a club record 514 goals from 150 games with the Eagles from 1989-1997, said he feared for his old side’s fortunes in 2024.

“I love the club and I want them to do well but at the moment it is really a basket-case and there is no light at the end of the tunnel on what I saw on Saturday night (against Fremantle),” he said.

“If anyone can tell me any different, well, please. Fremantle are going to be OK, I don’t think they are a top six side yet they put West Coast to the sword without even trying.”

Originally published as Media Street: Peter Sumich quits The West Australian after being stopped from publishing Harley Reid column