West Coast fans deliver middle finger salute for Harley Reid
Harley Reid found himself in the spotlight with the AFL this week and Eagles fans took their chance to deliver a protest on Sunday.
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West Coast Eagles fans showed they’ve got Harley Reid’s back with a telling protest on Sunday.
Reid found himself in the spotlight all week after being hit with a $1000 fine from the AFL after being caught flipping the bird to a fan.
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The 19-year-old was hit with a please explain from league headquarters before being struck with the financial sanction.
It led Eagles fans to hit back at the AFL and show their support for the club’s young superstar during Sunday’s Derby against the Fremantle Dockers.
Former Eagle Hamish Brayshaw encouraged the fans to raise their middle fingers at the nine minute mark of the first quarter.
As the game clock hit the nine minute mark an almighty cheer broke out around Optus Stadium as countless middle fingers were raised to the sky.
Fans in the stand weren’t alone in delivering a cheeky salute to the 2023 number one draft pick, with Puma getting in on the act.
Delivering their announcement they’d signed Reid for a further six years, the brand declared “we’ve got your back” while posting a video of two hands counting to six with the right hand being a solitary middle finger.
Things didn’t go according to plan for Reid and the Eagles on Sunday as the Dockers proved far too strong to claim the 15.16 (106) to 10.8 (68) victory.
Reid finished the contest with 15 disposals and one goal, but again found himself in the spotlight after a fourth quarter incident.
After launching the ball deep inside the forward 50, Reid took aim at Fremantle’s Caleb Serong and shoved him to the ground and ignited a bit of a scrap.
Former Eagles coach Adam Simpson and Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich dissected the incident, saying it was something Reid had to remove from his game.
“I’m not quite sure if this is necessary. This is the stuff that is discussed throughout the week,” Simpson said on Fox Footy.
“There’s no need to do that.”
Pavlich added: “I don’t know why he does it, I really don’t know why he does it.
“19 year old still learning the game, but he’s still got a lot to learn.”
Simpson then went into detail over the acts and how the club tried to approach them with the youngster during his first season.
“You speak to Harley about this and we have last year and this year no doubt,” Simpson said.
“It’s just going to take a while to break it. It’s in him.
“He’s trying to listen but competitive instinct … the eyes go into rage mode. There’ll be a time when it’s totally unacceptable but right now he’s trying to get better and I think for the most part today has been pretty good.
“But one or two things pop up that doesn’t go his way and he can’t help himself … he’s working on it.
“Unfortunately it’s the good with the bad. I think he’s been a bully all his life.”
Originally published as West Coast fans deliver middle finger salute for Harley Reid
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