West Coast youngster Harley Reid is truly living up to the hype in season one.
In just his sixth game, the No. 1 draft pick was immense in the 105-68 win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium, kicking three goals to go with 19 disposals and seven clearances.
The now 19-year-old was awesome bursting out of packs and also took a couple of huge contested grabs inside 50, showing off his obvious versatility.
His outing was so good that he easily could have won the Glendinning-Allan Medal for best afield, which was instead given to Elliot Yeo for his one-goal, 26-disposal performance.
Kane Cornes was wowed by Reid’s performance as the rookie continues to improve on a weekly basis just one week after helping himself to a goal and 27 disposals in the win over Richmond.
“I agree with that (that he could have won the Glendinning-Allan medal),” Cornes said on AFL.com.au's The Round So Far.
“He was quiet in the first quarter but then he kicked those two goals that absolutely got them going.
“It was unbelievable, they just scored pretty much every time they went inside 50.
“He’s doing this, taking two absolute screamers (inside 50) and he’s gone forward and kicked three.
“We know he had this (midfield burst) in his package, but he’s improving every week he is playing.”
Given Reid is already starring and helping turn around the struggling Eagles, Cornes pondered just how good the dynamic gun will be once he reaches the prime years of his career.
After winning just five games in the previous two years combined, Cornes thinks that Reid’s emergence is single-handedly turning the fortunes of coach Adam Simpson and West Coast as a whole around as they now sit 2-4 through six games in 2024.
“He’s taking on the opposition tackler, he’s bursting through, he’s a grown man … he’s played six games, what is that going to look like when he is 24 or 25?
“He is single-handedly changing the fortunes I think of the coach Adam Simpson and the whole of the club.”
Reid will hope to keep his blistering form up when the Eagles face the Suns on the Gold Coast next Sunday.
