West Coast Eagles youngsters prepared to stand up to protect Harley Reid against Richmond
Reid has drawn plenty of attention from opposition teams not only through regular tags, but also as they look to provoke the passionate Eagle knowing if they can get under his skin he is likely to react and potentially concede a free kick.
The 20-year-old leads the AFL for free kicks against with coach Andrew McQualter conceding the midfielder needed to learn how to play on the line without crossing it more often than not.
This has been exacerbated by the absence of injured senior midfielder Elliot Yeo this year, with the dual All-Australian having served as a vital on-field mentor in Reid's eye-catching first season.
Fellow second-year midfielder Clay Hall said he was prepared to stand up for Reid if the Tigers looked to target Reid.
'That's something I'd love to do for someone who is a fellow draftee of mine,' he said.
'We're the same age and to watch how much he cops it on the field and off the field as well in terms of media, it's a little bit unfair at times. So we'll support him as much as we can.
'He's been fine. The game is two hours of a whole week. He's a different person apart from what he produces on the footy field, he's just like everyone else. (He's) one of my best mates around the club.'
Eagles defender Harry Edwards said Reid's propensity to give away free kicks had been raised at team meetings this week but he backed the young man to continue to play the same way.
'He's got to find the line between playing on the edge and that competitive, combative style that he plays which we obviously love to see from him,' he told SEN.
'He's got to find the line between that and giving away too many free kicks but he is a kid battling his ass off in there.
'He'll figure that out with time and we love the way he plays. I'd prefer him to keep going about it the way he does.'
West Coast lack seniority in their midfield with Yeo sidelined with injury and recruit Jack Graham serving a four-match suspension for a homophobic slur earlier this month.
It has left Hall, Reid, Brady Hough and Elijah Hewett to carry the brunt of the load against the bigger bodies of more senior outfits in recent weeks.
'I love it. Those names, they're just some of my best mates around the club so to be able to go out there on the weekend and line up in a centre bounce it's awesome,' Hall said.
'I played junior footy at HBL with Houghy, played state footy with Hewey and up against Harley in the state champs.
'These are guys I've been around for a while now so we're really starting to get to know each other a lot better.'
West Coast's inexperienced midfield is set to be boosted by the inclusion of 2023 club champion Tim Kelly, who went back to the WAFL last week to find form and responded with 27 disposals and two goals to earn an instant recall.
Hall said Kelly had been a great mentor to him and the other young midfielders so to have him in the side would only help.
'I haven't played too much midfield time with TK. I'm not sure exactly what he's doing yet but if he does go in there I'd love that,' he said.
'He's been a great mentor for me especially this year since he's been one of the few senior players rolling through the midfield.
'To be able to go out there with him would be awesome.'
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