Eagles back in 'humble' Harley ahead of derby day
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has thrown his support behind a "humble" Harley Reid, saying he's never seen a 19-year-old AFL player be put under such an intense spotlight.
Reid was fined $1000 by the AFL after showing his middle finger to the Gabba crowd during West Coast's 19-point loss to Brisbane Lions on Sunday.
The former No.1 draft pick enjoyed a sensational debut season last year, with his Dustin Martin-like fend-offs and powerful midfield bursts earning him instant cult status at West Coast.
But Reid's slow start to 2025, repeated off-the-ball skirmishes and playing for free kicks have led to an avalanche of criticism from around the country. The frenzy surrounding Reid has taken first-year coach McQualter by surprise, and he praised the star midfielder for taking it in his stride.
"It's fascinating to see it (the intense scrutiny), because I've never seen a 19-year-old in this scenario," McQualter said.
"But he's got a really strong support network around him. He's a balanced, humble kid, and he's been good.
"He's doing OK. He's preparing to play and be another great teammate this week."
Duggo is backing Harley 🤝 pic.twitter.com/cWtmyNqr69
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) March 25, 2025
McQualter is all for theatre in sport, but he was quick to acknowledge Reid's actions of showing the middle finger to the crowd wasn't acceptable.
"We don't condone Harley's actions," McQualter said.
"It's not ideal, that part of it.
"But we know how good a person Harley is, and we're putting some really good support plans around him and ensuring that he's going to be a great teammate for many years to come."
Reid looms as a key figure in Sunday's western derby against arch rivals Fremantle.
In the first derby of last year, Reid kicked three goals from 19 disposals to lead West Coast to a shock 37-point win.
Reid tallied 29 disposals and 10 clearances in the second derby of the year as Fremantle came from behind to post a 35-point win.
19 disposals, 7 clearances and 3 goals.Debut Derbys don't get much better than Harley Reid's.#AFLEaglesFreo pic.twitter.com/Q26jg7ERdV
— AFL (@AFL) April 20, 2024
Dockers coach Justin Longmuir is well aware of Reid's match-winning abilities.
"His first derby was outstanding, and in his second derby he was a good contributor," Longmuir said.
"He's the sort of the guy that steps up in big moments, by the looks of it.
"So yeah, we need to be aware of it. Get the match-ups right.
"But you don't want to put too much focus into one person, because there's a couple of others in there that might get a hold of you.
"We want to make sure we're balanced with our attention, but we need to make sure he doesn't give them the start that he did in the first derby."
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