Harley Reid kicks goal of the year, on track to break untouchable AFL record
AFL No. 1 draft pick Harley Reid is on track to break an untouchable league record after he produced a goal of the year contender.
Harley Reid is on track to break an AFL record after he helped inspire another West Coast upset which featured a goal of the year contender from the Eagles rookie.
West Coast defeated Melbourne 16.9 (105) to 10.10 (70) on Sunday in a massive upset to record their third win of the year.
Eagles forward Jake Waterman kicked five goals to be one of four co-leaders in the Coleman Medal race.
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Reid inspired his side with a sensational individual goal in the first quarter that had footy fans in awe.
The No. 1 draft pick scooped up the ball from a centre bounce, and sprinted away from Demons star Christian Petracca towards goal.
After Adelaide’s Izak Rankine was pinged for running too far on Saturday, Reid made no mistake, taking three bounces before nailing the goal on the run as he passed the 50m arc.
Fox Footy’s Adam Papalia exclaimed in commentary: “Harley Reid gets to work, powering away with a couple of bounces. Harley Reid on full show. Unbelievable!”
Watch Harley Reid’s running goal in the video above
There may be goals from tighter angles, but Reid’s individual effort will take some beating for goal of the year.
Reid, who finished with two goals and 21 disposals, is the frontrunner for the AFL Rising Star award.
He brutally fended off Dees midfielders Petracca and Clayton Oliver in one 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.
AFL commentators were blown away by Reid’s goal and his immediate impact on West Coast’s midfield.
Journalist and broadcaster Daniel Garb wrote on X: “Harley Reid. Who does that in their ninth game?! He’s a cheat code.”
“As for Harley. We simply haven’t seen a player do things like this in their first year. I saw every second of Judd. Daicos too. They were extraordinary. But they did it on the outside. Not in the guts or the goal square.”
The Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson believes Reid is “the best performing first-year player of the modern era”.
“That’s better anyone you can name, be it Carey, Franklin, Ablett Jnr, Judd and Martin. It’s astonishing what he’s able to do.”
West Coast are one of four teams with three wins and while finals are a bridge too far, Reid has triggered a transformation at the Eagles, who are suddenly competitive after two dire seasons.
David King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack: “The will to win … it’s impossible to measure. This guy has it in spades.”
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