Adam Simpson flags potential Harley Reid-Nick Daicos showdown in Collingwood vs West Coast match

A superstar showdown between Harley Reid and Nick Daicos is on the cards this weekend. Plus, Adam Simpson has revealed how the Eagles will cope without Jake Waterman and Elliot Yeo.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – MAY 04: Harley Reid of the Eagles marks the ball during the round eight AFL match between West Coast Eagles and Essendon Bombers at Optus Stadium, on May 04, 2024, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Harley Reid might play on Nick Daicos at some stage when West Coast meets Collingwood at Marvel Stadium on Sunday — but the Eagles are not sure they will set a tag for the Magpie superstar, coach Adam Simpson has said.

The problem with tagging Daicos, he said, was that Daicos was smart enough to put himself in a position that might help the tagger keep him quiet but also helps Collingwood dominate overall — and you end up losing anyway.

After comments from media figure Kane Cornes during the week that Reid needed to improve his training standards to those of Daicos to be as good, Simpson doesn’t believe that Reid is the type of player that will go looking for a showdown with Daicos.

Harley Reid could be set for a showdown with Nick Daicos. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Adam Simpson says Nick Daicos is probably the best player in the AFL. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Daicos, who Simpson rated “probably” the best player in the competition at the moment, is still only in his third season of AFL football.

But Reid, as Simpson repeatedly points out — is still only 19.

“They might play on each other at stages. Harley is 19, Daicos is probably the best player in the competition. He is learning so much every week obviously playing alongside some of our established players but also every week going against the best. He will have some very good moments – he will keep growing,” Simpson said.

“He is a great kid, he will continue to get better as we go. As long as we don’t put any more pressure on him to be the best in the competition next week he should have a great career.”

Asked if he thought Reid would go in search of one on ones against Daicos Simpson said: ’

“I think he likes to play on the best but I don’t think he is desperate to prove himself. I think he wants to win and he wants to play with his mates. That hasn’t changed.”

Liam Ryan lays a tackle against Essendon. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

West Coast certainly need more than just Reid to step up for this clash with Collingwood after losing Jake Waterman (concussion) and Elliot Yeo (groin) in the run into the game

“We need some guys to step up. I think with Yeo and Jake – you look at our highlights this year and a lot of them have had those two in it,” Simpson said.”

“It is a chance for Liam Ryan to take another step forward in his rebuild. He is back from missing a year of football – we need him at his best. Ryan will play a role and Darling and Jack Williams has played a pretty good game on the weekend. We probably need them all to lift because Jake has been very good for us.”

Ryan was hitting the right levels at training to indicate that he is over two serious hamstring injuries physically, Simpson said.

The Eagles will be without Jake Waterman this weekend. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images

But after a year out it was taking longer for him to regain confidence.

“I think he is building. I think he is going how I expected him to,” he said.

“He was genuinely nervous during the week (before his first game back against Gold Coast in round seven) about his body a little bit still. I think the confidence is building every week. We haven’t really seen him fly for a mark yet have we? I think there are some things he is working through in terms of confidence but he went for a pretty big hanger at training yesterday so hopefully he can do that this week.”

“The WAFL games we played him at half back and he was hitting 32 or 33 km/h. We probably haven’t quite seen that agility, speed and flying for marks just yet but I am pretty patient. He has been out for a year with two pretty significant injuries so it is going to take some time.”

“A lot of our highlights have had Yeo to Waterman – it just has to be Dom Sheed to Ryan now or Harley to Jack Williams. They have just got to step up. Maybe we are at the moment a club that relies on our best to perform well. You want to be quite balanced across the board. It is foolish to think you can replace Yeo straight away but I think we have enough cattle there to carry the load across the board.”

Originally published as Adam Simpson flags potential Harley Reid-Nick Daicos showdown in Collingwood vs West Coast match