‘Do it’: Harley Reid set for eye-watering $2m payday amid medal robbery

Harley Reid is set for a mega pay rise. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Harley Reid is set for a massive pay rise after almost singlehandedly turning West Coast around with a blistering start to his career.

Harley Reid has only played six AFL games but he’s been so impressive West Coast will likely pay him more than $1 million per season in his next contract.

The No. 1 draft pick has somehow lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations in the early rounds — kicking goals, taking speckies and bursting out of packs with Dustin Martin-esque fends.

The addition of Reid, to go with a healthy midfield featuring Tim Kelly and Elliot Yeo in form, has helped the Eagles secure back to back wins and rise to 14th on the ladder.

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Reid kicked three goals and had 19 disposals in West Coast’s upset 37-point win in the derby over Fremantle on Saturday.

His immediate impact on the team has prompted speculation the 19-year-old could become a million dollar player sooner than expected on his next deal.

Reid is set for a massive pay rise after his current rookie contract expires at the end of 2026.

West Coast can reach an agreement to extend his tenure at the club from now, but a million dollar pay deal wouldn’t kick in until the start of his fourth season in 2027.

First round draftees sign compulsory three-year deals but from Round 6 they can re-sign beyond that period.

According to the Herald Sun, Reid will this season play for $130,000 in his base contract, $4000 per match, plus receive incentives for awards such as Rising Star ($20,000), All-Australian squad ($20,000) and top-three best and fairest ($30,000).

“I’m told the market will dictate value in excess of $1 million a year for Reid,” Seven’s Perth based AFL reporter Ryan Daniels wrote on X.

Harley Reid is set for a massive pay rise. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I don’t think that since Chris Judd that somebody has had such an impact so early,” former AFL player Nathan Brown said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

“We heard he was a once-in-a-generation player and we’re seeing that in front of our eyes. They needed a leader to get behind.

“Who would have thought that a young man coming in, in his first season, could be that for a whole state of football?

“I reckon it started against Sydney, when he tugged his jumper kicking a goal … They said, ‘We want to go with you’,”

Kane Cornes said: “He is special. The amount of media coverage he had before he even played a game, to be able to cope with that and … the ability to really bring everyone along with him.”

Harley Reid takes a specky against Freo. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Reid was unlucky not to win the Ross Glendinning Medal in Saturday’s win over the Dockers.

He was overlooked for Yeo and took a cheeky dig at Fremantle legend David Mundy for only giving him one vote.

“I don’t think Mundy likes me, giving me one,” Reid joked post-game on 6PR radio.

“Well if he could touch the ball in the first 10 minutes I might give him some more,” Mundy replied in jest.

West Coast could offer Reid an inflated deal worth up to $2 million per year that would guarantee he stays at the Eagles until he hits free agency.

Collingwood’s Nick Daicos signed a rejigged deal last year that keeps him at the Magpies until the end of 2029.

AFL legend Leigh Matthews told Nine’s Footy Furnace: “There might be a $2 million player in the next five years when the salary cap goes up a little bit.

“I wasn’t thinking about Harley Reid at the time but when you talk about the circumstances and what he’s done in his first month, if you could tie him up from his twenties to his thirties — I think you do it.

“If it costs that kind of money, maybe you have to bite the bullet.”

Jimmy Bartel disagreed, saying: “Two million dollars, I think it’s a touch too far.
“Because you want to be saying to Harley Reid, we’ll put a one in front of it. It’ll be maybe mid 1s or $1.2 (million) and we’ll incentivise it so if there’s Brownlows and best and fairests, you can get further.

“But you also want to be saying to him, ‘If you take the lot, we can’t surround yourself with other stars to make you even better’. You want other players to capitalise on his good form.”

The teenager has turned West Coast from hopeless to competitive. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Reid said he “can’t be any happier” with how the early stages of his AFL career are progressing.

“We tried to build off last week with our momentum,” Reid told Fox Footy.

“Today our first half was pretty extraordinary.

“To take the win is pretty cool.”

“We love what Harley’s doing and our internal expectations are not what he’s producing — they (the performances) are a lot higher,” coach Adam Simpson said.

“They’re probably just meeting expectations publicly. So I’m really cautious to not overplay it, because he’s 19. It’s hard to sustain that coming into the AFL.

“While he keeps doing it. I think we should all enjoy it, but let’s not get too worried if he has an off day.

“Today he kicked three and really energised the crowd and the players, but we’re not expecting that every week.”

New Eagles CEO Don Pyke said the club was conscious of the importance of locking down Reid long-term.

“We’re aware of the timeline and we’re aware it’s Round 6 so we’re not sitting on our hands, put it that way,” Pyke told Triple M.

“We’d clearly like to get him for as long as we possibly could, we think he’s going to be an important part of what we’re doing going forward.”

West Coast are now 2-4 after six games and next play the Gold Coast Suns on Sunday.