Powerful moment Harley Reid sparked Eagles turnaround
Nathan Brown has labelled 2023 No.1 draft pick Harley Reid not only West Coast’s saviour, but the entire state’s new hope.
Reid has played just six games, but single-handedly led the Eagles to a stunning 37-point win over cross-town rivals Fremantle in the western derby on Saturday night.
The young star, who turned 19 before the round six match, collected 19 disposals and kicked three goals in the win.
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His game style and presence have already been likened to that of Eagles and Blues legend Chris Judd, who led West Coast to the 2006 flag.
“I don’t think that since Chris Judd that somebody has had such an impact so early,” Brown said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
“We heard he was a once-in-a-generation player and we’re seeing that in front of our eyes. They needed a leader to get behind.
“Who would have thought that a young man coming in, in his first season, could be that for a whole state of football?”
And Brown knows exactly where it all began; back in round four, when the Eagles tested the Swans, but couldn’t get over the line.
Reid kicked his first career goal and collected 18 touches.
“I reckon it started against Sydney, when he tugged his jumper kicking a goal … They said, ‘We want to go with you’,” Brown said.
Kane Cornes noted how impressive Reid had been at managing the pressure heaped on him since well before he was drafted.
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That included almost non-stop media coverage in the year leading up to draft night, where he was taken with pick one.
“He is special. The amount of media coverage he had before he even played a game, to be able to cope with that and … the ability to really bring everyone along with him…” Cornes said.
From the captain 💙 pic.twitter.com/1J8hQnPyka
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) April 20, 2024
“He’s played six games. Can you imagine what he’s going to be like when he’s 24?”
Reid’s temmate Elliot Yeo also heaped praise on the young midfielder.
“The kid’s bigger than Ben Hur over here. He’s got a fair bit of swagger, that’s for sure, and he backs it up which is great,” Yeo told the Sunday Footy Show.
Reid has been hailed the Eagles’ newest saviour.
“The energy he brings to the football club is huge and everyone feeds off that.
“He’s almost playing like a 100-150-game player.”
The Eagles now sit 2-4 after six rounds, looking ahead to their match against the Gold Coast Suns.