Harley Reid's management table ‘biggest deal in AFL history' to Eagles
As Victorian clubs continue to circle the 20-year-old in the hopes of luring him back home, it now appears his future looks likely to remain in Perth.
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On Sunday it was revealed the young star's management had approached the Eagles to discuss potential contract extensions beyond 2026 when his rookie contract expires.
AFL Media reporter Cal Twomey detailed further information behind the offers tabled with one set to rewrite the record books.
'It's hitting crunch time in the contract decision of Harley Reid at the West Coast Eagles,' Twomey told Footy Classified.
'He's had contract offers in front of him since April that have come from the Eagles. But in recent weeks, his management have sent counter offers to the Eagles – and a part of that we can detail tonight include a mammoth offer that would be a two-year extension, plus an extension on top of that of another nine years. So an 11-year arrangement.
'This is groundbreaking, really, in terms of what it would mean for West Coast Eagles and Harley Reid as one of the options. We've seen this in recent times with the contract of Miles Bergman, who signed a two-year deal and then has an understanding with Port Adelaide that he can sign an extra seven years beyond that. So it's not unprecedented.
'But it would be the biggest deal in AFL history by some way and it would take him through to the end of 2037 – which is remarkable to think about – if he was to pursue that all the way through.
'This is enormous in terms of the $20 million-plus that would be on the table.'
The staggering potential contract quickly whipped around AFL circles with fans divided on the deal.
Lachy Steele wrote on X: 'Absolute insanity. Besides last weekend he hasn't shown he's worth anywhere near that.'
ESPN's Jasper Chellappah wrote: 'Think this is really fair from Harley's camp. Commits to the club short term, gives West Coast three years to improve and if they're still a rabble he goes home.'
Twomey stated the contract negotiations haven't moved a great deal, leaving the door open for Victorian teams to continue to try and poach him.
'The Eagles are still weighing this up and going through their own negotiation process – and clubs are continuing to hunt him in Victoria,' he said.
'I think Hawthorn are near-on obsessed with Harley Reid in getting him to the club. They want him badly, are willing to go to eight to 10 years at $1.7 million, $1.8 million to get him across the line.'
Veteran journalist Caroline Wilson noted that Reid's camp were not interested in joining a rebuilding club if he were to ultimately return home.
'The player and his family have made it clear they do not want to go to a struggling club,' Wilson told Agenda Setters.
'They've got no interest in St Kilda, they've got no interest in Melbourne. I'm not sure if they've got much interest in Essendon at the moment, but Essendon have no interest in that sort of money.
'They (the Bombers) think that Hawthorn is right in there – and Hawthorn say there have been no meaningful talks – others say that Richmond and Melbourne are having a crack.
'I think West Coast also said to the management 'we're not interested in that sort of money' … but what has happened in the last 24 hours is that I think West Coast have come back to the table – and we're talking significantly more than $1.5 million a year.'
Kane Cornes questioned if the absurd figures being thrown around would be the right way to go for the young star still trying to find his feet in the game.
'No criticism to him but are West Coast, with the issues they've had with the behaviour of their biggest stars over the journey — is that setting him up in the best possible way to be the best player he can be?' Cornes asked.
'This is what he's going to get every week.
'He gets 20 in the first half (against Richmond), he's on track for career-best numbers and they go 'OK we've had enough of this, we're just going to put a tagger on him'.
'If you play West Coast you are stupid if you don't tag Harley Reid, which is so unfair for him in his second year to cop that.
'It is going to get very, very boring for him playing in that side when he cops that treatment and loses every week.'
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