Hawks respond to Harley Reid rumour as fresh details emerge

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has spoken out about rumours surrounding young star Harley Reid as fresh contract details emerge.

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has provided some insight on whether the Hawks really are “obsessed” with Harley Reid.

Reports earlier this week stated the Hawks were “obsessed” with Reid and now the Hawks coach has had his say.

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“I saw the word obsessed and I went in the next day and I said to a couple of list guys, ‘Are we obsessed with Harley Reid?’ and then I saw some of the numbers that were getting thrown up and I said ‘What is happening here?’ And they’re like ‘just don’t even read the papers’,” Mitchell said on SEN’s Fireball this morning.

“He’s obviously a good player but he’s contracted to West Coast and he’s having a pretty good year. A bit like ‘Daysy’ getting sat on in his first game back, it’s a bit like, ‘oh’, I mean this 20-year-old is getting sat on most weeks now. He’s a good player.”

Harley Reid’s future remains up in the air. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Earlier this week, AFL Media’s Cal Twomey reported that the Eagles have put what would be “the biggest deal in AFL history” to the star youngster, keeping him at West Coast through to the end of 2037 with its value totalling over $20 million.

Channel 7’s Ryan Daniels said the deal was far more eye-watering with Reid potentially set to pocket $2.2m per season for 11 years.

“The proposed deal would be for two years initially, with an option for Harley to extend that to 11 years, until the end of 2037, and be worth around $2.2 million per season. The total number would likely be north of $24 million,” Daniels said.

Reid’s manager, Nick Gieschen, has recently arrived in WA and attempted to downplay the reported offer.

“I don’t think anyone is ready to be the highest-paid player in the comp,” Gieschen said.

“But nah, we’re working through it. Nothing’s finalised. We’re in negotiations but we’ll take every day as it comes.

“Harley is enjoying his time here and like I said before, we’re talking about what the future looks like. We’re having discussions with West Coast and we’ll go from there.

“Nothing in concrete, we’re just talking at the moment and we’ll see where we get to.”

With easily the biggest deal ever seen in AFL history reportedly on the table, it’s tough bidding for any Victorian clubs to swoop in and lure him away.

“If I’m really honest I actually don’t know. I don’t have anything to do with the financial stuff. It doesn’t seem right for us. At some point that’s going to happen isn’t it? Whether it’s in this CBA or the next one, but the money in the game continues to go up,” Mitchell said.

Harley Reid could be set to sign the biggest contract in AFL history. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

“The average salary continues to be higher and higher and higher and as they should be. Everyone wants to play the game and the spectacle of what we’re putting on at the moment is pretty good. I think the players deserve what they’re getting, it’s just how you attribute that.

“With our midfield as an example, being pretty workman-like and making sure that we’re consistent across the board. If you’re putting $2 million into one player, that makes it a little bit more difficult of course.”

As rumours surrounding Reid’s future continue to swirl, Eagles skipper Liam Duggan believes the young star will stick with the club.

“I’m really eager for Harley to sign. I mean, he’s going to be paid very well regardless of where it is, and he’s going to get a long-term deal regardless of where it is,” he said on Triple M.

“But all I can speak of at the moment is that his investment in what we’re going after at the moment is second to none.

“He has been so dialled into what we’re going after as a footy club at the moment, he’s been very vocal in that amongst the group, the way he’s playing, you can see that in the way that he’s playing, and I think our supporters would be able to see that in the way that he’s going about his footy right now.”

Originally published as Hawks respond to Harley Reid rumour as fresh details emerge