AFL Now: Harley Reid issued ‘please explain’ by AFL over gesture as Marc Murphy weighs in

The AFL has officially issued a ‘please explain’ notice to Harley Reid over his gestures to the crowd on Sunday, while a No.1 draft pick has revealed what would be going on behind closed doors.

FORMER No.1 draft pick Marc Murphy has urged Andrew McQualter to coach Harley Reid hard to instil elite standards into the Eagles phenomenon as he issued with a please explain for a pair of middle-fingered salutes.

West Coast will be asked to explain Reid’s conduct after footage from the Eagles clash against Brisbane caught him flashing the bird twice to Lions supporters.

The incidents happened in separate quarters and thee AFL had the chance to issue with him a fine as part of the MRO guidelines for an obscene gesture but instead will make a ruling after the Eagles’ response in coming days.

The league will be keen to understand the context of the byplay with fans or even abuse levelled at him as the AFLPA seeks to minimise fines to its players.

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In isolation it was a harmless episode but it is understood Eagles senior players have been worried about Reid’s attention to detail and professionalism in the month leading into round 1.

If Chad Warner requested a trade from Sydney to the Eagles it would be much easier for Reid to ask for a return mid-contract to a team in Victoria given the fanfare about the arrival of the brilliant Swans midfielder.

But Warner showed his love of the Swans jumper and new coach Dean Cox by grabbing his jumper in ecstasy and then literally jumping into Cox’s arms after the victory.

Harley Reid has come under fire for his performance to start the season. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

He quipped about Cox’s influence in the post-match, saying of the level-headed coach: “He has fitted in really seamlessly. There are maybe a few less outbursts moments than with ‘Horse’ (John Longmire) but we love ‘Horse’.”

Murphy won only six games in his first two seasons at Carlton after deciding against moving to the Lions as a father-son and felt the early pressure as a No.1 overall draft pick.

He sympathises with Reid but also believes McQualter has an obligation to be fair to his entire list by coaching him with rigor after a fortnight of playing for free kicks and fighting with opponents.

“You can’t ignore it. Teammates will pick up on that and that’s when it causes issues for your culture. (McQualter) would have had a different approach behind closed doors than what he answered for the media. He would give him a tap on the shoulder and say, ‘That’s not how we go about it’.

“He got some words of wisdom across the fence and had a brain fade reaction and it’s not that big a deal. His whole situation as the No.1 pick and with people thinking he is coming back home, it all gets compounded. If you were Andrew McQualter you wouldn’t look too far into it, you would say the best players don’t do that so you shouldn’t.”

Reid’s partner Yasmin Duursma has been with Reid in Perth over summer but will have to return to Victoria in mid-May for the official start of the pre-season.

Murphy urged the Eagles to redouble their efforts to integrate Reid’s family into their club.

“The one thing they should be doing is getting his family over all the time. Get his family and friends around him, make it feel like it’s their club more than his club. Get them over to Perth all the time so he is in a spot where they feel comfortable too.”

Originally published as AFL Now: Harley Reid issued ‘please explain’ by AFL over gesture as Marc Murphy weighs in