Sad family admission leaves AFL concerned for Harley Reid
AFL phenom Harley Reid has revealed the private sadness behind his controversial family act that was branded “ridiculous”.
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West Coast phenom Harley Reid has admitted private sadness surrounding his family was the reason behind his controversial break last month.
The 19-year-old has taken the football wold by storm in his rookie season with the Eagles and has emerged as one of the most exciting talents the AFL has known in recent years.
Rumours about Reid’s future swirled well before he was even drafted by the Eagles straight out of high school — and his refreshingly honest comments over the weekend have left some footy fans concerned.
The No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, Reid featured in all six of the Eagles’ first games of the season, but was a shock omission from the team’s loss to the Suns on the Gold Coast when he was given permission to take a break.
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Instead of travelling with the team, Reid headed home to Tongala in northern Victoria to see his family.
West Coast football manager Gavin Bell said last month the club’s decision to let Reid take time off was prompted by a need to help the teenager “manage his body and energy levels”.
Bell also added “family reasons” were behind the move.
Reid has now revealed how serious that family issue was, admitting to struggling with the lifestyle of living on the opposite side of the country to the rest of his family.
Speaking on radio after his starring performance in West Coast’s surprise win over the Demons on Sunday, Reid said his recent birthday on April 17 had been his “worst birthday” while being unable to celebrate with his family.
“In April there’s three of our birthdays,” he told the ABC about his family.
“I missed my sister’s, and mine too — I got to spend that on my own. It was probably the worst birthday.”
Reid’s trip home in the middle of the season was publicly criticised by several greats of the game, but he insisted it was the right thing to do.
“It was good to get back and I felt like I needed to see the family,” Reid said.
“It was good to connect back there with them. Sometimes on your day off you’d love to drive around and see your family but obviously you can’t, so it was good to get a weekend home and see the family.
“I’m 19, I’ve never moved out of home, so I don’t know any different without my parents around and my family.”
Kane Cornes and Paul Roos were among those to question the Eagles’ decision to give Reid special treatment in his first season.
His mini-break was seen by some to be a major development as rumours continue to swirl about a potential return to Victoria in the future.
Reid has on several occasions gone out of his way to shut down suggestions he will look to be traded back to a Melbourne club, but there has already been public speculation some rival clubs have been preparing salary cap space to make a play for Reid in the future.
Reid’s standard AFL rookie contract with the Eagles expires at the end of the 2026 season and his management has already been meeting with Eagles officials about a long-term contract extension, according to reports.
Roos said recently the Eagles’ decision to grant Reid a mid-season break could have far-reaching consequences.
The Swans premiership-winning coach said it was “ridiculous” that Reid travelled to the other side of the country when he was supposed to be trying to rest his body.
“I understand giving him the weekend off, but what I’m saying is, the reason that it becomes tiring for West Coast and Freo is the flights,” Roos told the ABC early in May.
“If he’s not fit to play, why is he OK to fly back and see his family? We can only assume that was a part of the deal of the recruiting. He’s a No.1 draft pick so you’re going to bend over.
“I don’t understand it because he’s an AFL player getting paid to play AFL football and his team is playing.”
Roos went to on to say: “But I understand that if you want to keep the No.1 draft pick (at the club) and you’re strategising so he can to back and see his family.
“We shouldn’t be talking about it because he should be playing, and 20-30 years ago he would be playing. But now, we’ve got this ridiculous complexity around free agency.
“Let’s not forget what happened with Jason Horne-Francis. He played one year at the North Melbourne Football Club and got traded, so the players have all the power now.”
Roos warned the Eagles the club is in danger of dropping its standards across the board if Reid is given special allowances.
“It’s not a great look for the West Coast Eagles, let’s be perfectly frank,” he said.
“If they lose him and sacrifice the standards at the footy club, then it’s a lose-lose. The standards of the football club should always override a player every single time.
“That’s not to say it’s not a part of the discussion with the leadership group, and the leadership group might’ve said it’s fine, but if you start dropping your standards, you stand for nothing.”
Reid is on track to break AFL records this season and set tongues wagging after lifting the Eagles to their win over the Demons.
Reid inspired his side with a sensational individual goal in the first quarter that had footy fans in awe. That goal has received a nomination for goal of the year.
The No. 1 draft pick scooped up the ball from a centre bounce, and sprinted away from Demons star Christian Petracca towards goal, taking three bounces before nailing the goal on the run as he passed the 50m arc.
He brutally fended off Dees midfielders Petracca and Clayton Oliver in another passage of play, showing his brute strength that is already his trademark that has earned comparisons to Dustin Martin.
Oliver could only shake his head in disbelief as he went to shake Reid’s hand after the game.
Reid leads the AFL this year for broken tackles with 29 in nine games. Sydney’s Chad Warner is the next best with 25 broken tackles.
Triple M stats guru Ethan Meldrum pointed out Martin smashed the record for broken tackles with 83 in 2017, the year he won the Brownlow Medal.
At the same stage of the season, Reid is remarkably ahead of where Martin was in the broken tackles statistical category and on track to break the Richmond champion’s mark.
Originally published as Sad family admission leaves AFL concerned for Harley Reid
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