West Coast coach Adam Simpson has confirmed the role that he expects No.1 pick Harley Reid to play in his first AFL season.
While Reid projects a midfielder that can dominate inside 50, he looks set to instead follow the path of the last two Rising Star winners Nick Daicos and Harry Sheezel who were eased into life at the top level at half-back.
Simpson says the club will look to settle Reid in defence while giving him time on ball and up forward as an impact player.
Even though Reid enters his first season as one of the most hyped draftees in recent memory, the Eagles coach is expecting him to meet those lofty expectations in 2024.
“We will need to settle him,” Simpson said at a press conference on Monday.
“He will play on ball, down back mostly. He can go forward and have an impact too. We will see.
“I think he is going to back up the hype.”
Sheezel attended just five per cent of North Melbourne’s centre bounces in 2023 as he dominated off half-back, averaging 27.04 touches a game in his first season.
As for Daicos, he attended just four per cent of centre bounces in his first campaign before developing into a midfielder in the second half of his sophomore season.
The superstar Pie attended at least 60 per cent of centre stoppages in seven of his last eight full games.
Perhaps the Eagles will use the template set by Daicos and followed by Sheezel to get Reid’s feet wet before unleashing him as the midfield dynamo many expect him to become.
The top draftee will hope to make his AFL debut when the Eagles face Port Adelaide in Round 1 at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday, March 17.
