Harley Reid: Rival clubs crunching the numbers as speculation mounts over West Coast Eagles star's future
The Eagles confirmed Reid's season is over following an ankle injury in the western derby loss to Fremantle on Saturday but it hasn't slowed any speculation over the 20-year-old's future.
Essendon are among the Victorian rivals showing strong interested in the gun midfielder, while it's understood Reid's management has presented counter-offers to the Eagles that could make him one of the AFL's highest-paid players.
Leading Channel 7 analyst Caroline Wilson said Reid's advisers were 'holding the West Coast Eagles to ransom'.
'I don't think it is going to do him any good at all to stay at West Coast on a $2 million long-term contract or go to another club on big money,' Wilson told The Agenda Setters on Monday night.
'Particularly when he is not performing as that sort of player yet. It's crazy.'
Wilson doubled down on an earlier call Essendon had been scared out of the race for Reid's signature, given the huge sum and commitment involved.
'My clear understanding after talking to Essendon over several weeks is that they are shocked by the sort of money that has been asked for Harley Reid,' Wilson said.
'They were told unless you are interested to go north of $1.5 million over as much as 10 years, we are not going to deal with you.
'Maybe there is another game at play here that I am missing. Maybe people are feeding me the wrong information but I don't think they are.
'I don't think Essendon are prepared to pay close to $2 million for Harley Reid.'
It follows a denial from Essendon CEO Craig Vozzo that the Bombers had tapped out of the race.
'We had a bit of laugh the other day when all that come out,' Vozzo said.
'I didn't realise until 24 hours later so I personally rang (Reid's manager) Nick Gieschen to apologise to be honest. I was quite embarrassed when I read those comments. It is certainly not true.'
Reid's camp this month presented counter-proposals to the Eagles which include one worth an estimated $24 million over 11 years.
Hawthorn, Geelong and the Bombers were among the clubs reportedly willing to offer Reid long-term deals worth more than $2 million a season.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell has met with Gieschen but said this week $2 million for one player would make it a 'little bit more difficult'.
'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.
'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 workmanlike 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.'
Gieschen recently returned from a trip to Perth, which included discussions over Reid's future with West Coast.
It comes as Reid's second AFL season ended four games early, with West Coast confirming their rising star will miss the final month with an ankle injury.
Reid offered hope to West Coast fans in an Instagram post that he may be planning to stay with the WA club, saying 'not how I wanted the season to end' before adding: 'We'll keep building together.'
Reid was helped off the field late in Saturday's 49-point loss to Fremantle after he injured his ankle in a tackle.
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley told his fellow On The Couch panellists on Fox Footy on Monday night: 'I personally don't think that is a decision West Coast should make.'
'If you're being held to ransom in some shape or form by this player for that amount of money, that means you're probably going to get two or three first-rounders back. Maybe that depth is going to be better for you than a Harley Reid,' he said.
Jack Riewoldt added: 'Is there enough evidence to suggest he's the character? He's had one (full) pre-season and, by all reports, has come back in shape that isn't of an AFL standard. We constantly have conversations about him being hot-headed — and the caveat is he's young and learning — are you willing to risk $24 million on that?'
But four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis said there was 'a soft spot for me for players like Harley'.
'He is a player we think will be generational. I'd be staggered if they lost him,' Lewis said of West Coast.
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