Eagles to challenge Harley Reid ban, debate rages over ‘fakest and falsest’ AFL award

West Coast are challenging Harley Reid’s suspension that has cost a shot at the AFL’s Rising Star and ignited debate over the award.

Harley Reid is out of contention for the Rising Star.

The West Coast Eagles will challenge Harley Reid’s two-week dangerous tackle ban, but the rookie will remain ineligible for the AFL Rising Star award even if they are successful.

Reid, who has made a stunning impact on the Eagles and the league in his rookie season, was handed the suspension for a tackle on St Kilda draftee Darcy Wilson in the third quarter of his team’s 14-point loss at Optus Stadium on Saturday.

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The incident was graded as careless conduct, high impact and high contact, which resulted in a two-game ban with no discount for an early guilty plea.

On Monday, the Eagles confirmed they would challenge his dangerous tackle ban, in the hope of getting it down to one week.

Any suspension would rule Reid, who was the prohibitive favourite to win the Rising Star award, ineligible.

“The West Coast Eagles will challenge Harley Reid’s two-game sanction at the AFL Tribunal,” the club said.

“West Coast will challenge that the level of impact should be downgraded to medium, rather than high, which would result in a one-match suspension.”

If unsuccessful, Reid would be sidelined for matches against North Melbourne and Essendon either side of the club’s bye.

Watch Harley Reid’s tackle in the video above

Harley Reid sling tackles Darcy Wilson to the turf.

Two of the frontrunners for the Rising Star award were wiped out of contention in one weekend, with both Reid and Bulldogs forward Sam Darcy handed suspensions.

Darcy was still eligible for the award in his third season, having only played a handful of games due to injuries, but he collected Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard in an ugly late bump on Friday night.

Darcy was given a two-game suspension, throwing the Rising Star race wide open. North Melbourne duo George Wardlaw and Colby McKercher are the new favourites with betting markets.

The suspensions to Reid and Darcy have sparked debate over whether the Rising Star should have the same ‘best and fairest’ criteria like the Brownlow Medal, which stipulates a player can’t win if they are suspended that season.

“(In) 1993 when it was instituted, I’m so interested why it was chosen that fairest would be part of it,” Gerard Whateley said of the Rising Star award on SEN.

“It doesn’t mirror the Brownlow. It’s not a week by week voting award. It’s a subjective vote by the All Australian judges at the end.

The AFL Rising Star has been thrown into chaos. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

“The very next year (1994) Corey McKernan misses on the fleeting and marginal suspension of tripping, yet we didn’t debate that firmly enough at the time. We’re trying to acknowledge the best young player in the game and maybe forecast the future.

“Neither incident involving Darcy or Reid ruins their reputation or character. It strikes me as out of whack.

“I understand why the Brownlow is ‘fairest and best’. It dates back to a time and the tradition has continued. This doesn’t date back to a time, this starts in 1993.

“At the end of the year we should have the conversation that should have been had in 1994. It just doesn’t make sense to me why fairest is part of it.”

David King said: “You end up creating the ‘Rising Star, but …’ award.

“Whoever’s the Rising Star will be the fakest and falsest Rising Star we’ve had for a while, because already down the depth chart.

“If we’re not going to give it to the best, it’s clearly a fake award. If the best doesn’t get it, then it becomes a nonsense.”

Sam Darcy’s hit on Brayden Maynard ruled him out of Rising Star contention. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Commentator and former AFLW coach Daniel Horford wrote on X: “The ‘Fairest’ component of the Rising Star is nonsense.”

Kane Cornes asked on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show: “Do we need to remove the fairness element of the Rising Star? Particularly at the moment with so many ticky-touch suspensions we are getting that we wouldn’t have got five, six years ago.

“It’s going to be a bit farcical on the night. Whether we need a threshold, maybe if you’ve been suspended for four weeks, if that triggers a threshold. But if it’s just one like that, you should still be able to win.”

Damian Barrett added: “I think it’s a conversation the industry should have.”

Kelli Underwood asked on ABC’s Offsiders: “Should you take the fairest element out of it? It’s a bit different to the Brownlow, isn’t it.”

Gideon Haigh replied: “I’d like it to remain compatible with the Brownlow. The Brownlow is meant to be the aspiration, I think everything should fall in line with that.”

In the loss to St Kilda, Reid was also fined for two instances of careless contact with an umpire, which totalled $1875 with early guilty pleas.

He was best on ground in the first half before St Kilda tagged him out of the game in the second half and claimed a 14-point win.

— With NCA Newswire

Originally published as Eagles to challenge Harley Reid ban, debate rages over ‘fakest and falsest’ AFL award