The Harley hype machine: Why West Coast’s one obligation to Reid is keeping him on the right path

Harley Reid is a precocious talent, whose debut season was played with power, speed and confidence. His fame shot to stratospheric heights in the Perth fishbowl.

Now, developing the No.1 pick into the elite on-baller he promises to be presents West Coast with a huge challenge under new coach Andrew McQualter.

Harley Reid returned to the Eagles for his second season hoping to build upon his outstanding debut campaign.Credit: Getty Images

The way they manage Reid’s development will define their rebuild, regardless of whether they keep him.

Reid’s start to his first full pre-season has been rocky. He returned in less-than-perfect shape after his first extended break for 10 months, and then was concussed in his first week back. He’ll be off his feet for a few sessions after calf soreness that left him on a modified program in the off-season flared.

Experienced heads understood Reid needed to mentally refresh in the off-season after performing exceptionally well in his first campaign under a brighter spotlight than any first-year player has been under in the game’s history.

Combine that with the tiredness that comes with constant travel, there was no doubt when he returned to his tight-knit, down-to-earth community that he would breathe out for a time. And he did.

But with all of that said, Reid is ahead of where he was this time last year when he rolled into town as a country footballer with elite talent.

New Eagles coach Andrew McQualter is a straight shooter and only expects Reid to play his role.Credit: Getty Images

Once his calf settles, most expect his competitive instinct will kick in to get the Harley wheels moving. No one doubts he will be prepared when the season starts.

But he has work to do in the first few weeks of the pre-season, reminding those in charge at the Eagles that the onballer still has many lessons to learn if he is to progress from a prodigiously talented teenager to a consistent star.

The challenge for the Eagles now is to mould him into the player he can become without concerning themselves about whether he extends beyond his initial three-year deal, as that will only complicate matters.

McQualter chose his words carefully when AFL media asked him about Reid recently.

“He’s a good kid. He’s got to get to work, though, and, just like the rest of the players, the expectations on Harley will be high to play his role within our team, and we’re excited to see him do that,” McQualter said.

They expect to see him “do that” in Eagles colours for at least the next two years after the AFL and the AFL Players’ Association bowed to pressure and made first-round draft picks from 2023 onwards sign standard three-year deals.

That decision worked against Reid, as his suspension means he not only lost the Rising Star bonus, but he is yet to become eligible to sign an Additional Services Agreement in his third season (and with it the chance to earn the money his marketing power demands) because he didn’t finish top five in that award.

The rule also means the youngster potentially has to endure an extra season of questions relating to whether he is staying beyond the third year, rather than extending or not midway through his second, as he may have under the old system.

That is an unintended consequence of the new rule relating to the standard three-year contract of first-round picks. Clearly those introducing the clause into the CBA didn’t foresee how difficult it might be for a young man to find space in the two-team town searching for a hero.

The Eagles have had huge names don their colours during their time in the AFL, but none attracted more hype in their first season than Reid.Credit: AFL Photos

The positive news is that Reid is well-liked by teammates, and he is settled with his girlfriend Yasmin Duursma (the Duursma footballers’ sister), who moved over for summer after her season with Carlton’s AFLW team ended. He has given no indication of doing anything but putting his head down and doing what he can for West Coast.

He’s surrounded by good football people at a strong club, and the Eagles are taking their obligation and responsibility to set him up for a successful career seriously.

Adding Richmond premiership pair Jack Graham and Liam Baker will assist in that process, too, as the question of how long a rein to give talented youngsters still remains an open one that tests all clubs from time to time.

Reid’s peers will therefore have a huge influence on working out the necessary lessons for him to learn.

The coaches, high-performance and wellbeing team, as well as teammates and the administration of the club, are well aware they need to strike the balance between keeping him happy and driving him to meet standards, and to adhere to a revised game plan under McQualter that everyone will be learning for the first time.

The Eagles plan to treat him like any other player – as Reid wants to be treated – but that is not always simple, as some of the issues he might be forced to deal with are different to the average player’s.

How to treat him is potentially a question the whole football industry will grapple with as he grows up and learns in the spotlight. It’s a conundrum the Eagles have been aware of from the moment they recruited him – his previous coach Adam Simpson often shocked at the media exposure Reid had.

The AFL, however, is a hype machine and No.1 picks feel its force more than anyone.

So far, Reid has done a remarkable job – not only playing well but keeping a big grin on his face throughout.

Now he moves into the next phase of his career, one filled with learning, with the lesson of the recent off-season likely to be obvious to him as he begins the grind to get his fitness back on par with his teammates’ and those opponents he will compete against in 2025.

We know he can play. In his second year, valuable lessons will be learned.

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