Tim Watson labels Harley Reid childish and unprofessional after copping 13th fine from AFL

An AFL great has launched a stinging attack on the former No.1 pick’s on-field behaviour after another fine for a player who has given away the most free kicks in 2025.

AFL great Tim Watson has lashed out at West Coast young gun Harley Reid, labelling his on-field behaviour “childish” as well as unprofessional and demanded club leaders reel him in after copping a 13th fine in his brief 37-game career.

No player in the AFL has conceded more free kicks in 2025 than the brash former No.1 pick amid suggestions his behaviour is going unchecked at the battling Eagles.

Reid, 20, and in just his second season, copped a $6250 fine for tripping Port Adelaide’s Travis Boak during the third quarter of Sunday’s loss during which the rising star had a running battle with fellow former No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis and gave away six free kicks.

The fine was the largest fine available to the match review officer and took the total Reid has been fined to $26,250, including $15,000 this season.

Harley Reid (right) has been an on-field antagonist all season. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Watson, who made his AFL debut as a 15-year-old in 1977, lashed Reid’s behaviour and said there shouldn’t be an out clause because of his age.

“As a young man we’ve been a little bit gentle on him and his behaviours out there on the field,” Watson said.

“He’s now given away more free kicks than any other player in the game.

“I think it’s time to deliver some hard truths to Harley Reid, and I don’t know whether or not they’ve gone softly because they’re fearful that he’s going to turn around and want to go home or whatever it might be.

“But I think his behaviours are childish, and they’re unprofessional, and they’re undisciplined.

“It appears like there’s been this soft touch that’s been applied to him. I just don’t think that you can tolerate the way that he behaves on the footy field any longer.

“Who else in the game is behaving like that as a 20-year-old. You name one player that’s behaving like Harley Reid, is behaving regularly on the football field in the game right now.

“So why do we tolerate it? We’re like, ‘Oh, he’s young’. Every guy that steps into the game is young, they’re 18 or 19-year-olds.

“I’m understanding of young people making mistakes, but this is just a pattern of behaviour now that hasn’t been modified, hasn’t been controlled, and is still hurting his team.”

Reid has given away more free kicks than anyone. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Watson questioned the quality of the Eagles’ leadership under first-year coach Andrew McQualter and whether Reid was getting away with his behaviour because club officials feared he would leave.

“The behaviours that you walk past are the behaviours you accept in any form of life,” Watson told SEN.

“Do you think that every other player that’s playing there at the West Coast Eagles at the moment aren’t looking at him sideways and thinking, ‘Hang on a minute, how come this bloke gets away with it? How come we tolerate this? The coach is telling us all this and all of a sudden we’ve got this other guy here and different rules apply to him’.

“It’s ugly behaviours that he’s displaying out there on the football field, and I think it’s hurting him and it’s hurting the West Coast Eagles as they try to build a young team too.”

Originally published as Tim Watson labels Harley Reid childish and unprofessional after copping 13th fine from AFL