Number one draft pick Harley Reid has been cleared of serious injury after going down at West Coast’s pre-season training in Dunsborough on Wednesday.
Reid fell to the ground during a midfield drill and grabbed his quad, leading him to limp off with ice on the affected area.
While the initial signs were worrying, Nine Perth reporter Alexia Pesce, who was present at the training session, says coach Adam Simpson has confirmed the teenager only has a corked quad.
“It didn't take long for the superstar to send shock waves through the AFL, did it?” Pesce said on SEN Afternoons.
“He did go down pretty quickly at the training camp down here south-west of Perth, but he has a corked quad. So, he is ok.
“But he was probably in more pain than what he thought he was going to be in. He did get up and then go down again.
“He went straight to the physios and straight to ice on that quad.”
Harley Reid limping off at @WestCoastEagles training, grabbing his right leg… straight into hands of the physios. @9NewsPerth @FootyonNine pic.twitter.com/59xHj98BMb
— Alexia Pesce (@alexiapesce) December 6, 2023
Pesce was one of many reporters at the pre-season training session with their eyes on Reid.
She admits that the media coverage of the star teenager is a lot in Perth as West Coast try and temper expectations on the young prospect.
“It (the media attention) is a lot,” Pesce said.
“Every step he takes, every breath he takes, it's under watch.
“‘Simmo’ (Simpson) did say today though that he is 18 and we do need to stay calm.
“They won't be putting too much pressure on him ahead of Round 1. They just want him to play, and he's also said, ‘I just want to play football’.
“Every move he makes is being watched, so it's always going to be a big deal.
“But the club internally is calling for calm.”
Reid will hope to get a strong pre-season under his belt before West Coast’s Round 1 opener against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval.